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This past weekend, I was taken to several places in and around Fife.
Friday night, I was a guest at a private gentleman's club in Edinburgh. It was a fundraiser for Combat Stress. We got to sit at the same table as the Chairman of the Club and his family. Two different Scottish magazines thought Stuart and I were colourful and asked permission to take pictures of us!
Saturday, we first went out to Balgonie Castle to see Laird and Lady Balgonie and feed the birds. The Balgonie's are such warm and lovely people! I feel right at home in the Castle. They were getting ready for a dog show. Everyone I met were very nice. We then went to the Clan Wood Reception, ruins and church where we met another writer, Ian Dewar. Mr Dewar was asking me of my ancestry and I mentioned Col. Ben Wilson of WV. He pointed to Stuart and said, 'you must take Kelly to Pitfirrane House.' Mr Dewar said there was a family connection. We went there and walked through the park and went to Pittencrieff House. This is also another American connection through the Grahams, Forbes and Pitts! We went back to Balgonie in the evening for a Scottish Tea with his parents.
Sunday, we went Dunfermline. Stuart only told me about Robert the Bruce being buried there, I had not done my history homework to find out many Scottish Kings, Queens and nobles were born and buried there. We walked through the Abbey court yard when we came up to St Margaret's tomb. I seen who it was, and tears began falling. I tried to hide them and pretend it was the strong wind which was blowing... We came to the doors of the old abbey, St Margaret's abbey. I got about 10 feet in the doors and burst out in tears. I tried to hide from Stuart behind a big pillar but he found me. All I could say, 'I am the first of my family to return since they went to America.' Stuart hugged me tight and let me cry. I cannot explain what happened. I was completely over-whelmed. After I got past the crying spell, we went into the new abbey for Church Service. We spent the most of the day in Dunfermline. On the way back to the hotel, Stuart stopped at Culross. We looked at the Palace and on up to the Abbey where another one of my ancestors, Sir John Stewart of Innermeath and his wife's effigies are at. We then carried on to King Alexander III marker where his horse and him went off the cliff and Ravenscriag Castle. We grabbed fish and chips and ate at the park.
Monday, the wind storm came in and Stuart got me to the train station before the trains from Fife was stopped.
These four wonderful days in Scotland proved, most Scots are very kind and well mannered. I love their humour! I laughed and cried! I wasn't made fun of for being a Stewart or a MacNeal, I was understood and hugged!
I was finally home!
Friday night, I was a guest at a private gentleman's club in Edinburgh. It was a fundraiser for Combat Stress. We got to sit at the same table as the Chairman of the Club and his family. Two different Scottish magazines thought Stuart and I were colourful and asked permission to take pictures of us!
Saturday, we first went out to Balgonie Castle to see Laird and Lady Balgonie and feed the birds. The Balgonie's are such warm and lovely people! I feel right at home in the Castle. They were getting ready for a dog show. Everyone I met were very nice. We then went to the Clan Wood Reception, ruins and church where we met another writer, Ian Dewar. Mr Dewar was asking me of my ancestry and I mentioned Col. Ben Wilson of WV. He pointed to Stuart and said, 'you must take Kelly to Pitfirrane House.' Mr Dewar said there was a family connection. We went there and walked through the park and went to Pittencrieff House. This is also another American connection through the Grahams, Forbes and Pitts! We went back to Balgonie in the evening for a Scottish Tea with his parents.
Sunday, we went Dunfermline. Stuart only told me about Robert the Bruce being buried there, I had not done my history homework to find out many Scottish Kings, Queens and nobles were born and buried there. We walked through the Abbey court yard when we came up to St Margaret's tomb. I seen who it was, and tears began falling. I tried to hide them and pretend it was the strong wind which was blowing... We came to the doors of the old abbey, St Margaret's abbey. I got about 10 feet in the doors and burst out in tears. I tried to hide from Stuart behind a big pillar but he found me. All I could say, 'I am the first of my family to return since they went to America.' Stuart hugged me tight and let me cry. I cannot explain what happened. I was completely over-whelmed. After I got past the crying spell, we went into the new abbey for Church Service. We spent the most of the day in Dunfermline. On the way back to the hotel, Stuart stopped at Culross. We looked at the Palace and on up to the Abbey where another one of my ancestors, Sir John Stewart of Innermeath and his wife's effigies are at. We then carried on to King Alexander III marker where his horse and him went off the cliff and Ravenscriag Castle. We grabbed fish and chips and ate at the park.
Monday, the wind storm came in and Stuart got me to the train station before the trains from Fife was stopped.
These four wonderful days in Scotland proved, most Scots are very kind and well mannered. I love their humour! I laughed and cried! I wasn't made fun of for being a Stewart or a MacNeal, I was understood and hugged!
I was finally home!
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