Argyle House and Holy Rude Church

Hi everyone. Since David wrote to you yesterday about our visit to Stirling and the castle, I thought today I would continue our adventure of that day. After visiting the castle and enjoying its exploration, we went on a guided tour of Argyle House. This house was just down the lane from the castle. Our guide explained how it was developed in 4 different stages, the last two in 1603 and then in 1674. This was a home that belonged to several lords and would have been used to entertain the upper crust who may have been visiting at the castle.

 This is our guide in the center and the photo shows a good bit of the outside architecture. If the photo had continued to the right, you would see that the window cornices change as the home was added onto at different time periods. The home was set up with reproductions so that it was a "hands on" experience and we could touch, sit and try out the furnishings.

Here you can see us sitting in the Drawing Room with reproductions of furniture, tapestries and other furnishings. The guide was funny and had a lot of humorous stories to tell about the people who lived in the house and also how some of the more notorious ones met their end. "Off with their heads!"

Here you can see that David was able to have a simulating conversation with the lord and lady of the Argyle House.

Between the castle and the Argyle House sits Holy Rude Church. (you may notice that it is spelled differently than Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh).  Holy Rude or Holyrood means Holy Cross and refers to the cross that traditionally hung above the altar in most English churches.

This church is the location where James VI of Scotland (later to become James I of England and responsible for our King James Bible) was crowned King of Scotland. His mother, Mary Queen of Scots fled to England with her enemies hot on her heels. She had angered the country with a good deal of questionable behavior and was disowned by lords and peasants alike. So her very young son James was made king in this very church. There is a cemetery all around that you may have seen in some of yesterday's photos. The plaque there states that some of the grave markers go back to the 1500's, though we did not have time to look for them.

This town had some very amazing 360 degree views from the hills surrounding the castle and church. You certainly find yourself gazing out, turning around and around to try and take it all in. We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Stirling and hope you do too.

Saturday we take a train to Carlisle, England.  This is just south of the Scottish and English borders.  We will rent a car in Carlisle and drive east toward Hadrian's wall.  We will also take time Sunday to drive through the Lake District.  It is one of the most scenic parts of England.  Many of the great British poets lived in the hills and valleys there.  We hope to visit the home of William Wordsworth, Dove Cottage.  More to come after that journey.