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Wordless Wednesday: 12 August 2020

14 August 2019: Day 4 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 2 – St Andrews

Good day everyone,

Hope you are all still healthy. This week was very busy with my studies and finishing up editing work for clients.

For the next few days, I can concentrate on editing our Scotland vacation.
Let’s continue our Grand Tour of Scotland. Today I am sharing with you the photos I took while exploring St Andrews.

Dad was still not feeling up to walking, and he stayed in the car while I explored and took some photos of the surroundings.

My first stop was St Leonard’s Parish Church. On my next visit to Scotland, I am definitely going to make a point of it to go inside the churches to capture the interiors as well.

St Leonard’s Parish Church
St Leonard’s Parish Church
St Leonard’s Parish Church
St Leonard’s Parish Church
St Leonard’s Parish Church
St Leonard’s Parish Church
St Leonard’s Parish Church
St Leonard’s Parish Church Bell

While I was exploring, I noticed the different types of stone and brick walls. It really stood out to me.

Patched wall

Up next are some random photos of the buildings and houses.

My next stop was the Victory Memorial Hall. The blue door and entry of the hall caught my eye immediately. I searched online for more information about the Victory Memorial Hall, but shockingly, I could not find any.

Victory Memorial Hall
Beautiful blue door of the Victory Memorial Hall
Victory Memorial Hall

St Andrews has so many beautiful churches, and I only walked down one street.

The Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church have a spectacular exterior, I can just imagine how the interior must be. The beautiful flower baskets in front of the windows really caught my eye.

Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church
Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church
Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church
Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church
Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church
Stunning Window of Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church
Beautiful Hanging flower baskets of the Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church
Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church
Stunning Blue door of the Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church
Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church

Thank you for exploring St Andrews with me. In my next post we will continue exploring.

Keep safe and healthy.

Till next time.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Walt Disney
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Wordless Wednesday: 24 June 2020

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland : Part 6

Good day everyone,

Oh my word this morning I am freezing. Hope you are all still healthy and staying safe.

Okay let’s continue our Grand Tour of Scotland.

Our next stop was Letham Glen. It was not even on my places of interest. In 2010 dad had his colon removed due to cancer. So if dad has to go there are not much time you must get him to a bathroom as soon as possible. This was also a reason why all our stops are so close together just in case.

I wondered around and took a few photo’s while waiting for dad.

Letham Glen Sunken Garden
Letham Glen Sunken Garden
Letham Glen Sunken Garden
Letham Glen Sunken Garden

The Sunken Garden at Letham Glen was the towns former swimmingpool in the 1930’s. They have turned it into a beautiful garden. I was impressed.

Our next stop was the standing stones of Lundin. But oh my hat did we struggle to get to it. First of all the GPS says your destination is on your left side, you have reached your destination. When we look around all we see is houses on the left and a golf club on the right hand side.

We drove past our destination at least 4 times when I told my dad that’s it I am not going to search anymore… Then I spotted it through one of the houses gates opening up on the golf course. Okay now we know where it is. Now how to get to it. So we followed a dirt road and there it was. But I had to go through someones backyard to get to the golf course. The groundskeeper told me the man get’s very difficult when he spots tourists in his backyard. But that’s the only way to get there….

I did not come this far just to give up. So dad waited in the car while I invaded the poor man’s privacy. Luckily he was not there so I climbed over the wall onto the golf course, took a few photo’s and climbed back again.

I got to the car and just as I pulled away the owner arrived…. That’s what I call timing…..

Standing Stones of Lundin
Standing Stones of Lundin
Standing Stones of Lundin

“On the second hole of the Lundin Links Ladies Golf Course (which incidentally is the oldest women’s golf course in the world), stands a trio of prehistoric stones, looking wonderfully out of place against the manicured landscape.

The huge megaliths stand between 14 to 17 feet tall. Crookedly shaped and made of sandstone, the pillars are believed to date back to the Bronze age, around the 2nd millennium BCE. Legend holds that the site was used by the Druids for ancient rituals.

Druidic rituals or not, it is likely that the three standing stones are the remains of an ancient stone circle. There used to be at least four pillars, but one stone went missing in the 18th century.”

Borrowed from Atlas Obscura

That’s all for now friends. Thank you for stopping by. Hope you are still enjoying our Grand Tour of Scotland with us.

Till Next time. Stay safe.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Walt Disney

Friendly Friday Weekly Challenge – The Colour Pink

This will be my first challenge I do since…….. Oh my word I can’t even remember when last I took part in challenges. In the beginning of June I decided that something needs to change so I made myself a Bullet Journal and have give myself some daily goals to complete. I think this way I will get my creative side also working again.

I love pink and purple, but not on myself. In my garden I would love different shades of pink and purple. I have noticed that most of my flower photography though is of purple flowers…. So maybe I lean more towards purple…. Not that I really care. Both colours are so beautiful in nature and who can go against Mother nature….

I love Hydrangeas and when dad and I visited Scotland I just could not get enough photo’s of these beauties.

Pink Hydrangea
Pink and White Hydrangea
Deep Pink Hydrangea

The next photo I took while my sister in law and I went for a one night break away. This vase with shades of pink Cosmos flowers was on a table opposite my bed.

Shades of Pink Cosmos

This one is for those of us who just love both Pink and Purple….. Mother Nature surely knows what colours go perfectly together…. I don’t know the name of these beautiful flowers, but one of my Instagram followers told me they look like dancing ladies….. So that is what I will call them in the mean time.

Dancing Ladies

Please visit our hosts page more information on this weeks Friendly Friday Weekly Challenge

Thank you Something to Ponder About for this awesome challenge. Looking forward to many more to come.

Till next time, stay safe….

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland : Part 3

Good day everyone,

Our next stop was a beautiful little town called Aberdour. Just as we entered the town I was taken with all the flowers and beautiful houses and their hanging basket gardens…. The streets are not really wide and the houses are on the street only a narrow sidewalk that separate them from the street. I saw only a few houses with nice front yards and the most beautiful gardens.

We stopped at a parking area near a garden and I took my camera and walked up the road to where we entered Aberdour.

I just love Hydrangea’s and the colors are to die for. I grew up with light pink and blue/purple Hydrangea’s. I just could not get enough of these pretty plants.

Dark Pink Hydrangea
Dark Pink Hydrangea
Pink and Blue Hydrangea
Purple and Blue Hydrangea
Blue/Purple and Cream Hydrangea
Blue/Purple and Cream Hydrangea

As you know by now I loved capturing Churches and Cathedrals even if they are closed. The architecture is just amazing. I love the colorful doors and the beautiful windows. I just wish we had enough time to go into every single one we visited. Also I know I missed a few too.

St. Columba’s Scottish Episcopal Church
St. Columba’s Scottish Episcopal Church
St. Columba’s Scottish Episcopal Church

Here are some photos taken on my walk back to the car.

Dunsailing…….
Feverfew (Daisy Family)

Thank you for joining us on this short visit at Aberdour. Next up Aberdour Castle and Gardens.

Stay safe and have a Blessed day.

Till next time…..

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland : Part 2

Good day everyone,

Hope all of you are still in good health…

Without further delay, let’s continue our road trip to St Andrews and Knockhill Farm, where we will spend the night.

Our next stop was Dalgety Bay. The 8th largest town in Fife. We did not spend much time exploring Dalgety Bay due to a very long list of places to see. Also, at this stage, I struggled with the Tom Tom trying to get to the places of interest on our list… We were trying to find Donibristle Stable Block but ended up with a view of the Fourth Road Railway Bridge instead. Not that I am complaining. The views and flowers were stunning.

Our next stop on our list was Cornerstone Full Gospel Church. I got the names on my Google Maps when I planned our trip. What I did come to realize on our Grand Tour of Scotland was that the names on Google Maps and the names on the signboards are not always the same…

Dad and I saw the church on our way to Dalgety Bay, and on our way back, we took the turnoff to the church. Next to the church, I found this beautiful cottage with fields and sheep.

I walked up to the gate to see if I could enter, and it was open, so I walked inside and took a few photos. Now this is what I call a peaceful place. Normally I don’t like walking in graveyards, but one thing that stood out for me was how peaceful it was here. Maybe it is the surrounding pastures with sheep and horses grazing. One doesn’t even hear the cars passing on the road to and from Dalgety Bay.

Love the shape of the trees.
Horses Grazing in pastures.
Dalgety Kirkyard
Cornerstone Church from the turnoff

Thank you for visiting Dalgety Bay with us. Our next stop is Aberdour, and I look forward to sharing some of the photos taken in this beautiful town.

Please keep safe till next time.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2019…Part 3

Here is the last photos of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2019….

I would like to thank the organizers and everybody that took part in this breathtaking event for making 2019 a year my dad and I will never forget.

That’s a wrap…. Hope you enjoyed the photos.

In my next post we will hit the road to our next destination Knockhill Farm in St Andrews sharing with you the places we stopped along the way.

Till next time, please keep safe.

Coreen

“If you can dream it you can do it.” Walt Disney

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2019…Part 1

Good day everyone,

At long last I can post about our night at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo…

Dad loves bagpipes since I can remember he played a 7 single with bagpipe music on it. He always said that before he closes his eyes permanently he want’s to go to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo…

Then in March 2018 he got very sick and was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis. One day out of the blue he asked me if I could choose any place overseas to visit where would I like to go… “I have a list as long as the National road” I told him…

Then I remembered his words and said Scotland. Dad asked me to see when the Military Tattoo is his only demand for our holiday was that it includes the Military Tattoo…. After doing some research I contact Nordic Visitor for a quote and put the plans in motion. Sarah told me that I better book our tickets for tattoo early because it sells out very fast. 24 January 2019 I booked our tickets for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in August 2019.

Dad was super excited and I could see in the way he walked that he could not get there fast enough… I did take some random photos while walking…

Sunflower
Ampersand
The Magnum
Dad on his way to the Military Tattoo
The Portrait Gallery
Portrait Gallery
Tram tracks
Tram tracks
Louis Vuitton
Oor Wullie Statue
Scott Monument
Oor Wullie Statue
Waverley Station Train tracks
Giant Wheel
The Mound – Black Watch Memorial

Dad was so excited that not even the stairs was to much for him. The closer we got the less dad talked… He was getting a bit emotional…

The views behind the stands was so beautiful I could not just pass. So while dad was visiting the bathroom before heading to our seats I took the opportunity to capture it.

Thank you for joining us on our way to the Military tattoo. I won’t be saying much in my next post. Will mostly be photos of the Tattoo.

Stay safe till next time…

Coreen

“If you can dream it you can do it.” Walt Disney

Grand Tour of Scotland: Day 2 – Exploring Edinburgh Part 15

Good day friends,

Hope everyone had a good nights rest and ready for the day. I did not really sleep much. My brain is working overtime. I worry about COVID 19 interfering with our plans to visit Scotland again form May 2021 till August 2021. If we are not allowed to travel in 2021 then I must postpone it to April 2022 till July 2022. We have to travel in spring and summer because the main purpose of this trip is so that I can capture Puffins. We also would like to see the rest of Scotland that we missed….

Either way if I continue to post only now and then I will never finish in time before our next trip to Scotland even if we leave in 2022. I also still have some places I visited here in South Africa that I need to edit. But I work from first captured to last….

Here I am back again hoping to finish our walk back to our Guest house today. I still need to post about The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo also before we can hit the road and continue with the rest of our Grand Tour of Scotland.

Two Giraffes in front of the Omni Centre
Two Giraffes in front of the Omni Centre
Oor Wullie in front of Omni Centre
The Glasshouse
Oor Wullie in front of The Glasshouse
The Glasshouse
The Glasshouse Clock Tower

My first thought when I saw the Omni Centre and The Glasshouse was “WOW that’s a lot of Windows to keep clean…. How on earth do they do it? The Glasshouse is a beautiful building…

Very busy Leith Street
Cycling Musician on Leith Street

Just look at how busy the streets of Edinburgh is. We don’t even talk about parking that is one big headache… The best mode of transport might just be to Cycle from point A to B. I prefer to rather walk… I love cycling but my balance is not that great and when I see a robot, stop street or even a car I start to panic…. That is why I put my bicycle in my car and drive to a quiet road or a farm stall park there and cycle from there…

Theater Royal Bar
Theater Royal Bar
Theater Royal Bar
Theater Royal Bar
Theater Royal Bar
Theater Royal Bar
Theater Royal Bar

The Theater Royal Bar is situated next to the famous Playhouse Theater on Leith Walk. I just love the decor of this building…. The hanging flower baskets just makes one feel so happy.

Walking on Haddington Place
Pizzeria
Picture Framer
Fox on the ledge….
U Save
Victoria Barbers

Well just around the corner is Ben Cruachan Guest House on MacDonnald Street….

We had about two hours before we had to get ready for our walk back to Edinburgh Castle where The Edinburgh Royal Military tattoo was held…. I went outside and took a few photo’s of the garden before I made us a nice cup of coffee and we talked about the day and how excited we were to go see the Tattoo….

Thank you for joining us on this last stretch back to our Guesthouse. In my next post I will be sharing some photo’s taken on route to the Tattoo and of the Tattoo itself.

Till next time, have a wonderful day.

Coreen

“If you can dream it you can do it.” Walt Disney

Grand Tour of Scotland: Day 2 – Exploring Edinburgh Part 14

Good Morning friends and followers. I hope that your lockdown is also very productive. I must say mine has been so far. I ticked off a few task on my to do list so far.

I am busy reorganizing my kitchen one cupboard at a time. Still a few to go…

Since this weekend I have been organizing my photos of our Grand Tour of Scotland. Putting the photos into folders. This makes it easier for me to do my research on all the places we have visited and also to see 1400 photos in 1 folder for 1 day gets a bit overwhelming, but 150 photo’s is much better… I would like to finish editing before we go on our next Scotland Tour….

I have finished planning our route just need to fine tune it and do some more research on traveling in campervan and Wild Camping in Scotland. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

Okay enough of that let’s get back to our walk back to Ben Cruachan Guesthouse…

The Scotsman Hotel
The Balmoral
The Balmoral Clock tower
The Balmoral

The Balmoral Hotel is such a beautiful building. I wonder how it looks inside? In my imagination it would be fit for a King and Queen…. Next time I will arrange to have a peek inside….

Corner of North Bridge and Princess Street
View of Nelson Monument on Carlton Hill
Duke of Wellington Statue
The Duke of Wellington Statue
Duke of Wellington Statue

Here is some information I got from the National Records of Scotland.

“The statue of the Duke of Wellington outside Register House was unveiled in a highly patriotic ceremony on 18 June 1852, the thirty-seventh anniversary of his greatest victory at Waterloo. Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon was regarded as ensuring the freedom not only of Britain but of Europe in general. “

Waterloo Place Home of Rabbies Tours
Waterloo Place Home of Rabbies Tours
Waterloo Place Home of Rabbies Tours

Dad and I encountered multiple meetings with one of Rabbies Tours tour busses while exploring Scotland and some of the islands. Only while editing I realized that I captured one of the buildings they occupied.

Leith Street
Walking down Leith Street

Walking down Leith Street was an experience. They were working on buildings and also the road. The beautiful hanging flower baskets caught my eye…. I just loved it…. But more next time….

I hope you enjoyed our short walk….

Till next time.

Coreen

“If you can dream it you can do it.” Walt Disney

Grand Tour of Scotland: Day 2 – Exploring Edinburgh Part 13

Good day everybody. Hope you are all well and are staying safe. Let’s continue our walk…

We crossed the street and walked towards Waverley Station. I turned around just for a quick photo of Cockburn Street. Turning back I captured Scott Monument from a far… The road was very busy and my arms and back were beginning to ache. Carrying your camera in your hand the whole day is starting taking it’s toll….

Cockburn Street
Cockburn Street
Scott Monument
City Art Centre
The Booking Office
Dad and Oor Wullie at Waverley Station
Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail Statue

Still walking towards Princess Street I kept taking photo’s of the buildings far away…. Scott Monument really stood out for me…

Scott Monument
Royal British Hotel
Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Bucket Trails Statue Waverley Station
Back of Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail Statue
Scott Monument
Scott Monument
Livingstone Monument
Livingstone Monument
Livingstone Monument
Scott Monument

It does not matter from what side you capture this monument the craftsmanship and detail are extraordinary. I am looking forward to our next visit…. We reached Princess Street not that far from our Guesthouse now….

Old Waverley Hotel
Waverley Station
The Scotsman Hotel

Thank you for wandering the streets of Edinburgh with us…

Till next time…. Keep well and stay safe…

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

Grand Tour of Scotland: Day 2 – Exploring Edinburgh Part 12

Good day to all my followers and internet friends. I hope that you are all well and staying safe…. Well let’s continue our walk back to our guesthouse…

Dad and I got thirsty and was looking for a place to sit and relax for a few minutes. All the places on the Royal mile was packed and we came across Kirks a very cozy bar/restaurant next to the stairs of the The News steps. We each had a glass of Coke and a well deserved rest.

The views outside was spectacular. You can see Carlton Hill from here.

We then tackled the The News Steps. It took dad a while till he reached the bottom. He joked about it and said he took it step by step…

We then reached Cockburn Street. I have seen so many photo’s on Instagram of this street that I put it on my list of places of interest…. Looking forward to exploring it some more on our next visit to Edinburgh.

Some of the views of Carton Hill and Beautiful buildings before crossing the street…. The Edinburgh Dungeon is also on our places of interest list for our 2021 Tour of Scotland.

That is all for now. Thank you very much for taking the time to join us and wander the streets of Edinburgh…

Have a wonderful day and please keep safe.

“If you can dream it, you can do it” Walt Disney

Grand Tour of Scotland: Day 2 – Exploring Edinburgh Part 11

On our way back to our Guesthouse we passed the Elephant House. According to our planning we were supposed to have a cup of tea here, but there were not space for a mouse inside…. So instead I took a photo and said to myself next time….

As you can see it was difficult taking photo’s here in Old Town in Edinburgh. August is definitely an ideal time to visit Edinburgh to capture buildings. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed my stay so much that we are planning to visit Edinburgh again in 2021, but this time in May and not for 1 day but at least 3 to 5 days… It all depends how my planning for the rest of our 76 days in Scotland goes… But I would really like to spend more time in this beautiful city…

Above is some photo’s I took of St Giles Cathedral. Would have loved to go inside, but the crowds was just to much and I am not really a fan of crowds of people. So till next time.

Thank you for joining us again wandering through the busy streets of Edinburgh….

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

Grand Tour of Scotland: Day 2 – Exploring Edinburgh Part 10

Thank you for wandering through the streets of Edinburgh with us. By now I could see that dad were getting very tired and due to the fact that the streets were so busy with thousands of festival goers we decided to rather move the walk up the Royal mile to the day we get back from our Grand Tour of Scotland…

The one thing that really upset me is the fact that the beautiful Cathedrals and Churches are turned into pubs….. I would rather use these beautiful buildings for something positive… Like shelters for abused woman and children, Coffee shops and a place for local artist to sell their goods or even as a workshop where artist mentor other people and share the secrets of their trade…. But a pub that is just not why these buildings was built. Wasn’t it built to be a safe place for people….

I did however chose a route back to our guesthouse where would still tick the boxes of some of the places to see on our list.

While walking down Candlemaker Row towards George IV Bridge we were searching for the Greyfriars Bobby Statue. I have no idea why I was looking for a big statue and walked passed it the first time. My GPS kept saying I must turn around and when I did I saw the statue…. It looked much bigger in the photos I saw on Instagram and the internet.

The story Of Bobby the Skye Terrier who Guarded the grave of his owner John Gray until his own death on 14 January 1872 is heartwarming and even if it is fabricated of a publicity stunt I still believe that mans best friend is loyal to a fault….

“If you can dream it you can do it.” Walt Disney

Grand Tour of Scotland: Day 2 – Exploring Edinburgh Part 9

After a quick visit to the Ross Fountain we headed to Edinburgh Castle, but Dad was to tired and did not have the strength to go up all the stairs. So we decided to take the long route to the Royal Mile that leads to the Castle.

I still have no idea where we ended up some square with allot of restaurants and pubs…. Next time we are in Edinburgh I would like to go again . If all goes according to plan and this COVID-19 Virus is under control we will visit again in May 2021.

Our next stop was the Greyfriars Kirk yard.

I discovered the Flodden Wall and took some photos of the Edinburgh Castle and surrounding buildings through a gate….

Here are some information I got from Wikipedia in connection to the Flodden Wall.

“On 9 September 1513, the Scots met the English at the Battle of Flodden, and were heavily defeated, with King James killed on the field. An English invasion was widely expected, and in Edinburgh it was resolved to build a new town wall. Construction began the following year, but was not completed until 1560. 

The Flodden Wall, was around 1.2 metres thick and up to 7.3 metres high. The Flodden Wall began at the south side of the castle, running south across the west end of the Grassmarket, where the West Port was located, and continued uphill along the Vennel. A watch-tower or bastion survives at this, the south-west extent of the wall. It then ran east, wrapping around Greyfriars Kirkyard, to the Bristo Port and the Potterow Port, both located in the vicinity of the National Museum of Scotland. Continuing east, the wall passed the Kirk o’ Field, where the Old College now stands, and ran along Drummond Street, turning north at the Pleasance to enclose the former Blackfriars Monastery. The Cowgate Port was located at the foot of the Pleasance, and the wall then ran up the line of St Mary’s Street, where it was formed by strengthening existing walls rather than new walling, to the Netherbow Port, which stood across what is now known as the Royal Mile  The wall continued north to the Nor Loch, since replaced by Waverley railway station, terminating at the New Port. “

By now dad was really tired and we decided to rather head back to the Guest House so that he can rest up. Because we still had to walk all the way back to Edinburgh Castle to watch the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo that evening.

Thank you for walking with us….

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

Grand Tour of Scotland: Day 2 – Exploring Edinburgh Part 8

Here is some information on The Ross Fountain I got from Wikipedea and articles from the Ross Fountain Archives of The Ross Development Trust.

The Ross Fountain was produced at the iron Foundry of Antoine Durenne in Sommevoire, France. It was an exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1862.

A gunmaker Daniel Ross bought it in 1862 for £2,000 and subsequently gifted to the city of Edinburgh. It was transported to Leith in 1869 in 122 pieces. It was only installed in its current position in 1872. . The Ross Fountain had some major restoration work done and was only completed in 2001.