Musings from Scotland

I do not typically share our vacations with the world (or my small world who reads this blog) but I felt an overwhelming sense of having to do so due to the location of where I have been so fortunate and blessed to have landed. You know that I have posted before on my love of patina, history, architecture, and their effect on my design style as well as who I am. I could not keep quiet after experiencing not even a full day, in this oh so vividly green and hauntingly beautiful landscape!

I am tagging along on a business conference of my husbands and to be quite honest with you, I would have had quite the explaining to do when it was found out that the set of golf clubs that had been packed in the golf bag had been replaced by... none other than me, had I not been asked to attend.  I only wish that all of my children could experience this but I do not think that they would quite appreciate it as my wizened eyes and heart can of a forty something year old. We did make some last minute plans and our 18 year old son Shane has come along with us. He has been thrown a curve ball in the last few years with his health and we felt that this magical place might boost his spirits.

Although,  I am not sure how his health was affected after experiencing the harrowing drive from the airport in Glasgow to St. Andrews. ( Right now he is passed out in a perpendicular fashion across the pull out couch but we shall see)   Let's just say that the whole driving on the opposite side of the road with the steering wheel on the opposite side of the car did not sit well with my hubby. "Stay left!!!," is our new mantra!! This is not the car we rented, but if truth be told, I would have had no problem traveling in a carriage such as the one we were following led by a team of horses, that is, not on the flatbed of a truck.

Upon stowing our bags at the hotel, ( for it was only 11 am Scotland time when we are arrived) we set out to find lunch and tour the Medieval town of St. Andrews. We traversed cobblestone streets and the whole town eked with patina. 

We passed houses that spanned the hundreds of years of this town's past and reflected the architectural styles of their time period.

And I thought I had a problem with keeping the vines in check on our house...Lovely! This is one committed gardner and one labor nightmare.

We finally arrived at our destination, the ruins of the Cathedral at St. Andrews. When I spoke of haunting beauty earlier???

Do you see what I mean?

 This cathedrals' beginnings hail from the eleven hundreds. We found ourselves captivated by the headstones and read them one after the other. Faceless names but one can only imagine the heartache that these people felt at losing so many children at such young ages, for that seemed to be a pervading theme.

You could not walk up this remaining turret that reminded us of something that came from a Dr. Seuss illustration from the book, Oh the Places You'll Go, full of twisty staircases that lead into the air. We did however get to twist around another tiny circular staircase from another ancient tower that led up and up, where you felt as if you were going nowhere to get a bird's eye view of the town of St. Andrews.

Speaking of birds, the cries of the gulls that inhabit these lofty ruins only lend themselves to the hauntingly beautiful feel of this place. That phrase kept coming back to me!

For the cathedral stands fairly close to the ruins of St. Andrews castle which seems as if it has risen out of the North Sea to forebodingly greet any visitors who were not welcome.

As Scotland is known for it's variable weather, it did not disappoint us and as the rain moved in...

we took cover in one of the hollowed out rooms that are still left standing.

The sunny skies moved back in...then a little more rain for good measure and the magic of this place was cemented as this gorgeous and most vivid rainbow appeared out over the hallowed ground of the Old Links Course at St. Andrews as the day was closing.

Spectacular!

“It feels like Scotland." "Have you ever been?" "Mmmm. Twice. Have you?" "No." "You should. It's your roots. You'll be surprised how much they tug at you when you breathe the air in the Highlands or look out at a lowland loch.”
― Nora Roberts, The MacGregors: Robert & Cybil

Until tomorrow...

Meg