Mission Blog #67

 What a Week To End 2023

Having our daughter, Michelle, visit us for 8 days, is the best Christmas gift we could receive. And having Christmas dinner with she and our Sister missionaries was the first hi-lite of the week. Sister Larkin and Gwynn are amazing - intelligent, fun, sincere, generous, talented. I could go on. They have a new companion (Sister Beers) who isn't in the photo - she was in another room making that all-important phone call home to her family. We are just getting to know her. She's getting to know us too.

Sister McMurray was feeling 'under the weather' but still put together a wonderful Christmas dinner.

It seems that one of our Christmas traditions is to assemble a jig-saw puzzle, or two. Tina was worried that she might pass on her sore throat and cough to us if she handled the pieces so it was left to Michelle and I to tackle 'Light Up The Night' Christmas in a village scene. After watching a Christmas movie like 'White Christmas', we would work on the puzzle for a couple of hours, followed by a spirited game of 'Swoop'. Michelle is a kind, empathetic person, but is a tad competitive - takes no prisoners, ever - is that the blood of the Stuarts, MacKenzies, Frasers, or de Brus flowing in her that shows through? or, because she's a little like her old dad McMurray?? 

With Tina needing to recover from her cold/flu, Michelle and I ventured to Edinburgh for a day. It began with a windy and wet 10 minute walk to the Paisley Gilmore Street train station, taking a 12 minute train to Glasgow Central Station, taking a little electric transfer bus a few blocks to Glasgow Queen Street Station, then taking a one hour train to Edinburgh Waverley Station.

Did I mention we had a wee bit of weather on Wednesday?? While Paisley had winds and rain, other parts just north such as the highlands, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness - had high winds, snow, rain, flooding - this caused havoc with trains being canceled and leaving many Christmas travellers stranded. Many were switching to any available buses. This was the scene at Waverley Station, Edinburgh.

Edinburgh - Capital of Scotland

Our final goal for the day was to make our 2:30pm entry for touring through Edinburgh Castle. The volcanic hilltop once housed a  settlement dating back to at least between 972 and 830 B.C. and named Din Eidyn. 

Today, Edinburgh is an exciting city with a metro population of 910,000 or so. Located on the east end of Scotland's Central Belt, it has been Scotland's capital since the 15th century. It has also long been a centre of education, The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582, one of 3 uni's in the city, is considered one of the best research institutions in the world. Edinburgh is also host to the largest 'fringe' festival in the world. With all that goes on in Edinburgh, it is the UK's second-most visited tourist destination.

Before making it up the Royal Mile to the castle, we wandered quickly through the Christmas Market, then through the adjacent Scotland National Gallery. We felt right away that this is an impressive city.

Compared to Paisley the rain was light and winds calm. The Christmas Market, open until January 6th, was amazing. We came back through in the evening and it was packed with holiday shoppers. It would have been very easy to have left a lot of cash with the artisans and vendors in this market.

One short-cut to the Royal Mile from where the market was located, was up some very narrow stairs. Just breathe, go your own pace, and eventually you'll get there - I told myself as I huffed and puffed to keep up with Michelle.

The Royal Mile runs through the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town and connects Edinburgh Castle with the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

We had 90 minutes before our Castle entry time so we had lunch at the Ensign Ewart, the current venue being named after Charles Ewart, a Scottish soldier of the Scots Greys, famous for capturing the regimental eagle of the French opponents at the Battle of Waterloo. This establishment is noted for being a whisky bar, but we instead had an amazing soup and sandwich - no whisky, honest. There has been a pub on the site since 1680.

We then explored places like The Witchery inn and restaurant - adjacent to the castle - you'll pay 500 British Pounds/night and more to stay here, and there is an equally opulent restaurant there too.

This is the view from the Castle property down the Mile towards Holyrood House Palace.

 

On the Mile there must have been 20+ tartan shops. Lambs wool or cashmere scarves too. We enjoyed walking through the largest store but resisted parting with our cash.

Harry Potter, and Edinburgh

J. K. Rowling is not Scottish, however she moved there in 1993 and where she said, "...Edinburgh is very much home for me and is the place where Harry evolved over seven books and many, many hours of writing in its cafes." 

The most famous of the Harry Potter related attractions in Edinburgh is a coffee shop called The Elephant House. Rowling spent time writing there, the second and third books. 

 

The Museum Context: Retailer of Harry Potter Merchandise on Victoria Street was somewhere Michelle had to go. When we first arrived there was a lengthy queue so we just took a quick photo and left. Later, after dinner, Michelle went back and got herself a souvenir scarf. There are walking tours for Harry Potter fans that begin here and that visits many of the significant Potter locations.

A sample of some of the items displayed in the shop.

Grey Friars Kirkyard is a cemetary that is thought to have been an inspiration to J.K. Rowling for some of the character names for her books - one example is 'Thomas Riddell's' marker, the inspiration for the character, Tom Riddle, a.k.a. Lord Voldemort. Also, the grave marker for 'William McGonagall', the inspiration for Professor Minerva McGonagall.

Edinburgh lights up at night, including the monuments and historic buildings.

We absolutely loved Edinburgh and will be back again.

A crowd gathered for this young piper on the Mile. There is nothing like that sound - a sound that resonates right through me and says, 'I'm home'.

Edinburgh Castle

Existing structures of the fortifications have changed over the centuries, to meet the changing needs of royalty. The castle has been mostly a secure place where royalty could reside safely, and where national treasures could be stored.

The oldest structure of the stronghold is a small, private chapel built around 1130 by King David I, which he dedicated to his mother, Queen Margaret, later St. Margaret, (my 24th great grandmother), who died tragically in 1093. Besides being the oldest structure of the castle, St Margaret's Chapel is the oldest building in Edinburgh. 

There are more than 25 different structures that make up the castle, including a war museum, barracks, chapel, Royal Palace, royal apartments, the Scottish National War Memorial, Governor's House, and others.

The Great Hall was pretty great. It was completed in 1512 to serve as the chief place of royal ceremony in the castle. It was built for James IV, who was killed at Flodden a year later.

Scientific analysis has shown that the oak timbers in the medieval hammerbeam roof were felled in Norway around 1510, and then shipped to Edinburgh. 

The castle receives 1.4 million visitors a year, from all over the world. That is second only to the Tower of London. We can see why.

One of the hi-lites of the castle was being able to view the 'honours of Scotland' - the Crown, Sceptre, and Sword of State, the oldest crown jewels in the British Isles. They were created in Scotland and Italy during the reign of James IV and V, first used together for the coronation of Mary Queen of Scots in September 1543. Between 1651 and 1660 they lay buried to preserve them from the clutches of Oliver Cromwell. After the 1707 Treaty of Union they were locked away in the Crown Room and forgotten. In 1818 Walter Scott, by royal approval, had the room broken into. They forced the oak chest open and found them lying exactly as they had been left 111 years earlier.

The Stone of Destiny: For centuries, early kings of the Picts and Scots were inaugurated at the royal centre at Scone, near Perth. The Stone is a block of local sandstone, believed to have been part of a royal bench-throne on which the new king was lifted by leading nobles. In 1296 Edward I of England forcibly removed the Scots' royal regalia and relics, including 65 chests of records of the kingdom - and including the Stone. Edward had the stone sent to Westminster Abbey where it was enclosed in a Coronation Chair upon which the coronation ceremonies of most monarchs of England, and from 1714, all the rulers of Great Britain took place.

The Stone was returned to Scotland on the 700th anniversary of its removal, and now rests again in Scotland. An agreement is in place so that it will only leave Edinburgh Castle when there is a coronation in Westminster Abbey.

The castle is home to the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, staged for three weeks each August, coinciding with the Edinburgh International Festival. It's one of the world's greatest spectacles with annual audiences on the esplanade of 220,000. Summer concerts are also held there.

Why is Edinburgh Castle so important and beloved? Simply, it is an icon of Scotland's heritage, a powerful symbol of Scottish nationhood, as much now as in ancient times.

The Highlands - Fort William, Glencoe, Glenfinnan

With a visitor in town, we booked a one day coach tour. In the days preceding our booked tour, we in Scotland experienced severe damaging winds, and heavy rain and flooding - in the Highlands, large amounts of snowfall. We literally didn't know that the tour well into the highlands would not be canceled until we awoke at 6:00am on Wednesday morning and arrived at the meeting place in Glasgow at 7:15am. We were 'go' for the tour. I think you'll understand by viewing the photos, how ecstatic we were with the day that God gave us. It was an unbelievable experience that we'll never forget. Scotland is in us, forever.

Loch Lomond at sunrise, with hardly a ripple on the water (other than a large fish surfacing to feed as we walked up)... 

Loch Lomond is part of the Trossachs National Park, Scotland's first national park formed in 2002. It is 39 km's long, and is the largest lake by surface area in Great Britain and second only to Loch Ness in volume.

The Highlands version of 'Three Sisters' - familiar to Albertans who have our own near Canmore, Alberta. 

One of the most photographed locations....in an area generally referred to as Glen Coe. This valley of volcanic origins lies in the north of the county of Argyll in the Highlands of Scotland. The village of Glencoe is the scene of a tragedy, a massacre occurred near here in 1692. 38 members of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by forces acting on behalf of the government of King William III. Some treachery and deceit was involved. The glen (valley) is sometimes referred to as 'The Weeping Glen' in reference to this incident. 

The main destination of our coach tour brought us to Glenfinnan and the Glenfinnan Viaduct, a railway viaduct made famous in four of the Harry Potter movies, but other movies as well. It is in the West Scottish Highlands overlooking the waters of Loch Shiel. 

Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument, one of the internationally recognized icons of the Scottish Highlands. Aside from being a beautiful monument, it functions as a symbol of the Jacobite Rising of 1745, an attempt to restore the Stuarts to the British throne in place of the reigning Hanoverian monarchy. The Rising, led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart - Bonnie Prince Charlie - began at Glenfinnan with he raising his Standard. It ended in failure a year later and led to imposition of measures by the British government to suppress further rebellions by the Highland clans. Some of these measures included: outlawing Highland dress, tartan, bagpipe playing, and other clan traditions.  Loch Shiel was used in the Potter series as the Black Lake, which is the lake overlooked by Hogwarts Castle.

Oh, how I wanted to have my fly rod and hip waders at that moment we came to this River Coe location. A bit of heaven right here.

The Day After Our Highlands Touring

We woke up to snow in Paisley, and that means that up in the Highlands, heavy snowfall was happening. Our one day tour, therefore, was on the most amazing day of Michelle's time here with us. (The snow on the ground here was gone by noon or so, thank goodness.)

Glasgow, Another Beautiful City of Scotland

When one comes to Glasgow it is evident immediately why it's famed for its Victorian and art nouveau architecture. It's a national cultural hub, home to the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, National Theatre of Scotland, and acclaimed museums.

Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland, with 1.1 million in its metro area. It was the European Capital of Culture in 1990. The Commonwealth Games were hosted there in 2014.

Glasgow's Winterfest was fun to see. Fair rides, market, and lots of people-watching made it fun. 

The St Enoch Shopping Centre right in the heart of Glasgow was a surprising find. Shops, movie theatres, huge food court, and this large deer. We witnessed two exciting moments here - a group of teenagers came to this spot and thought it cute to remove one of the large decorative balls from the deer and toss it over the railing... security came and was on their trail shortly after. Then, on our way out of the building EMT's were attending to a man who had fallen down the stairs - they'd put him in a neck brace and onto a backboard and were planning on how to move him to the ambulance.

I don't think we've ever been in a city with more shopping opportunities. Hang onto your wallets and purses when you come to Glasgow!

We found a great place to have a beautiful farewell meal with Michelle, the Mini Grille. We decided it was time to try some real Scottish food, so we ordered a starter of haggis prepared three different ways - and we all thought it was delicious. And Michelle tried a scallop and liked it. It was like butter...so good!

Tonight, as you join with your friends and sing together, 'Auld Lang Syne', remember that it was Robbie (Rabbie) Burns, the national poet of Scotland, who penned the words. He was born in Alloway, Ayrshire 45 minutes from our home here. On our dinner menu was another bit of his prose, 'The Selkirk Grace', which is usually said as grace prior to a Burns supper:

Some hae meat

   and canna eat,

And some wad eat

   that wants it;

But we hae meat,

   and we can eat,

Sae let the 

   Lord be thankit. 

We are grateful for a wonderful year, 2023, spent in Ireland and Scotland. We've made so many wonderful friends and been blessed in many ways during our mission, too many to count. Faith, family, and friends account for most of the most important blessings in our lives. May your 2024 be a blessed year for you and yours.

HAPPY HOGMANAY/HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Elder Eric & Sister Tina McMurray

Member & Leader Support Missionaries

Scotland-Ireland Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

www.churchofjesuschrist.org