Day 29 and 30

Leave our Greystoke cottage and stop off to see the historic St Andrews Church built in 1255!  It played an important part in the history of churches in England as something like 50% of the clergy died during the Great Plague and a place of learning was needed.  Greystoke Castle is not open to the public so we did not venture in there.

We couldn’t leave this part of England without a visit to Hadrian’s Wall, a defensive fortification built by the Romans (starting in AD122). At one location we walk around the remains of a Roman fort before heading off again north to the small country village of Tannadice in Scotland.

The following morning we head off to Glamis Castle, the family home of Elizabeth Bowe-Lyon (better known as the Queen Mother).  This castle has everything that you would imagine when you think of an English or Scottish castle: huge dining rooms filled with a long table set for 36 people with magnificent gold edged dining setting, huge silver ornaments along the centre etc etc; a vast stone guards room with arched ceiling, suits of armour around the room and the walls emblazoned with shields, helmets, breast plates and swords many showing actual signs of combat; long stone spiral stair ways up to important castle rooms and areas…..   This is a truly spectacular place to visit, the tour showing numerous parts of the castle that is astonishingly large. 

We left the castle and Caroline said “I want one…”.  So Caroline wants a castle, at least Christmas in the dining room would not be a problem for our ever-extending family!!!! She is now drawing up plans in her head to see if she can make it happen……oh no!!!!

Part of this trip is to complete the meeting of Caroline’s family, this time sister Lisa and niece’s Sarah and Claire.  Sarah’s daughter Sophie-Ann kept us entertained through the afternoon and in the evening we went to a nearby pub for dinner.  Lisa’s son Sam had started holidays of his own so we unfortunately did not meet him. It was an emotional time but only in a good way, long awaited and such good fun. Thanks Granny we are all mad???


Sarah and Claire live at Kirriemuir where Lisa's shop is, apart from that Kirriemuir has 2 claims to fame - 1) it is the birthplace of JM Barrie who was the author of the Peter Pan story, and 2) was the birthplace of Bon Scott, original lead singer to the Australian group AC/DC.  Gathering in popularity each year more and more people turn up to celebrate Bon Scott's life and music such that next year it seems likely they will have a huge outdoor concert in a nearby field.   


Lisa lives up in the hills and glens above Kirriemuir.