Linlithgow Palace

For St. Andrew's Day, we decided to view Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots and home to the Royal Stewarts. It has some lovely sculptural decoration still extant and most of the walls are still intact. You can climb to the top of the watchtower and see stunning views of Linlithgow Loch which stretches beside the castle.

Unfortunately, I had problems with my camera, so the photos I have all came from my phone, a poor substitute at the best of times. Several of these also came from the phone of my partner, so I cannot claim credit for the entire series.

The entranceway to the Palace

Windows of the Banquet Hall as seen from the courtyard

The courtyard fountain

Detail from the fountain

Detail from the fountain

Detail from the fountain

Admiring the view

The loch as seen from the palace

The palace and town from the watchtower, including St. Michael's Kirk tower (rt)

The palace from the peel

The cobbled road leading to the palace

Leaving the palace and entering the town

Wandering about Edinburgh

Here are a few photos I've taken during walks around Edinburgh. Most are with my phone, so they're not great quality. The first set are from the Hermitage of Braid, essentially a local nature reserve open to the public; the former Hermitage building is the visitor centre. After that are some random images from my wanders, including some of the wonderful grotesques that adorn the buildings of Edinburgh.

The Hermitage of Braid

The Ice House, a pre-industrial fridge

Leaving the Hermitage

Edinburgh's Maker Faire at Summerhall

The Netherbow Wellhead outside of John Knox House

The castle in fog 

Calton Hill

A gargoyle above Starbucks near Bristo Square

A Green Man on the Royal Mile

Hogmanay 2013 - Happy New Year!

Hogmanay is the Scottish New Years celebration, which begins on New Years Eve and ends sometime later, usually on New Years Day. The city of Edinburgh kick off the festivities with a grand fireworks display above the castle and from Calton Hill. I was on Calton Hill at midnight December 31st, and took some photos as well as celebrating.

The National Monument of Scotland, with the Saltire Cross projected above it.

Fireworks by the Castle

The fireworks over the National Monument

After the fireworks...the smoke clears

Food and sightseeing

It appears that I have failed to update this blog for over three months now, and I apologize. It's not that I have done nothing, merely that I have been remiss at writing here.

What prompted me to write today is food. Here in the UK they have a long, strong tradition of savory pies. Nearly every neighborhood has a pie shop,or two or three, which sells a variety of pies, like steak and ale, onion and cheese, and chicken and veg, as well as sausage rolls, birdies and scotch pies and various pasties. All are delightful and should be sampled.

There is also a tradition of pies in home cooking as well. I recently discovered this while searching for recipes that would help me get rid of leftover chicken. I found several chicken pie recipes and decided to try a Chicken and Leek Pie. It is similar to a pot pie, with a creamy sauce, but is mainly chicken and leeks, rather than filled with a multitude of veggies like American chicken pot pies. It was simple since the recipe calls for a pre-made shortcrust, the local term for pie crust (as opposed to puff pastry), and only on top. It was delish, and a welcome change from cold roast chicken.

Yesterday, I used leftover salmon to create a Salmon and Leek Quiche which came out quite well. This time the shortcrust was used as a base, lining the casserole dish, and the leeks (sautéed to soften them)' salmon, eggs and milk were mixed together and poured in.

I expect that I will be trying more pies in the future as the leftovers pile up.

And now for the sightseeing portion of our blog. For the past month or so, I have been trying to walk a couple of miles each day. Most days this is simply walking home from school rather than riding the bus, but on weekends, I try to get out to see something. Several times I have walked up and around Calton Hill, which is nearby, others I go somewhere more distant. Last Sunday I walked to and from the Stockbridge Market, a farmers market over in the Stockbridge district, while another time I went to the National Gallery of Modern Art.

Below are a collection of photos from various walks and journeys. Check the captions for details.

The City Observatory atop Calton Hill

The National Monument on Calton Hill,
dedicated to the soldiers and sailors who died
fighting the Napoleonic Wars. Due to a lack of funds,
it was left unfinished in 1829.

The Old Town from Calton Hill

The Nelson Monument on Calton Hill.
Built 1807-1815 to commemorate Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson,
 his victory and death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

The Nelson Monument

A view of Leith from Calton Hill.
Inchkeith island can be seen in the background

The National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One)
with Henry Moore' sculpture "Reclining Figure" in the foreground

A view of Charles Jenks' "Landform" in front of Modern One

The Lomond Hills, north of Edinburgh
as seen from the top of the Edinburgh Zoo

The view from the North Bridge above Waverley Station
Looking toward Calton Hill (left) Arthur's Seat and
Salisbury Craigs (center ) and the Old Town (right)