Travelling Worm

A bookworm's travelogue

Category: Scotland

  • A day in Edinburgh: Leith Walkway, Castle, Royal Mile, and more

    This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

    Today’s travel notes

    Me and the TC spent a day in Edinburgh, beautiful capital of Scotland. To throw a vote into the debate about visiting Edinburgh versus Glasgow, this worm’s firm opinion is that both are worth a visit. Your enjoyment depends on what you’re looking for. Glasgow is more restful. Edinburgh is gorgeous but more frenetic, especially in the areas focused on tourism.

    The book I’m in

    Stormswift, by Madeleine Brent. This author writes adventure stories about young heroines dragging themselves out of impossible situations by dint of courage, strength, and hard-won skills. Despite the dire subject matter, the novels are curiously calming.

    Travel tips

    If your legs allow, do the walk starting at the Water of Leith Walkway and up to Edinburgh Castle, then down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, finishing at the Princes Street Gardens. (This worm sat comfortably in a book for the onerous part of the walk, making an appearance only for the views and photo ops.)

    The photos

    Me starring in a picture taken from Bell’s Brae Bridge, part-way along the Water of Leith Walkway:

    Edinburgh Castle set high upon a rock, seen from the gardens of The Parish Church of St Cuthbert:

    The first fort on the rock was built by Iron Age peoples. The castle saw fierce fighting during the Wars of Scottish Independence in medieval times.

    As well as being a military stronghold, the castle has housed royalty over the centuries. Queen Margaret died in the castle in 1093. In the Royal Palace within the castle grounds, Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI in 1566. He became king of Scotland at 13 months old. He later united the crowns of Scotland and England in 1603.

    Me outside Edinburgh Castle:

    A similar view, but without your faithful Travelling Worm:

    After visiting the castle, we headed down the Royal Mile towards the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The next picture shows a general view of the Royal Mile:

    We encountered a couple of Picts telling their story. The Picts are an ancient people who lived alongside the Scots. Originating as an Iron Age society, one of the things they’re known for is painting themselves, hence the name “Pict”. The blue colouring comes indigo dye, made from the woad plant:

    St Giles Cathedral was founded in 1124 by King David I. It was originally a Romanesque church. It now belongs to the Church of Scotland congregation and follows the Presbyterian tradition of worship. The statue in front of the cathedral is of John Knox, founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland:

    A random view down a little alleyway, partway along the Royal Mile:

    A picturesque clock above a tavern:

    At the end of the Royal Mile is the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The palace is the British King’s official residence when in Edinburgh. It’s also played a part in Scottish royal history, including visits from Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie.

    On a wall near the palace is this heraldic panel of James the Fifth, including the Royal Arms:

    Across the road from the palace stands the lovely Cheval Abbey Strand apartment block, a renovated 15th century building. The photo shows the rear of the building, with part of the Physic Garden that lies behind:

    To finish the tour, here’s part of Edinburgh Old Town, seen from Princes Street near the Princes Street Gardens:

    That’s all for today, folks.

  • Hadrian’s Wall at Walltown Quarry, Greenhead

    This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

    Today’s travel notes

    Me and the TC visited part of Hadrian’s Wall yesterday. The wall is more than 70 miles long, so we had to choose our viewing point. We chose Walltown Quarry, near the village of Greenhead in Northumberland. The beautiful countryside provided a spectacular backdrop for the remnants of the wall.

    The book I’m in

    Stormswift, by Madeleine Brent. This author writes adventure stories about young heroines dragging themselves out of impossible situations by dint of courage, strength, and hard-won skills. Despite the dire subject matter, the novels are curiously calming.

    Travel tips

    Drive the A68 through Northumberland and into Scotland. It’s one of the most beautiful drives in the world, passing through restful grey-stone villages and meandering over rolling green hills dotted with sheep and cattle.

    The photos

    Me and Peg on Hadrian’s Wall:

    Devoted readers will no doubt remark on Peg’s re-appearance on this blog. She took a long break from travelling, but is now back in full force. Expect to see her holding up her end of the tale again in this and future posts!

    This part of the wall stands atop a high cliff above the stone quarry at Walltown. Here’s a long shot of the cliff topped by the wall:

    The path up to the cliff face is guarded by a fearsome ogre. This worm stayed tucked in the TC’s book while we crept by, managing to get past before the ogre emerged fully from its lair:

    Once we’d safely passed the slumbering ogre, me and Peg took a breather on the Walltown bench before making the final ascent to Hadrian’s Wall:

    Wild flowers marked the route:

    Drops from the recent rainfall sparkled on flower and leaf:

    Raindrops decorated the spiderwebs too:

    At the top of the cliff, Hadrian’s Wall runs over green velvet hills:

    The wall was built by the Roman emperor Hadrian in the second century AD, to draw a line of defence between the south of Britain, controlled by Romans, and the unconquered area to the north, roamed by the fierce Scottish clans. The wall stretches across Britain, from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west.

    Adventurous souls took the high road:

    This worm found a new friend, who goes by the name of Bluebell. She confided in me that some call her Wall Flower, but she discourages that name with all her might. Me and Bluebell at her home atop Hadrian’s Wall:

    Wild flowers grab a handhold on the rocks near the wall:

    Lichen adorns the stones on the pathway back down the hill:

    And drips off the branches of the plants:

    The Walltown Quarry Pond:

    The stone dug out at Walltown Quarry was used primarily as chippings for surfacing roads. The quarry opened in 1876 and closed in 1976. After it closed, the land was filled in and landscaped to form the Walltown Country Park.

    Here’s a parting shot of Hadrian’s Wall from across the quarry pond:

    That’s all for today, folks.

  • Dunfermline Abbey and City Chambers, Scotland

    This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

    Today’s travel notes

    Me and the TC spent a few hours in Dunfermline this week. Dunfermline is a city in the county of Fife, Scotland, about three miles from the Firth of Forth. (This worm wrote about the bridges over the Firth of Forth in a previous post.)

    The book I’m in

    Imminent Peril, a Sasha McCandless adventure by Melissa F. Miller. The TC loves this series about a lawyer detective who attracts trouble and deals with it fearlessly.

    Travel tips

    Park as soon as you find a spot that’s close enough to your destination.

    The photos

    Looking across the rooftops to the Dunfirmline City Chambers:

    Dunfirmline City Chambers was built in the late 1870s. It combines French, Gothic and Scots baronial architectural styles into a pleasing medley. The clock tower stands out as a feature of the town.

    The clock caused a bit of drama in November 2022, when one of its hands became loose during strong winds. The town closed the roads around the tower until the clock was rendered safe.

    This picture shows the building from the other side of a nearby grave yard:

    If you’re keen of eye, you might notice that the next picture shows a rare glimpse of the TC herself. It also includes a partial view of Abbot House, Dunfermline’s oldest house, known locally as the Pink Hoose:

    Dunfermline Abbey has been home to Christian worshippers for more than 1000 years:

    The building has two distinct halves. On the left of the picture (the western half) is the Benedictine Abbey, founded by Queen Margaret in the eleventh century. Margaret arrived in Dunfermline in 1068, following the defeat of the English at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. She married King Malcolm in 1070 and founded Dunfermline Abbey in 1072.

    On the right (the eastern half) is the New Abbey Church, constructed in the early nineteenth century. Robert the Bruce is buried under this half of the church. The letters that you see in the balustrade of the square tower spell out “BRUCE KING”.

    Here’s another view of the older part of the abbey:

    Inside the abbey, one of the arched ceilings still has the early frescoes of the apostles:

    More scenes from inside the old abbey:

    In the grounds of the abbey lie the ruins of the monastery that was built at around the same time as the old abbey, way back in the 1070s:

    That’s all for today, folks.

  • Bridges of Forth and Queensferry Crossing

    This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

    Today’s travel notes

    Me and the TC are touring bonny Scotland this week. We spent a day in Queensferry on the Firth of Forth. This worm was much taken by the bridges that cross the wide waters of the firth.

    Is this stretch of water called the Forth of Firth or the Firth of Forth, you might ask? And what do those two words mean? The water’s name is the Firth of Forth. “Firth” is a Scottish word, of similar origin to the Norwegian “fjord”, meaning a coastal inlet. “Forth” is the name of the river.

    The book I’m in

    Imminent Peril, a Sasha McCandless adventure by Melissa F. Miller. The TC loves this series about a lawyer detective who attracts trouble and deals with it fearlessly.

    Travel tips

    Bridges carry us across areas that would otherwise be tricky. They can be beautiful and amazing feats of engineering too.

    Recommended restaurant

    Scott’s Bar and Restaurant, Port Edgar Marina, Shore Rd, Queensferry. Friendly, professional service and excellent food.

    The photos

    A rainbow appeared over the Forth Bridge while we were enjoying dinner in South Queensferry:

    Dating from its opening in 1890, the Forth Bridge is the oldest of three bridges that cross the firth at Queensferry. It’s used only by railway trains — no road traffic, cyclists, or pedestrians. Due to its revolutionary engineering, the Forth Bridge has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Until 1919, it was the world’s longest cantilever bridge (that is, a structure made of horizontal projections that are supported only at one end) and was heralded as the first major steel structure to be built anywhere in the world. In 1919, a bridge in Canada took over the claim to be the longest cantilever span in the world.

    The next picture shows all three bridges that cross the Firth of Forth at Queensferry. On the left is the Queensferry Crossing. In the middle is the Forth Road Bridge. And in the distance on the right is one end of the Forth Bridge:

    Here’s another view of the Forth Bridge, this time without the rainbow:

    We crossed the firth by car on the Queensferry Crossing Bridge. This is the newest of the three bridges. It opened in 2017. In the morning light, the clusters of cables around the bridge’s three towers glowed like white torches:

    As we drew closer, each glowing shaft of light resolved into multiple strands of cable:

    The third of the three bridges is the Forth Road Bridge, stretching across the river between the other two. It opened in 1964, and is an impressive long-span suspension bridge. Its use is now restricted to pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport. Here you see part of the Forth Road Bridge, with the Forth Bridge behind and below it:

    That’s all for today, folks.

  • Off road above Loch Lomond

    This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

    Today’s travel notes

    Me and the TC are touring bonny Scotland this week. We spent a day exploring the tracks around Loch Lomond and Loch Long in a Land Rover Defender. Our guide from 4×4 Adventures Scotland was skilled and knowledgeable, and excellent company to boot.

    The book I’m in

    Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, a tale of wonder and woe. It amuses this worm to apply analytic skills to the language and norms of the day, while at the same time enjoying a good yarn.

    Cautionary travel tales seem to appeal to the TC while herself travelling.

    Travel tips

    Come rain or shine, take a day off your busy travel schedule to soak up the beauty of the natural surrounds.

    The photos

    Me in Helensburgh alongside a memorial to Henry Bell, provost of the town in 1802. Helensburgh lies on the shores of Gare Loch, near Loch Lomond. Henry Bell was the first person to found a steamship business on British waters:

    The TC organised a full-day off road adventure with 4×4 Adventures Scotland. The company provided a Land Rover Defender and a local guide named Alan, who knew the off road tracks around Loch Lomond and surrounds like the back of his hand.

    The vehicle was a Land Rover Defender 110 with a 2.4 litre engine, 33″ all-terrain tyres, a manual gear box, and differential lockers front and back. Approximately ten years old, she’d earlier served as an ambulance. She bore the name LU55 MAD, of which the first part harks to her base in the town of Luss and the second part harks to her nature. Show her a steep, rocky hill with a stream of water coursing down it, and she jumped at the challenge of getting to the top:

    The weather did us proud, throwing us an abundance of mood-filled scenes. This is the gorgeous Loch Long:

    The TC, bless her cotton socks, could not restrain the Ooohs and Aaahs. This worm concedes that there was beauty to be had. In particular, these mossy knolls appealed to my delicate body type. The hillocks rise a couple of feet in height and are entirely soft and spongy, with no hard rock or trunk beneath:

    Streams gushed down the slopes, ushered by moss and fern:

    More views of mount and loch that made the TC go Aaah. First, looking out over the islands in the wide part of Loch Lomond:

    To finish off, here’s the track running along Loch Long:

    That’s all for today, folks.