Day 20 The accent we love!

Saturday The Bruce Hotel Glasgow Room 118

Slow start today, no rush... could go down to enjoy our breaky... John enjoyed the meal, me not so but what’s different food is such a difficult thing theses days to really enjoy but have found I just need to be sustained and I can cope ok!

So plan for today to drive to Kilmanock to see Dean Castle, seems it’s a freebie, then plan what to do from there...
So off we set sun kinda out at present.... the countryside todate in Scotland looks very dry and rubbish looking, hope as we head north it gets green... England has been so very green, really thought it would be the same up here!

Got to the Castle ok had a light bite to eat as we had thought we would have late lunch... then a wander around this Castle... it’s over 400 years old from its earlier state, it takes its name from The Dean which means wooden Valley apparently this is a common name in Scotland... Robert the Bruce gave this land to the Boyd Family. In 1790 it was 2 seperate buildings with the tower seperate to the main house. It was and still is called the Keep which was used to protect the families... This section was built in 1350 the walls are 2-3 metered thick, with only a few windows. Be very, very dark inside it! There were never any arrow slits in the walls of the Castle something that is very rare for a Scottish castle. All the shooting was done from the battlements at the Top... it feel into disrepair until 1908 by Lord Howard de Walden the 8th it took until 1946 to reaper.. After the 9th Lord Howard de Walden died his wife had the Dower House built next door much smaller to look after... Shame we couldn’t see inside... anyway had our walk around and then headed to Kilwinning Abbey again built around mid 1100’s the original clock tower was struck by lightening in 1805 and fell down in 1810, so the one in these pics has replaced that one... it was also. Presbyterian Church at one point, not sure what it is now as a wedding was about to happen while we were wondering around... So I stopped looking to get a peek at the Bride... once I had my little peek finished the pics, then set off to find another Castle that we couldn’t find but by now the rain had started. So off to Morrison’s shopping centre to get John some Coronas and me some toastie things for breaky after we leave here! Last stop another Castle Dundonald Castle... you could get a park to go to it and it didn’t look that exciting to see just a big square box, also wasn’t free like the last 2, so found a spot to take some pics from afar then headed home.... the rain was really coming down now.

Out for Pizza tonight and our waiter was a real card... He loved our accents, but loved his ha ha so we got to listen to each other... He loved to hear about Australia and wanted to know as much as he could... so he did chat to us a lot...

Pizza pretty good as well so a great night all around..,
Off to our hotel with a wedding happening here as well and people all dolled up everywhere!
Plus smoking all at the entrance to the hotel, nearly killed us going out the smoke haze was really honestly so thick.. I think k the weather didn’t help it escape as quickly... then coming back nearly as many as when we left... still big smokers here in Scotland. I think the smoking rules must be a little different in England co pared to here. Anyway Day done again, how quickly they are going!Read more