Places to see: Edinburgh

Sunday, 21 July 2019

The Kelpies

The Kelpies

The Kelpies are 30 metre high steel structures depicting heads of mythical horses; standing in Helix park, just a few miles from Falkirk, at an entrance to the Forth and Clyde Canal. They were completed in 2013, and together with the nearby Falkirk Wheel - draw numerous visitors to the area.

If you use the car park just as you enter the Helix, there is no charge; and it is about a 10 minute walk to reach the Kelpies. There is another car park a lot closer, but there is a fee for this one. It is a delightful walk along the edge of the canal - watching the structures coming closer into view.

If you chose not to walk along the canal, there is a pathway through some woodland and round the lagoon. There is a boardwalk around the waterway, which has been cleverly designed, running through the reeds - it is very atmospheric. There are smaller ponds and interesting features within the woods - so look out for them.

As you get closer to these magnificent beasts, you realise just what an amazing feat of engineering they are; welded from small pieces of structural steel and galvanised with stainless steel cladding - each one weighing 300 tons.

If you continue along the canal, just behind the Kelpies is the Horsebox Cafe and Gift shop where you can buy drinks, snacks and ice-creams. This is where boats using this section of the canal tend to moor up overnight. What a place to park up!

The canal ends here and the last lock is the Carron River Sea Lock - which doesn't look so picturesque at low tide.

Turning back to admire the huge equine structures, which are captivating from every angle; you come to the Kelpies Visitor Centre, Gift Shop and Cafe - which sells a range of home made cakes and meals using locally found ingredients.

This is open every day of the year (except Christmas and New Year), from 9:30am until 5:00pm. As well as selling traditional souvenirs and gifts, there is an exhibition space where you can learn more about the history of the area - and have a go at constructing a Kelpie out of Lego.

At the Visitor Centre you can purchase a ticket for a guided tour of the Kelpies; this is the only way to get inside one of these iconic structures and discover more about how they were constructed.

Back outside again, and if you are lucky enough with the weather and time of day; you can see some fabulous reflections on the newly developed canal turning pool that stands in front of them.

From the footbridge over here, you can see along another canal heading towards Grangemouth.

There is an interesting timeline under the bridge - telling the story of the area from 300 years ago.

As the sun began to fall, the Kelpies came into their own - with the colourful sky behind emphasising their beauty.

It is hard to believe the idea for these striking monuments came from the legend of a creature that lived deep under the water, and when it came onto land, it changed into the shape of a beautiful horse which tried to entice anyone it came across, onto its back. Once on its back, the creature would gallop back into the water, going further and further down - drowning the poor rider in the the dark depths of the loch. The concept of this transformation has now been used to show how Scotland's waterways have changed and the area been transformed into one that now attracts visitors from all over the world. But to canal workers, The Kelpies are a reminder of its horse-powered heritage.

As darkness envelops the sky, the Kelpies begin to shine different colours from within, green, blue and pink. You need to be there when it is completely dark to appreciate this spectacle. Be aware that the inner car park closes at a specific time and the gates are locked - so unless you want to stay until morning - keep an eye on the time.

I would love to have stayed and seen them in all their glory, but was happy with the shots I had taken. They really are a sight to behold and I can see why both The Kelpies and The Falkirk Wheel are attracting so much tourism to this area. You can easily drive from one to the other in 10 minutes or if you have more time, you can walk along the canal - where you will see many interesting things along the way. There is a Wheel to Kelpies Selfie Trail.

For more information on the Falkirk Wheel please see

https://lynnejmorley.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-falkirk-wheel.htlm

Lynne

Please check out my other blogs:-

http://lynnemorley.blogspot.com

http://morleysjourneytoozandback.blogspot.com

https://lynnemorleys.blogspot.com

Thursday, 14 September 2017

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is a fascinating place to visit any time of the year. I went on New Years Eve and thoroughly enjoyed my day there. It dominates the city's skyline, an impressive building perched high on Castle Rock. It has over 2000 years of history to tell, starting in the year 2 AD when it was an early Iron Age settlement. It has been a Royal Castle since King David was in power in the 12th century, and involved in many historical conflicts and is renowned as "the most besieged place in Britain and one of the most attacked places in the world". Once you approach the castle from the road below, you can't help but be in awe of it...............

Once you have bought your ticket, from inside the outer walls you can have an audio guide to tell you more of the castle's turbulent history - or you can follow the map and discover things for yourself.

Here is my journey around the castle and it's fascinating buildings......................

An outer gate like this one has defended a fortress here for almost 2000 years.

Below is one of Europe's biggest siege guns called Mons Meg which was built in 1449 in Flanders. It could fire large stones of up to 330 pounds in weight - over 2 miles!

The panoramic views from high up on the battlements were incredible....................

St Margaret's Chapel is the oldest building in the castle (and in Edinburgh) and dates from 12th century. King David had it built, dedicated to his mother Saint Margaret of Scotland who died in 1093 - it is still used now for religious ceremonies such as weddings.

Half Moon Battery is a prominent feature on the eastern side of the castle and was erected between 1573-1588 around the ruins of David's Tower which survive beneath this area - to protect the area from bombardment.

Wherever you go there are endless views from the castle walls .........................

I loved the Great Hall which was built between 1503 -13 as a majestic area for King James 4th's ceremonial occasions. Under the short rule of Oliver Cromwell, in 1650, it was converted into soldier's barracks - but it has now been restored and it is still used for State and Royal functions.

This medieval hall has some wonderful collections of arms and Armour; I also found the stained glass windows very interesting - as they have details of Scotland's previous monarchs.

Walking from building to building - there were so many interesting and unusual sights.

Discover how prisoners of war lived in the castle in the 1700's and 1800's.

As you see there is so much to see and to learn in this fascinating castle. There is also the Crown Room and Royal Palace, which is home to the Stone of Destiny and is where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James 6th. And if you still have time and energy there is the National War Museum which is made up of 3 separate regimental museums.

There are 3 gift shops (one selling Whiskey and Fine foods) and 2 cafes within the castle - so there is no excuse if you are feeling tired and in need of a sit down and some refreshments.

As I was there on New Years Eve, they were getting ready for the Hogmanay Firework display.

The city was lit up ready for the special Hogmanay celebrations that evening.............

Lastly, walking back down from the castle, there are more interesting places to visit, unusual buildings to admire, whisky shops to call into, gift shops selling traditional ware, and countless historical places to find. Edinburgh has more to offer that its castle - but I will tell you more about that another time.