McMurray Scotland-Ireland Mission Blog

 What Is Scotland? Bagpiping Waverley Train Station Edinburgh Castle On the esplanade we took a moment to look around from its heights; and talk a bit about this open area being the site of the Edinburgh Tatoo where thousands come to watch a grand celebration of British Military, Scottish heritage and international culture - with the modern elements of lighting projections and sound technology. All of it set against the amazing backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. From the Waverley Train Station you have a choice of various small and ancient lanes with 100+ steps to make the ascent up to the Royal Mile, where most of the sites and action is in Edinburgh.  We passed by the Scotsman Picturehouse on our way up. This is one of the most amazing cinemas I've heard of. Back before Christmas our mission senior missionaries organized a night viewing a movie there. We didn't make it, but when we walked past, I remembered. The interior of the theatre. Cozy, but luxurious. Even mid-week in Febru...

The Sun Doesn't Always Shine, But When It Does.... Our flat is shown in this photo, the Anchor Mills Apartment. We've always seen this hill across the road in Saucelhill Park but had never made the climb to see the 360 degree views of Paisley, Glasgow, and out to the Firth of Clyde. On this sunny day we were glad we did. Fountain Gardens Park was laid out in 1797 and is Paisley's oldest public park. The Grand Fountain is an ornate cast-iron fountain at the centre of the park which contains statues of herons, dolphins and walruses. The town of Renfrew is just a few miles from us. We knew that Renfrew was linked to Scotland's former royal house, and was known as 'Cradle of the Royal Stewarts'. It gained its royal burgh status in 1397. In 1164 Renfrew was the site of the Battle of Renfrew, a decisive victory for the Scottish crown over Somerled, Lord of the Isles. The heir to the British throne holds the title, Baron Renfrew and Lord of the Isles.  Engineering and ...