Carlisle and Hadrian's Wall

I came to Carlisle with the sole purpose of seeing Hadrian's Wall, but the city has a lot more to offer. Upon arrival, I took the bus to reach the Bunkhouse (a converted barn) where I was staying. Now, the thing I realized about the rural buses in England is that there are no clearly defined stops nor are the roads well marked. Considering that I didn't know the area nor knew what the bunkhouse looked like this could have been a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, a fellow traveler, who was hiking the Wall, was staying at the campsite on the property and knew where it was. Of all the places where I've stayed so far, despite not having heat on the second floor, this place was really cool. The Wi-Fi was good, free tea was available, the owner, a delightful woman by the name of Sandra, was nice and provided useful advice, and it had a very chill atmosphere. The first night I had the whole place to myself (my guess; despite it being April it was freezing cold) and, despite the chill outside, I was able to keep myself warm with several hot water bottles. The second night, I was joined by some very fun Australians and French travelers.
Of course, I know that you all don't read this to hear about my hostel experience. My first port of call in Carlisle was the local cathedral, whose origins date back to Norman times. Some of the building's stained glass windows have been in place since the 14th century, while the stalls for the choir have been in the building for over 900 years. In addition, on the lower levels there's a treasury of objects detailing the history of Christians in Cumbria.
After a delicious meal of lasagna and chips in a pub whose existence can also be traced to the Middle Ages, I headed off to Carlisle Castle. As the gentleman at the cathedral explained Carlisle Castle is 'a proper castle' and it’s hard not to see why. Built on the site of a roman fort, the castle, sitting on the border of England and Scotland, the castle holds the record for being the most besieged place in Britain, with English kings, Parliamentarian Roundheads, and Scottish Jacobites all laying siege to the site at some point. The castle was the court for the Scottish king David I who died in the small chapel. Later Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots, and his second wife Margaret stayed her. In fact, Margaret’s tower can still be seen. Later on, Mary Queen of Scots was held captive here after she fled Scotland. While the tower she stayed in has been destroyed, the site is clearly marked. After a siege that saw the civilians and soldiers eat their own horses, the city surrendered to the forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Later, in the aftermath of Culloden, Jacobite prisoners were held in its lower cells. The rooms in this prison are pitch-black and several Jacobites died in here before they could face trial. The rest were forced to suck moisture from the stone walls in order to keep from dehydrating. There was no relief for the Jacobites. After being convicted they were led out of the castle, hung by the neck for a few minutes, and then taken down and cut open while they were forced to watch. Despite having been besieged by the rebels a few months earlier, the citizens of Carlisle were so disgusted by this treatment that they returned to their homes in protest of  'Butcher' Cumberland’s' draconian methods. It’s believed that the song 'Loch Lomond' was written by a Jacobite rebel after receiving a last visit from his girlfriend. The low road he sings of is 'death' which will finally allow him to return to Scotland.
In more recent years, the Castle was a training ground and barracks for the British army, which is commemorated by the very good Cumberland military museum. Today it stands as a monument to the regions legacy as a frontier. This theme was further elaborated upon at my next destination, the Tully Museum. The museum, which unfortunately didn't allow photography, with a few exceptions, had wonderful exhibits on Hadrian's Wall, the Reivers, Carlisle, pre-Raphaelite painters, and artists with disabilities. The Hadrian's Wall exhibit featured an expansive collection of Roman artifacts, costumes, info about Roman history, and info about the Roman soldiers themselves. Another exhibit focused on the Reivers, English and Scottish raiders who kept events on the border interesting. I saw quite a few names I recognized on a list of Reivers families. Quite an interesting claim to fame. Outside lies a faux monument to them, with a bishop’s curse printed on stone and the names carved on the pathway for visitors to trample underfoot.
The artwork in the museum is difficult to describe, but needless to say it was stunning. I was immensely impressed by the beauty of the figures and landscapes of the pre-Raphaelite painters and while I wasn't impressed by the artwork in the Tate Modern Museum, I felt that the modern art in the Tullie Gallery was very evocative and thought provoking (the museum attendant and I had quite a discussion about whether a particular peace had been inspired by a Monty Python sketch). The final part of the Gallery which focused on works of art with either physical or mental impairments was also quite good. Like many galleries, the paintings were accompanied by short blurbs by the authors themselves. For many pieces, these blurbs were nothing more than 'I like to paint' which when juxtaposed against the stunning works of art effectively demonstrated that there are other forms of communication besides written and verbal.
My final stop in Carlisle was the Guild House. This medieval building was the home of the main trade guild during the Middle Ages and has survived to this day.
The next morning, I headed out to Hadrian's Wall. My destination was Housestead's fort, the most well preserved fort on the site. To review, the wall was built by the Emperor Hadrian as a way of marking the border of the Roman Empire in Britain (although roman troops did march as far North as Edinburgh and another wall, Antoine's Wall marks lies a little farther to the North. The fort supported a nearby town in addition to its garrison. Standing at the North Wall of the fort one gets a sense of Roman power. The fort was built at the top of a hill and any approaching army would have had hard time taking it. At other points along the way the crossing would have been a little easier. The portions of the wall I saw were roughly 5 feet tall and while part of it was located along cliffs, elsewhere a small band could have easily crossed over the the Roman side. However, the wall was so well guarded and designed that a force of Roman troops would have been in pursuit of them shortly. It’s said that author George R. R. Martin was inspired to write Game of Thrones while visiting the Wall, and given the forbidding landscape I can understand why. Of course, the Romans were facing something far worse than White Walkers and Wildlings, my ancestors (Picts and Caledonians). Today many people like to hike the wall from the point it began to where it ended. While I didn't have the time to do that this trip, it has been added to my bucket list. If it ever happens, maybe I'll write a blog about it...

Scott's Scottish Adventures: Largs

In my last post, I mentioned that I visited the tiny town of Largs. Why? At the turn of the 20th century, a girl was born in this town. Orphaned at a young age, she grew up without a mother and father, but was surrounded by friends. She attended school and church, though up stories, and joked with her friends about the cute boys in town. She was also involved in theatre, and played a few roles in the dramatic society. Eventually she and her friend (named after the church where she was baptized), decided to leave their little village and make the journey to America. She never returned to Scotland, but it is said that she loved the Jersey shore and its beaches reminded her of the oceanfront in Largs. As you might've guess this woman was my great-grandmother
The town of Largs was settled by Vikings who later intermarried with the local population. Today, that legacy can be felt in the many stores lining the waterfront which did remind me of the shops along the Jersey shore (though not nearly as expansive). I visited the church where my great-grandmother's friend was baptized, and walked along the river front that she so fondly remembered. The town itself was quite nice. It was Sunday so most of the shops were closed, but I still got a sense of the town's identity. The people were friendly, the houses were well elept, and while I never got the sense that the people were particularly wealthy, neither did I get the sense that they were poor. With the ocean nearby and tall hills behind it, the place seemed like a very nice place to live.
When some people visit their ancestral home, they say they get the feeling of belonging even though they've never been there before. I never got that feeling, but that doesn’t mean I didn't feel connect to my roots. For me, home is where your friends, family, and memories are. There are several places that I could call home, the College of William and Mary, Exeter University, Lee Hall in North Carolina, and of course, Skyline Drive PA. But unless I actually lived in Largs, I don't think I could call it home. However, similar to the feeling I received standing at Liverpool Docks, I felt the connection of the journeys that we were both on. For her it was travelling to an unknown land to achieve the American Dream. For me it was travelling to a new place to learn about the world. Which one is the more important? Hers... definitely hers, but while my travels in England won't lead to a whole new chapter of my family’s story, it’s another page in my story and I"m glad I'm taking it. Even though I might not feel a particularly strong connection to the town, I defiantly feel more connected with my ancestors which, for this history major, is pretty darn cool.

Scott's Scottish Adventure: Glasgow

In many respects Glasgow is similar to Liverpool in that both were major industrial centers before suffering a serious economic decline in the postwar years. Like Liverpool, Glasgow has similarly rebounded, and I was surrounded by construction and signs of urban renewal throughout my stay. Unlike the rest of my travels, I took the bus to reach Glasgow and overall it was quite enjoyable. Unlike the bus ride to Liverpool, where my 6 foot 1 frame was granted little leg room, I had plenty of space to stretch my legs, and plenty of beautiful Scottish scenery to look at. Upon arriving in the city I took the bus... got lost... asked for directions... got lost again... before finally finding my way to the budget Hotel where I was staying. After checking in, I took the bus to the city center and headed off towards the Cathedral. I should note that despite being in the UK for roughly 3 1/2 months this was my first time riding in a double-decker bus. Better late than never.
The Glasgow Cathedral was significant for being the only mainland Scottish Cathedral to survive the reformation. While a protestant mob did attack and loot the building, they were prevented from destroying it by the town's guild. Even before this, the site was significant as being the burial place of the Scottish saint, Mungo. Below the main Cathedral, there lies a second area, where the saint is buried In addition, the lower Cathedral also contains the body of a bishop who supported Robert de Bruce in the fight for Scottish Independence and was deported to England as a result.
Behind the Cathedral lies the Necropolis. Built during the Industrial Revollution in the midst of rapid population growth within the city, the necropolis is the final resting place from many of the cities’ leading figures. Including the guy who wrote Wee Willie Winky. Atop the cemetery is a monument to the Protestant reformer John Know, who helped convert the people of Scotland from Catholicism to Calvinism. From this monument one can get a beautiful view of the city.
The next day, I started with a trip to the small town of Largs, more on that in another post, before returning to Glasgow. I had some delicious French toast in a small tea house, but, I must admit, that I found its efforts to be as cutesy as possible rather off-putting. Ladies, there's a reason that men don't want to come to these places. Saying 'tut-a-loo as you piddle out the door' is an insult to our masculinity. After leaving, I made my way to the Mackintosh tea rooms. For those who don't know, Mackintosh was an architect and interior designer whose style helped define the artistic world of the 20th century. While not as popular in Scotland, Mackintosh's influence is scattered about the city. As recommend by Lonely Planet, the Willow Tea Rooms were second only to his house (which was closed on Sundays) in terms of his brilliance. Located right above a jewerly store (that was going out of business) the rooms provided a marvelous introduction to his work. Having never seen his work before, I wasnt qutie sure what to expect, but I immediately recognized his influence when I stepped inside. Needless to say, many building today would look very different if not for him.
after taking a gander at Mackintosh's work, I headed to St. Mungo's Museum of Religious Life and Art. Inside I was greeted by a wide array of artifacts from both Ancient and modern faiths. Things such as crosses, prayer shaws, prayer rugs, and Buddha statues were all placed near each other, perhaps as a subtle plea for interfaith dialogue. Despite being run by the Cathedral the museum isn't afraid to highlight some of the darker aspects of religon such as persecutions, intolerance, 7 am services etc. Nor is it unwilling to tackle the decline of faith in the UK. Whatever your thoughts on religion are, the museum stands as a fascinating glimpse into a mystery familiar to all people, and mankind's efforts to solve, or at least make peace, with what that mystery.
My second to last stop of the day was in Provand's Landship. This small house is one of the few surviving examples of medieval architecture around. Originally constructed as part of the elaborate residence known as the Bishops Castle, it survived the reformation intact, mostly because it was a well-built house, Protestants as well as Catholics would want to live in. Over the years, it served as an inn before eventually being taken over by the city. The building is in remarkable condition (although why the ground level floor is over in linoleum tiles is beyond me). It is rumored that Mary, Queen of Scots stayed hear after being forced to abdicate the thrown, which adds another feather to this houses' cap. Outside is a delightful  (but modern) garden in which herbs are grown ias a monument to the monks who frequented the houses' service to the poor and sick. On the wall are 19th century tables originally designed to decorate the city hall.
My final stop was Queen's Park which was right outside the budget hotel/ hostel where I was staying. The site of the Battle of Langside, today it’s a peaceful area of recreation, one that affords excellent views of the city. The fact that once a place of such destruction is now so peaceful, I think, acts as a type of closure , as most of the world is moving on but acknowledging the place is significant. In much the same way, I'm leaving Scotland, but there's no denying that the country has become very significant in my heart.

Scott's Scottish Adventure: Inverness and Loch Ness

As I left Edinburgh, I was greeted by the sun rising over the city as my train headed North. Soon the houses and buildings of the city were replaced by small farms and rugged terrain. No doubt about it. I was headed for the Highlands.
After switching trains in Perth, I continued on my journey, until I finally arriving in Inverness 'The Gateway to the Highlands'. After grabbing lunch, I headed off to my first destination, Inverness Castle. The current building has only existed since the 1840s, but Castles on the site have been around since the Middle Ages. At various times in history the castle was besieged by William I, Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Speaking of the young pretender, my next stop was the very place where his dreams of kingship came to a bloody end, Culloden. To review, James II was deposed by his daughter by his first wife, Mary, and her husband, William, an event known as the Glorious Revolution (they also founded the College of William and Mary, which makes them automatically awesome). James and his sons by his second wife then began attempting to retake the crown. In 1748, in the midst of war with England France agreed to support James' grandson, Charles, in an expedition to invade England and conquer it. Charles, a Catholic, arrived in the Western Highlands, a bastion of previous rebellions and far away from the British authorities. The Bonnie Prince, so called because he was only 25, initially had some difficulty in persuading the Highland Chieftains to his cause, but eventually he had most (but not all) of their support. Employing guerrilla tactics to distract the British commander Sir John Cope, he eventually outmaneuvered him and took Edinburgh. After being met with cheering crowds in the Scottish capitol, Charles met Cope in the field of battle. At a site called Prestapans, a thick fog and night march led by Charles's brilliant command Lord George Murray, allowed the Jacobites to surprise and slaughter the English. The troops then invaded England, but were eventually compelled to turn around due to internal division. The English meanwhile were gradually winning back Scotland. Many Scots were more than a little suspicious of the Catholic Prince, and Charles' failure to reconvene the Scottish Parliament did nothing to alleviate English propaganda suggest (with some cause) that he intended to rule as an absolute monarch. Indeed, Glasgow, around where my ancestors lived, gave Charles the 18th century equivalent of the Middle finger when he asked for support. Finally, at Culloden, Charles’s tired army met the army of the Duke of Cumberland, King George II's son. On the uneven ground the Highland charge was useless against the English and loyalist Scots disciplined musket and cannon volleys. The Jacobite forces were crushed and hopes of a Stuart King once more on the British throne came to an end.
Today the battlefield is peaceful, with Mountains rising in the distance as one wanders the field. While the terrain has been altered somewhat overall it remains roughly the sameas it did in 1748. The site is both a battlefield and a graveyard, the unmarked graves of both English and Scot lie just below the earth. In the aftermath of the Battle, the Duke of Cumberland for his harsh treatment of both Jacobite soldiers and civilians earned himself the nickname 'Butcher Cumberland'. A satirical cartoon from the time showed a terrified woman trying to explain to a vengeful English soldier that she was wearing a petticoat and not a kilt. As I mentioned before, since my ancestors are believed to have come from an area that hated Charles, if any of them did fight in the battle it was probably on the English side. If they did fight on the Jacobite side, it would potentially be one of the many cases where my English and Scottish ancestors attempted to kill each other. After returning from the Battlefield, I headed off to the Ness Islands. These pictures islands lie on the River Ness and provide a peaceful walk that really allows one to appreciate the more subtle aspect of Scotland’s natural beauty. The next day, I head off to nearby Loch Ness one of the deepest lakes in the world, and you not believe what I saw...

Can you believe it? It’s the Loch Ness Monster! You cant'? You say that's just my hat on my hand? Well you may be right, but there was a still a lot to see in Loch Ness. I began at Castle Urqhart (for fans of the UK version of House of Cards, this is probably where they got the name of Ian Richardson's character). Like its counterpart in Inverness, this castle been besieged numerous times as the reconstructed siege engine makes clear. Despite being blown upby its last owners to prevent it from falling into Jacobite hands, a good portion of the Castle survives, providing a fascinating glimpse into history and amazing views of the Loch.
After visiting the castle, I hiked through the hills surrounding the Loch. One path called Craignore led to an impressive rock formation that is the site of an Iron Age fort. Furthermore, during the Viking era a battle was fought here. A Viking by the name of Moire was raiding in the area and attempted to get back to his ships while pursued by the native Scots. They caught up to him at this rock and in the battle Moire was slain. As a concession, they named the area after him, which isn't a bad legacy.
Another trail called Milton's trail, provide a view overlooking the town of Milton, one of the first company towns. This textile mill had it products shipped as far away as India.
Upon returning back to Inverness, I visited a small wildlife preserve and got a spectacular view of the Highland sunset. Tomorrow, I was to head for Glasgow, having seen much in the Highlands (but not even close to all there is to offer). As for the Loch Ness Monster, I'll admit that I never saw it. However, the 4 year old child sitting behind me on the bus back to Inverness claimed that he saw it every five minutes, so maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.

Scott's Scottish Adventure: Edinburgh

The trains barely left the station and I'm already missing Edinburgh. Seriously, the city is one of the coolest places that I've ever been to. Arriving in the Scottish Capital, my first site as the train came out of the tunnel was the majestic Edinburgh Castle.

And if that wasn't enough, as I left the station a fully costumed bagpiper was playing some traditional highland music. Talk about a great introduction to Scotland. After checking into my hostel, I set off towards the castle. Upon arriving, I was confronted with another amazing site. As Edinburgh Castle was built on top of an extinct volcano, it gives excellent panoramic views of the city, which is buffeted by both oceans and mountains.
Truly breathtaking...

I had come to the castle for two reasons 1) To see this amazing historical site 2) Meet up with my friend Morgan, who is studying abroad at the University of St. Andrews for the semester. Together we explored what was a truly remarkable castle. As I mentioned before, the castle is built on top of a volcano and inside it is hard not to feel invincible, with rows of cannons (including the famous Mons Meg), several thick walls, and commanding views of the surrounding areas providing plenty of protection.

Why do I smell something burning?

The Castle also holds such treasures as the Scottish Crown and the Stone of Destiny on which the Scottish kings were crowned (pictures of the actual objects were not allowed)

The Castle was both a royal residence and a prison (similar to the Tower of London), and we saw the rooms where Mary Queen of Scots lived around the time she gave birth to James I.

we also saw the prisons where both nobles and commoners awaited their fates. In fact, during the American Revolution, American POWs were held here. As we moved through the prison, voice-over recordings illuminated the prisoners' daily struggles.
Recording of American POW: How dare they call us tratiors, we are patriots! Just wait, one days in its hour of need, Britain will need to rely on America to save her.
Confused British Tourist: What's with the American accents?
Me: MURICA!

In addition, we also visited the famous 1 o'clock gun, which apparently isn't as loud as people seem to think it is.

After leaving the castle, we strolled through the city of Edinburgh and saw sites such as the Sir Walter Scott Monument...

We also visited Calton Hill Park which hosts a collection of buildings and the incomplete  National Monument of Scotland (referred to as Scotland's shame because they never had enough money to complete it, its the bottom picture).

We also saw the tomb of philosopher David Hume.

After a quick dinner at a local pub it was time for Morgon to head back to St. Andrews and me to return to my hostel.

I began my second day in Edinburgh with a walking tour of the city... well actually I started the day by going to Sainsburys to get food, but that's not exciting. Anyway, the tour (which was organized by the Hostel and, more importantly, free) began in Greyfriars graveyard.



There we learned the story of Greyfriars bobby. According to legend, during the 19th century, the graveyard watchman got lonely and bought a dog. The two became best friends and when the man died, the dog return to his grave to sleep every night. This made him a local celebrity, and, since there were laws saying taht dogs without owners were to be killed, a member of the city council adopted the dog and gave him a seat on the council. As such he reeived the right to vote, which, as our guide pointed out, was 50 years before women did. While the story is a fabrication by an American author who had never lived in Scotland, the city has embraced the myth. There's a tombstone for the dog, and the statue right outside the cemetary is the most photographed statue in Scotland, beating even the William Wallace statue. The graveyard is also home to the site of the covenators tortue site. The Covenentors were a group who didn't lite the idea of the king being in charge of both church and state. Naturally, the king didn't take to kindly to their opinions, so he rounded them up, killed a bunch and then sent the rest to this graveyard, where they were forced to lie on the ground for six months, if they movied they died. Finally, after the 6 months were up, the men who had survived the ordeal were brutally tortued until they died. Cheery stuff. The burial sites were also home to the Flodder Wall, which was built to keep the English out of Edinburgh. Long story short... some idiot left the gate unlocked and the English walked right in. On a happier note, jsut beyond the gate lies a shchool where JK Rowling would often walk by and allegedly based Hogwarts on, while several tombstones in the graveyard were alleged to have inspired the names of several HP characters.
Moving on from the cemetary, we visited the North Bridge. The original bridge built on the site collapsed, which many residents believed to abe a singe that the area was cursed. When the replacement bridge was completed, the town council arranged for the oldest person in edinburgh to be the first to cross it. Unfortunatly, she died 3 days before the bridge opened, so the town council put her in a cart, propped her up, and carried her across the bridge, just like the Simpsons episode where Homer and Smithers put a seemingly dead Mr. Burns on wires to give a presentation.
Moving onto St. Gildas Cathedral, we learned that there used to be a heart on a nearby bu9ilding. This place in question was where the people went to pay taxes, and becasue nobody likes to do that, as they would leave they would spit in the heart. The building no longer exists, but a heart made out of Bricks lies on the pavement and is the spittinh image of the old sign. They say if you spit on the heart it is good luck. I don't know if it is true, but I wouldn't recommend stepping on the heart. The tour concluded at Grassmarket Square, where we learned about the many hangings that occurred there.
With the tour over, I headed off to Hollyrood house, the monarch's official residence in scotland. Unfortunatly, flash photography was not allowed on the inside, but the exterior shots I took provide a pretty good idea of its gradure. The palace was begun under James IV and was the site where Mary, Queen of Scots, husband murdered her secretary in a fit of jealousy. Ram-sacked by pissed-off British soldiers during the Jacobite rebellion of Bonie Prince Charlie, today the Palace is peaceful and recently played host to the wedding of the Queen's granddaughter. another thing to note, at the back of the palace, is a deserted abbey. Built by King david (not the biblical one) it declined during the reformation but its foundations still hold up today. After completing my tour, I decided to go climb Arthur's Seat. This impressive ancient Volcano is the highest point in the city. While our tour guide said that it took her over an hour to climb the peak, I managed to climb it in 20 minutes (self-five). Needless to say, the views at the top were stunning.
After a lesurely climb back down I visited Parliament...
The Scotish Musuem and the National Library...
I finished my day with some tea in the elephant house. While this house might not seem noteworthy, the fact remains that...
Yep, JK Rowling wrote th first few chapters of Harry Potter here. With its atmosphere (which includes good tea and a great view of edinburgh Castle) its the perfect place to start a masterpiece. Around my table several German girls were working on Math equations, a gnetleman a few tables away was feversly writing and I was... drinking tea. so I might mightn ot be the most productiive person, but