The Castle Sands

Till a couple weeks ago the castle sands were closed, so yesterday we decided to take advantage of the ever lengthening daylight hours and do a little exploring. If you can't tell, the rocks aren't actually black, they're covered in a black, plant like substance, something between seaweed and moss. Walking on this black stuff turned out to be very slippery, and of course the venture culminated in my falling into a tide pool. Still worth it, I think.

And after this, we had an even bigger adventure, which unfortunately I have no photographic proof of... I DROVE A CAR. Not only on the wrong side of the road, oh no, that wasn't that difficult, but manually. Now, I should preface this by saying, I learned to drive on an automatic, every car I've ever driven in my life has been automatic, I've never even sat in the driver's seat of a manual car in my life. So my first time driving manually was on the wrong side of the road, in my friend's cramped little British car, down a tiny country motorway... and, well, let's just say it amounted to a whole lot of dirty looks from other drivers, a lesser amount of stalling and a little bit of the car rolling backwards on its own. Again, still worth it, I think. If there is ever a time to do stupid things like climb on unsafe rocks and drive illegally, its when you're living abroad.

Hopetoun House

When I signed up to take a class on the decoration and furnishing of country houses from 1700-1830, I knew we would we visiting some fabulous estates, but I was not quite prepared for what I experienced at Hopetoun. As it turned out, we had special access to the house as my professor had taught the now Countess of Hopetoun when she was at St Andrews for her undergrad. We ended up being greeted at the door by her Ladyship herself, after which she served us coffee (in china cups, of course) in the family drawing room, not usually open to visitors. We didn't sit for long, and Lady Hope didn't look or dress according to how we Americans necessarily think a countess should, but it did feel for a moment like we had stepped into the world of Downton Abbey, or some real life equivalent. It was so interesting to see how people really still live in places like that, and the house did feel distinctly lived in, modern family pictures mingling with grand 18th and 19th century portraiture, Lady Hope's son running in to ask her a question about his spelling homework, and the family's dog pitter pattering around the house as we made our tour. It was certainly an experience I will not soon forget.

The house itself is incredible, and my pictures in no way do it justice (sorry that they are somewhat blurry and quite poor quality, I was trying to sneakily take pictures with my iPhone while my professor was lecturing!). My picture of the front of the house is only a portion of the whole. For a better idea of the grandeur of the estate, see their website.


the elevation of Hopetoun House

coffee in the family drawing room

the yellow drawing room

doorway from the red drawing room to the dining room

chimney peice in the red drawing room

the dining room... to quote the Countess, "we DO try to use the formal dining room whever possible, you know." um, yeah, i would too.

P.S. Hopefully some very exciting blog posts coming up... my spring break starts Monday and I have quite a few things planned, including trip to Sterling and a mini Austen/Bronte literary tour!!

Happy Wednesday

"I wish I could say something that would serve you, beyond what you know very well, that I love you and long to help you: and indeed I entreat you (however trite the words may be) to think that life is not empty nor made for nothing, and that the parts of it fit into one another in some way; and that the world goes on, beautiful and strange and dreadful and worshipful. "

 

William Morris

Balbirnie

Balbirnie House. 19th century estate turned hotel, golf course and nature walk. We went for a short hike over the grounds last Monday, before commencing the trek into Glasgow for the Lumineers concert.  The sun was out, thawing the frost of the night before, and snowdrops and not yet blooming crocuses could be seen shooting up out of the frozen ground. Spring is coming.

 

the back of the house

(snowdrops!!)

 

Weekend in Edinburgh

Beautiful Edinburgh! Probably one of my favorite cities in the world. This weekend I took a trip to stay with an old friend in her new home. Edinburgh is only a one hour train ride from St Andrews, but it's just far enough away to feel like an escape, a real holiday. My tiny town is beautiful, but sometimes one just needs the abide in the midst of city life and city people, of only for a little while.

 

And it was exactly what a holiday should be- the perfect blend of doing and relaxing. We saw the Castle, walked the Royal Mile, saw the famous view of Edinburgh from Calton Hill, visited the National Gallery of Scotland, climbed to Arthur's Seat (!), drank cider and whisky (!!) and chatted in century(s) old pubs, ate eggs on toast for breakfast and fish and chips for dinner and fell into bed exhausted (but happy) every night.

 

I cannot reccomend Edinburgh enough. It's small enough to walk everywhere and large enough to feel like a proper city, and absolutely full to overflowing with history. And yet somehow the city seems to be slightly overlooked as a tourist destination. Far more mangable than London and with much friendlier people (not that one could really compare the two!), all I can saw is, it was a perfect little trip and I really can't wait to return.

 

the outside of the Memorial to the Great War in Edinburgh Castle

doing my best Master and Commander impression (not very convincing?)

touching Hume's toe (apparently this is a thing)

walking the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle to Hollyrood Palace

part of the Burn's Memorial and a view of the Crags

view of Edinburgh from Calton Hill

my very first dram of whisky

at Arthur's Seat

yes, this is what we climbed

St Margaret's Loch and St Anthony's Chapel

the swans of St Margaret's Loch

a proper pub lunch

"That's fine by me..."

What a weekend. Three days in Edinburgh (expect a picture post soon) and a visit to the grounds of Balbirnie House (again, picture post...) before rushing to Glasgow to see The Lumineers live. So until those posts are ready I'll leave you with a image from the concert and a song by the opening act, Langhorne Slim, that has been going around in my head since I heard it for the first time Monday night. 

 

 

Silverburn

On Monday a friend and I drove about thirty five minutes out of St Andrews to visit the nature walk at Silverburn. It was very beautiful and also slightly strange... completely deserted except a few stray golfers on the connected course (granted, it is January), with a view of the ocean and, eerily, peppered with derelict and boarded up buildings. It was a good day for a walk, mostly dry and sunny, and we had our lunch at a tea room connected to a local farm. All very Scottish and in the end, quite pleasant.