Edinburgh to Drovers Inn

 October 11

Another eventful day! I was up at 3:30 (insomnia) and planned our next day activities. I showered at 5:30 and by 8:30 (David slept in) we were on our way to the train station where our rental car was waiting. 

David expertly drove while I navigated and we made it successfully to Stirling Castle. We loved the tour of Stirling Castle!! Great tour guide and such history!! Stirling Castle was first started in the 1100s and the last inhabitants (soldiers) moved out in 1964! 

James V, was made King of Scotland at the age of seventeen months, when his very successful dad, James IV died in the Battle of Flodden. James V was a Renaissance king and built an elaborate palace at Stirling Castle in this Kings Gold color. His daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, was born here and was made Queen when she was only 6 days old. Mary’s coronation took place when she was 9 months. Her son, James VI, became king at the age of 1 year. He eventually became James I of Britain. 

Kings Gold so that everyone knew that a king lived here

The great hall of James V recently refurbished to its 1500’s style 

Queen’s bedchamber

Queen as depicted by staff

Kings bedchamber

Us outside the palace 

We also visited the recently restored original kitchens from the 1500’s, excavated by archaeologists. 

After our thorough tour we set out for our accommodations for tonight, the Drovers Inn. This place is OLD! It was built in 1705 and was a stopover for a pint by cattlemen taking their cattle to market. Even today, people stop in for a meal and a pint as they travel from the north to the south. Once we got checked in, we used the remaining daylight to go south to the northern tip of Loch Lomond. And then visited the Falls of Falloch. Recent rains have caused swelling of the flow over the Falls and down the River running through here. 

We headed back to the Drovers Inn for dinner and made friends with anyone and everyone at adjoining tables, probably as has been done for centuries. We met a man traveling through on business, then a couple with a six week old boy there with his proud grandparents, and finally a couple from Nacognoches, Texas who have been in Scotland for four out of their planned five weeks. They told us the story that an Indian chief told his two sons to walk in opposite directions from Toledo Bend and settle. So Nacognoches, TX and Natchitoches, La are the resulting settlements. I didn’t know that! 

Lois and Robert from Texas. 

Goodnight!