Day 5, Durham, Jedburgh and Airth Castle

Today was almost completely a driving day. We started out of Leeds (I guess that hotel was actually in Selby), and then headed up to Durham where we had an hour and a half to look at the Cathedral there and then run around the town which is fairly small. There really wasn’t much else historic there and the important point for me was I got to pick up some cash and have an espresso other than the Cathedral. This Cathedral dated very similarly to Yorkminster in make and makeup.

Leaving Durham we drove north until we got to the Border of Scotland and stopped for the photo shoot where the piper plays under the Scotland sign on the big rock. That was a very brief stop.

From the border we drove until Jedburgh where we stopped to look at the ruins of the abbey. It was made in medieval times as well, and I believe that Sam said it was destroyed by one of the Tudors (one of the Henry’s even) and has been a ruins since then. Jedburgh was a very brief stop.

After Jedburgh we stopped at the Edinburgh Woolen Mills for a brief bout of shopping and a cafeteria lunch. I bought some Scotch Fudge, some of which should make it home and I had Scotch broth for lunch. That stay was an hour and a half or so.

From the Woolen Mill we moved on to Airth Castle. This was a moderately long drive but was over by about 4:30pm. In Airth Castle the hotel is built in the former stables. There was a traditional Scottish wedding happening when we got there, kilts and all. We hung around for a bit and got used to the place then it was off to the night out at a Scottish Pub. The pub we went to was the Torphichen Inn. The food was good. I had venison. And they had a surprise piper and his daughter who was 9 and did a traditional Scottish step dance for us. This was a very good time and if I’d known they were going to have the piper I would have brought my camera.

Images from today are posted here.