27 August 2015 - Doune Castle

This year we decided to visit some new places while we're on tour, thus a trip to Doune Castle near Stirling. What a great decision! This is a lovely castle.

Just inside the gatehouse is a small ticket office on the right. Here you can buy, errm, tickets, pick up the free audio tour, and also buy coconuts to clip-clop against each other.

Coconuts? Huh? I should explain that many scenes from Monty Python's Holy Grail film were shot at Doune Castle. We had to find as many of them as possible, and you can see our efforts here: Sam & Dad vs Monty Python

On one of the tiny window ledges we found this cute lil chap, any idea what kind of bird it is?

The fireplace in the kitchen is enormous, over 5 metres wide. It's easy to picture dozens of servants bustling around preparing banquets for the Great Hall.

The chimney from the kitchen fireplace is half scary, half awesome....that's daylight many metres above.

The scores on the kitchen walls show where the knives were sharpened.

The Great Hall is towering and very hierarchical. Raised stone "kerbs" mark different areas for different activities and different classes of guests.

A huge metal basket in the middle of the hall held glowing coals which were enough to heat the whole space.

Sam in the courtyard, banging his coconuts!

Rear aspect of Doune Castle.

Fo some reason the lord of the castle never developed the castle to its full, intended extent.

Grain store, and in the distance, wine cellar, under the main living quarters.

"Fetchez le coq!" attempt one.

"Fetchez le coq!" attempt two.

"Fetchez le coq!" attempt three.

"Fetchez le coq!" attempt four.

27 August 2015 - Sam & Dad vs Monty Python's Holy Grail

In case you didn't know, Monty Python's Holy Grail was partly filmed at Doune Castle, near Stirling. So off we went! There's a "serious" bit about our visit Doune Castle but first up we re-visited some of the locations that you may recognise. Click on the pictures to enlarge!

"Or I will taunt you a second time!"

"One day son all this will be yours...."

The wedding at Swamp Castle.

Castle Anthrax.

"Fetchez la vache!" Or in our case "Fetchez le coq!"

The knights approach the French castle.

"We eat ham and jam and spam a lot!"

27 August 2015 - Wallace Monument, Stirling

We'd seen it many times from afar, and today we bit the bullet and visited the Wallace Monument, Scotland's archaelogical tribute to their greatest hero, William Wallace. Think Braveheart.

This is another attraction not for the faint-hearted - there's a half mile, slippery, muddy, vertiginous hike from the Visitor Centre to the base of the monument. Take it nice and slow and it's rather enjoyable though. Above the entrance to the tower is a huge statue of the man himself.

There are 246 steps to the top, almost all of which are up a very narrow bore "spiral" staircase (although helical is the geometrically correct name). This is split up conveniently by three halls, each illustrating some part of the WW story, or of the history of both his time and others of Scottish importance.

Here's Sam standing beside an illustration of Wallace's fearsome broadsword. What a whopper!

And here is Wallace's massive chopper "in person".

Of course, Scottish people can't get one over on the English. Wallace was killed. He deserved it.

The views from the "crown" at the top of the monument are breath-taking - literally so when it's blowing a hoolie as it was when we visited. See the river behind us showing an imaginary letter S? In the top part of the letter is where the Battle of Stirling Bridge took place in 1297.

The Visitor Centre looks quite tiny from above. We can see our car from here!

The light colour building on top of that hill is the fabulous Stirling Castle. Visit Stirling - both the Monument and the Castle are well worth a look.

25 August 2015 - Putting at St Andrews

If it's Tuesday this must be St Andrews right? The adventures continue as we rolled into the pretty Tayside town to renew old rivalries.

We were here for the challenge of eighteen holes of man to man combat. But first a contractual tourist photo. Ladies and gentlemen - Subway!

The weather was roasting hot, which is highly unusual and a bit disturbing. Where's the drizzle? The heat sent us for ice cream and Luvian's was on hand.

What a choice on display! £2.80 for a double cone proved great vfm. Sam went for one half chocolate and one half Nutella, and he said it was delicious.

I chose salted caramel and an Irn Bru sorbet. OMFG fantastic flavours. How do they make an ice dessert taste like fizzy pop?

As we headed towards the course we happened upon this street.....Murray the Miserable Cock was delighted. Well, as delighted as a miserable cock can be.

Posh place for a cock to hang out....

Chickens may not be able to fly, but miserable cocks certainly can! Fly Murray, fly!

We took a perch near the Old Course clubhouse and watched the golfers finish their rounds and the comings and goings. Spent an hour there before....

....starting our round at The Himalayas putting course. It's an appropriate name. For more details check our last report from here: 2013 at the Himalayas

This place is probably the closest you'll get to playing up the eighteenth without actually paying £250+ for a round.

The heat of mortal combat was interrupted for a St Andrews double selfie.

The first green of the Old Course is right beside The Himalayas. There are occasionally distant cries of "FOOOOORE RIGHT", and those in the know turn away and duck....

The green-keeper at St Andrews' Ladies Putting Club keeps the course in immaculate condition, like a bikini model's runway. He also changes the course regularly, and there is always one hole that crosses the path.

It was a good contest. Dad won.