Small town (Peebles) to major city (Edinburgh) (Saturday, Sept. 26)

Winkston Farms B&B, Peebles.

Winkston Farms B&B is an interesting place. Jan has been operating a B&B for over 30 years, starting when her children were young. Today one of her grandchildren was there, helping her father and grandfather with some of the farm work. They have a herd of sheep and some horses; however, George says they do that part now for "fun" rather than profit.

For breakfast this morning I had a plate of cheese and fruit, which really hit the spot after so many days of full Scottish breakfast! There were three different cheeses -- one called Roulé, which was soft, creamy, and topped with herbs; one mild, light colored, and filled with chunks of apricots; and one golden cheddar with a nutty flavor. Fruits included Scottish raspberries and strawberries, a huge apple, and a small mandarin orange. Along with the fruit and cheese were some traditional Scottish oakcakes, which turned out to be a great accompaniment.

Rosslyn Chapel is a small family chapel with the look of a huge cathedral

One of Rosslyn Chapel's
smallest visitors.

Rosslyn Chapel was our first stop, just a short drive from Peebles on the way to Edinburgh. This 15th Century chapel is an architectural marvel. You can read much more about it on Wikipedia. We listened to the very interesting talk given by one of several guides at the chapel and learned a lot about the history of and legends surrounding the chapel. Many intricate carvings adorn the inside and outside of this small chapel. 

While we were inside, we noticed a man looking at and making copies of marks that had been carved into the blocks of sandstone from which the castle was constructed. Curious, as always, Smoky asked him what he was looking at, and this was the opening of a most interesting conversation with Iain Ross Wallace, a member of the Department of Archaeology, University of Glasgow. Iain is conducting a "Stonemasons Marks Research Project" that, according to his Facebook page, 

"is investigating and recording the masons marks of early medieval castle and churches in the west of Scotland."

Iain Ross Wallace is conducting
a stonemasons marks research
project.

We had noticed these marks several days back when visiting Kilchurn Castle, where they were explained on an information board, and since then, we have been more aware of them. Apparently, a major project such as a castle or chapel would have had a number of stone masons working on it, and each of them would have a specific mark with which he would identify each of the blocks he carved. It is possible that some masons may have worked on several projects during his lifetime, and Iain is hoping his research will show which projects specific masons worked on by identifying common masons marks among projects built in the period of time he is studying.

We continued our conversation with Iain in the Rosslyn Chapel cafe! Thanks so much for sharing your interesting project with us, Iain.

Roxburgh Hotel, Edinburgh.

By mid-afternoon, we were driving into Edinburgh in search of the Roxburgh Hotel, where we are staying for several nights. The Roxburgh is a lovely, old place right on the edge of "New Town" and not very far from "Old Town." Rose Street (in New Town) runs beside our hotel. It is closed to most vehicles and is a great place to stroll and shop, with lots of places where you can stop for a bite to eat or a drink.

Street scene in Edinburgh New Town looking up at Edinburgh Castle
on top of the hill.

Street scene, New Town, Edinburgh.

Great sign outside bar.

Tomorrow we'll head into Old Town and walk up to Edinburgh Castle, which sits on a high hill overlooking the city.

--Shann