Fall Colours

Fall 2012  - Driving Home

At one point my mother stopped the car to take photos of hay bails in the sun, and I took these. We were on our way home from Melrose maybe?

Melrose and it's Abbey

Fall 2012 - Melrose and Melrose Abbey

By the time we got to Melrose Abbey it was shut - though we knew that would be the case ahead of time. Luckily, you can get a pretty good view around two sides of the Abbey from outside the gates. So, I climbed up on the gates to get a better view - despite the wary looks from my father.

Dryburgh Abbey

Fall 2012 - Dryburgh Abbey 

This was the last Abbey we got to go in to. It is unique compared to the others because it's not in the middle of a town, but was actually incorporated into a Romantic garden in the 18th century. It's a shame I don't have more photos, (not very many of them stood out to me...) but I really like the ones I have! 

Jedburgh Abbey - Architecture

Fall 2012 - Jedburgh Abbey, The Borders

For some reasons, I have more photos of Jedburgh Abbey than the others. Perhaps it was the afternoon sunlight, or perhaps it was the way the architecture layers in photos. 

Jedburgh Abbey - Room, of Uncertain Function

Fall 2012 - Jedburgh Abbey, The Borders

Jedburgh Abbey is considerably more intact than Kelso Abbey. I really love how the whole shell of the church is still standing - it makes for some great photos.

Kelso Abbey

Fall 2012 - Kelso Abbey, The Borders

The Border Abbeys. Let's see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. The Abbeys, I believe, were all built in the 1100s, and from about the time they were built, they were being attacked by the English. And then Henry V became King, and the monasteries and abbeys were disbanded. 

This is Kelso Abbey. Apologies for the lack of general shot of the Abbey - there's so little of it actually left that there's not a lot of space around it. In fact, it takes up about a block of a the town of Kelso, where it seems as though no one really notices the abbey in the middle of their town. 

Sunset - Hailes Castle

Fall 2012 - The Lothians, Hailes Castle

The way we found this was actually a bit odd. On our way to look at another site, we saw a sign for a castle. So, once we had seen the other location (Traprain Law,) we went to investigate the castle. We figured it would be shut, as most Historic Scotland locations shut at 4:30pm, but thought it still might be pretty. The thing is, it wasn't shut. And we got there at sunset.

 The other crazy part - when I got home, I looked up the castle to see if we could find out more about it. It was at that point that I discovered it was successfully attacked by none other than Henry Percy, probably best known by his nickname - Harry Hotspur, and made famous by Shakespeare.

 

From on High

Fall 2012 - The Lothians, Tantallon Castle

Some of the highest parts of the castle are still safe to walk around on, so if you're brave enough to scamper up the stairs, you can get great views of the ocean and the countryside around. In the first photo you can see North Berwick Law, a volcanic hill that is quite drastically different than it's surrounding landscape. And that 5th photo is the remains of a staircase. 

Tantallon Castle

Fall 2012 - The Lothians, Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle is about an hour drive from Edinburgh. We got there, due to car rental difficulties, in the late afternoon, and the light was gorgeous.

When approaching the castle you first go through the ruins of a gate house (1st photo,) and then round the corner to see the blue-stoned front gate. Why is the gate built out of a different stone than the rest of the castle (which is built of sandstone)? The theory is that the stone was softer and thus could take more blows from an attacking army. Well, it sure looks great too. 

1969 - 1971

Fall 2012 - Edinburgh

Mark Pickm (Last name spelling I am unsure on, any ideas?) 

1969 - 71 

Scratched into my window - I think, before it became Edinburgh housing. 

Stirling - Around the Castle

Fall 2012 - Stirling Castle

These are some of my other photos from around Stirling:

The statue of Robert the Bruce on the castle Esplanade, a view out of a no longer used window, the town of Stirling from the Castle, and this church we passed on our walk home. 

 

Stirling - The Castle

Fall 2012 - Stirling Castle

About three weekends ago I went up to Stirling with one of the societies at Edinburgh to wander around Stirling Castle. It was an absolutely beautiful early fall day, and it did not rain once! We were so lucky. 

Out My Window

Fall 2012 - Edinburgh

Once upon a time the light out my window was just really beautiful. That amazing building to the left is New College. Good view, eh?