Not so Outlandish

Culross Palace

    We take for granted switching on the light, the kettle or the coffee machine, never mind charging up the laptop. However, we're now aware that we have to find alternative methods of making the energy that is required to power our gadgets and the things that we see as essential in our everyday lives.

Firth of Forth

    Back in Elizabethan times cooking and heating in UK homes was dependent of wood. But as supplies depleted due to the timber also being used for the building of ships and houses, it was important that an alternative source of energy be found. Yes, history is repeating itself here.

    Coal was being mined in Great Britain in the 16th and 17th century, however, the techniques being employed for extraction were primitive compared to those of their European counterparts. Ultimately, production was low and resulted in many of the mines falling into disuse.

Culross Palace, Bruce's home

    One  engineer, Sir George Bruce of Carnock, saw a business opportunity and took out the lease on one such disused mine in the coastal village of Culross, West Fife. By bringing the mine up to European standards and devising a way to make a workable tunnel out under the Firth of Forth, he was able to use the seam to its full potential.

Typical cobbled street

     The small port became a hub of activity, from here vessels took the coal and salt that was panned in the area, all over the world. Bruce himself became a wealthy man and had a large house built in the village or as it had become, Royal Burgh. The distinctive red tiles on the roof of his home and other roofs throughout the village were the return cargo on the ships that came back from Holland. Unfortunately unlike his mine many of these tiles have stood the test of time and examples of these can still be seen there.

Culross Abbey and House 

      Culross's cobbled streets, Market square (Mercat Square), Palace and Abbey have made it a film maker's dream. In the TV series, Outlander, it featured as the fictional village of Cranesmuir and it also played host to cast and crew of the 1971 film Kidnapped, starring Sir Michael Caine.

The Townhouse

     This village of approximately 400 residents is so timeless it would be easy to imagine that I had travelled there by time machine rather than a car. The Townhouse, a large 17th-century building which is now utilised as a visitors centre is where I stopped to take my last picture. In its history, it has had many usages, two being a court and prison to those accused of witchcraft.

    If one of its former inmates had appeared at a window while I was clicking away, I wouldn't have found it so outlandish. Of course, they would have popped by on a broomstick, not a motorcycle as in my picture.

A Real Page Turner

River Clyde

    Surrounded by woodland and overlooking the River Clyde, is the sleepy 18th century, a former cotton spinning village of New Lanark.

    This World Heritage site receives visitors from all over the world and over the next four days it is planning to cater for those of us who are book lovers.  http://www.newlanark.org/

The Village of New Lanark

    The public will be able to go along to meet and listen to a host of featured Scottish authors, in New Lanark's first-ever book festival and will take place in the, Institution for the Formation of Character building.

   
    I went there last week and I can't think of a more picturesque setting to sit back and get to know our home-grown writers, read a book, sample Scottish food and drink. Similar to a stimulating and engaging book, New Lanark is a real page turner.   #NLBookFest

The Institution for the Formation of Character

From Cradle to Grave

Dunfermline Abbey and Palace

    This will be the last post featuring Scotland's ancient capital, Dunfermline and as you would expect from a capital of Scotland it has a palace and an abbey worthy of royalty.

Approach to the abbey and palace

 
    Dating back to the 11th century the abbey and palace has been home to our great Kings and Queens from cradle to grave.

    The nursery in the palace being the birthplace of Charles I; the abbey's nave a stately tomb to Queen Margaret, wife of King Malcolm III and their son David I.

Gatehouse and Refectory

    But, most famously King Robert Bruce minus his heart was also interred here.

Inside the nave

    Inside the nave I found the atmosphere fairly eerie, however it was a place that I wished that the walls could have come alive and tell me their story. A story like no other.

Stained Glass window inside the nave

The Beach Rose

Digging deep into the sandy soil,

They edge our coastal roads.

When summer arrives their thorny exterior,

with colour explodes.

The white and magenta rose,

Wafts a scent that brings pleasure to the nose.

Their pollen provides the insect world,

With an abundance of heavenly food.

The red hips can be used to make syrup, tea or marmalade,

Whatever takes the mood.

They flourish in the sun and enjoy the sea's salty air.

Oh my pretty beach rose you grow in wild abandonment with such flair.

Generosity Personified

Statue of Andrew Carnegie

    Dunfermline and Pittsburgh are linked in today's blog post once again. Seventy-seven years after the death of Brigadier Colonel John Forbes, featured in September 13th blog, in a modest home in Dunfermline, Andrew Carnegie was born.

View from the statue towards Dunfermline, High Street

    Carnegie famous for Pittsburgh Steel and philanthropy left Scotland with his family at the age of thirteen years. Similar to Scot's poet and author, Robert Burns, Carnegie's parent's encouraged him to read and although his schooling was somewhat limited, he gained his education through reading books.

Steps into the Glen, Pittencrief Park 

    He never forgot his roots and in 1883, Dunfermline is where the first of the approximately 2,600 libraries throughout the UK and US opened with funding from Carnegie.

Gardens of Pittencrief Park

    However, in my view one of the most generous gifts he gave to the town of his birthplace was the gift of Pittencrief Park. Having fond memories of sneaking in here to play as a child, Carnegie wanted this fantastic 76 acre estate to be a place that could be enjoyed by all.

    His purchase in 1902 meant that it was no longer under private ownership and whereas previous owners including the Forbes had restricted access, all the town's people could now take pleasure from the beauty of the site.

Gardens of Pittencrief Park

    His statue within the grounds, reminds the town's folk of his generosity and of course he can keep an eye on his old town.

Central Library, Edinburgh also funded by Carnegie

Hot off the Press

Colombian Press made circa 1860

    Charles Dicken's, The Pickwick Papers and Arthur Conan Doyle's, sequel to A Study in Scarlet were first published by magazines. I don't know as to how many of these magazines were published, but I do know that putting it into print was a labour intensive process.

    Recently I came across an exhibit in, the National Museum of Scotland, that it seems revolutionized printing in the 19th century; the iron hand press replaced wooden presses and was invented by American, George Clymer in 1813. Unfortunately George's invention wasn't received as well in the US and he moved to the UK to put it into production and the one featured was made in Edinburgh.

    If you think how far publication has come in two hundred years, I wonder what people will be saying about our digital world in two hundred years time.

The Man that put the Pitt into Pittsburgh

Pittencrief House

    Twenty-five miles from Edinburgh, is the town of Dunfermline, Fife. This ancient capital of Scotland,can be reached travelling from Edinburgh by road and rail via the Forth Bridges.  

    Over the next few weeks I'm going to feature in my blog, some fascinating people that were born or took up residence here throughout the centuries.

    It is a large town steeped in history and its historical past has a place not only in the history of Scotland, but the UK, Europe and the US.

    I made the short trip from my home this week to take photographs and familiarize myself again with the town I used to work in.

Pittencrief Park

    My journey started in Pittencrief Park, in Pittencrief House to be exact. The house built by Sir Alexander Clerk is now a museum and the surrounding estate is now parkland open to the public. But in the 18th Century this beautiful house and estate was home to Lt Colonel John Forbes, his wife Elizabeth Graham and was the birthplace of their son Brigadier General John Forbes.
 
    Now if you don't know who Brigadier General John Forbes is; he is the man that put the Pitt into Pittsburgh.

The gardens that are part of Pittencrief Park

     

    Towards the end of the Seven Year War (The French and Indian War), on the orders passed down from the British, Secretary of State, William Pitt; Forbes set off on an expedition to capture Fort Duquesne, Pennsylvania from the French. He succeeded in his mission and he renamed the fort, Fort Pitt as well as naming and establishing the now city of Pittsburgh.

The Forbes Marker

    Not bad for a boy from the Kingdom of Fife.

The Story behind the marker