Tuesday 26 May 2015

Outing to Falkland Palace - Wednesday 17th June 2015




Our second outing of the summer was oversubscribed, so it was a very full coach that left a cold and overcast Edinburgh.  Our coffee stop was at Dobbies Dunfermline and then on to Falkland Palace where the driver had to park on double yellow lines to let us off. Falkland Palace was built by two Scottish kings - James IV and V – between 1450 and 1541. It was the Stuart monarch’s country residence for 200 years – and a favourite place of Mary Queen of Scots, who probably played tennis in the grounds which are home to the oldest Real or Royal tennis court in Britain, built for King James the V. Some restoration work was undertaken by the 3rd Marquis of Bute, in Victorian times, but Falkland Palace remains an atmospheric and lovely Renaissance building.
We were asked to split into two groups with one group going round the Palace and the other the grounds.
The grounds also include ruins of the 12th century Castle of Falkland, extensive gardens designed by Percy Cane and an ancient Orchard with a wild flower meadow. Part of the Palace is in ruins but the original and reconstructed rooms are packed with 17th-century Flemish tapestries, elaborate painted ceilings and antique furnishings. The guides in the rooms were very informative with many interesting tales. For those not aware, the skirting in the old library did not have dust on it. The skirting and the dust were painted on.
After our tour, by which time the sun was shining, we set off for St Andrews where we had time to wander around the town before heading on to the Old Manor Hotel in Lundin Links for a very enjoyable High Tea. On leaving the hotel we had to board the bus quicker than expected as the driver had difficulty parking the coach due to cars being incorrectly parked. He had to stop the coach on the main road which had only two lanes and ended up directing traffic around it.
Once back in Edinburgh we were dropped off and made our way home. For those who got of the coach early the driver ended up having to take the bus back to Earlston so those living to the south of Edinburgh could have been dropped off nearer home if they had waited.
Many thanks to Joan for organising the outing and all those that assisted with bookings, arrangements, etc.

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Strollers Walk No. 193 - Monday 18th May 2014, Penicuik Estate

Date:                Monday 18th May 2014
Start Time:        11:00
Distance:          6km 
Start / Finish:    At Penicuik Town Centre (pedestrianised area)
Summary of the walk:

Standing in Penicuik shopping precinct sheltering from the rain and trying to be optimistic about the forecast when the sky looked as if it was going to stay grey and bleak forever. Suddenly a patch of blue sky appeared and it was decided to brave the last of the rain and walk down to the start of the walk beside South Kirk.
Passing Park End houses which were originally built in the 19th century by the Cowan family, who owned one of the paper mills, for single female employees. Hence it’s nickname of the ‘the nunnery’. The houses were designed by the same architect as for the South Kirk, T.F. Pilkington. By then it had got a lot brighter and so the 18 brave, or foolhardy, souls who had ventured out for the walk decided to carry on. Passing the Penicuik South Kirk built in the 1860’s, though a much scaled down version of the original designs it is still a very interesting building with the ornate carvings and stonework. From here we made our way up the slope, or small stream as it was by then, past the site of the landslip and on to the ruins of Ravensneuk Castle. A 16th Century fortified laird’s house it was mostly picked to bits in the 18th century to provide stone for a new park wall. From here we had wonderful views of the Pentland Hills and our first glimpse of Penicuik House. Walking on a bit, or skipping over the puddles and mud, we then stopped to look down to the ‘Roman Bridge’ currently under reconstruction. This was built in the 18th Century so not really that old! Above the bridge we had a view of the house with a ‘Chinese Gate’ framing the avenue whilst behind us was the monument built to honour Alan Ramsay the painter. Continuing on down the hill we came to ‘Low Pond’, which depending on where you read was the site of the first curling match between North and South in 1847 and still used today when there is a good freeze. (Some site’s quote the ‘High Pond’ which is beside the house as the venue for the first match.)
Passing the walled garden which is now a community garden with hens and pigs roaming around on up the hill to the house where we stopped for lunch. We were able to shelter under the main entrance to the house as it began to drizzle just as we arrived. We then had time to take in the renovations made to the balustrade, arches and alcoves within the house itself. Nearby were the stables which were converted to house the family after the fire of 1895 destroyed the house. The sun then came back out and we continued the walk taking an alternative route back through the woods and over a field to Penicuik. Given the rain the path by the river would have been very wet and not much fun.
Many thanks to Ron for coming up with that route and the other information he passed on about Penicuik while we went along.
Here’s to next walk in June.