We’re off to St. Andrews later this afternoon so the morning is free.
Dunnottar Castle is a 45-minute walk along the Aberdeenshire Coastal Trail from Stonehaven. Don and Joyce head out for the castle. Mary & I head to the town for a cash run (two machines out of order, 3rd time’s a charm!) then head for the trail. It’s an uphill track that proceeds along the windy coastline on a small path. Blue skies and spectacular views, along with a fierce wind off the waters. About halfway there we meet up with a gentleman who was biking along the trail. Turns out he is 83 years old, and he bikes to and from the castle every day.
Along the trail to the castle is the Stonehaven War Memorial built in tribute to those lost in the two wars. The monument stands on ‘Black Hill’ and can be seen up and down the coast for miles.
Once we get to the Castle there are about 200 steps to descend then another 200 step climb to get into the structure. The castle itself is built onto a high stone cliff overlooking the peninsula. It looks totally impregnable. After an invasion of Scotland by English forces in 1267, William Wallace attacks the English garrison at the castle, taking it back under Scottish control.
Presumably Wallace’s army climbed up through a cistern to surprise the English. Legend has it that Wallace showed no mercy to the soldiers and set fire to the Chapel where they had taken refuge, condemning all inside to a terrible death. Others were driven over the cliff edges, with no survivors.
We noticed weather coming in and decide to cut our tour a little short. Don and Joyce decide to take a taxi back to the hotel and Dick and I took a windy walk back.
After a quick lunch at the Ship Inn our taxi picks us up for the transit us to St. Andrews. We have an interesting taxi driver – he is driving a new Tesla that he has had for just a few months. He is very excited about it and liked to show us how fast the car can go. When we get to our new lodging, he shows the guys where the engine would be and pulls out a bottle of very nice Rioja wine and gives it to us. Better than Uber!
We are staying at the Yorkston Guest house in St. Andrews. Dick has been dealing with Catrina, our host, for years now and it’s great to finally meet the person on the other end of the email chain!. We’re in St. Andrews for 3 nights and can finally get laundry done. Catrina sets us up with laundry bags for a next day pick up.
We have a quick look around town looking for a place to eat. Most places are very busy since it is around 5:30 and we wind up at Brew Dog for dinner and drinks.
On the way home, Dick and I stop at the Whey Pat pub for a nightcap. It was empty when we sat down at the bar, then fills up quick with a lively group of students. We have a lovely conversation with a young lady from New Zealand about Mary’s favorite wine.
