Yeah right! We have had heavily overcast weather almost every day this week and rain on five days out of seven. Luckily we were prepared and used those two fine days well.
Monday was another rest day and the weather was rubbish anyway. For some reason we were both just feeling sleepy and in need of some time not out running about.
The first ‘dry’ day was Tuesday and we went in to Glasgow central for a look around. Wednesday was a nice fine day and even the clouds cleared, it was just like an early summer’s day. This was the day we went to see Stirling, Killearn, Glengoyne Distillery and a quick stop for the view at Loch Lomond. The Loch Lomond part was not planned but the guy at the Glengoyne Distillery did such a sales pitch on a particular vista point, even drew us a map, that we felt it would be very rude not to pay a visit. I mean you have to respect local customs and practices, don’t you?
On Thursday we went in to Glasgow again specifically to see the Tall Ship, Glenlee. This is part of the exhibition at the Riverside Museum, a very well put together and very modern museum of transport. Unfortunately the weather was absolute rubbish so we were back home for lunch.
It was only raining lightly on Friday morning and our plan was to go to Pollock House. It was full of Spanish art and we got a private little tour and commentary with one of the staff – he took us into an area that was closing off for a wedding and let us see the El Greco painting called ‘Lady With A Fur Wrap’. He explained lots of things to us and was very interesting. Obviously we did not view the gardens!
The outdoors didn’t look very inviting on Saturday and besides today was the Grand Depart of the Tour de France. That soaked up most of the afternoon and then we watched the coverage of Djokovic as he demolished Chardy at Wimbledon.
Some rain again on Sunday but we went off to try and see Paisley Abbey, the Paisley Snail and the Weaver’s Cottage in Kilbarchan – all within 30 minutes of where we are currently staying.
Downtown Glasgow is very attractive with large interconnected pedestrian precincts like this one, Buchanan Street.
A row of late 19th century tenement houses at 145 Buccleuch Street. The Scottish National Trust has a preserved three room and kitchen unit in this building that has been kept as it was when it was lived in for 54 years by a Miss Agnes Toward. It was a very interesting story… http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Tenement-House/Learn/
An example of a well preserved building in Glasgow.
Glasgow Cathedral is undergoing a refurbishment. I guess decided of industrial pollution has taken a toll.
Glasgow Cathedral is allegedly located where the patron saint of Glasgow, Saint Mungo, built his church. The tomb of the saint is in the lower crypt. Built before the Reformation from the late 12th century onwards and serving as the seat of the Bishop and later the Archbishop of Glasgow, the building is a superb example of Scottish Gothic architecture. It is also one of the few Scottish medieval churches (and the only medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland) to have survived the Reformation not unroofed. We read at the cathedral that it was subdivided into three spaces for the use of different protestant congregations and this saved it from damage.
Near the cathedral is the Glasgow Necropolis.
The approach across ‘The Bridge of Sighs’ to the Glasgow Necropolis. It reportedly has 50,000 burked in 3,500 tombs. Some of the tombs are more like small houses.
Like this colonnaded example.
Glasgow Cathedral seen from the top of the Necropolis hill.
A streetscape not far from the centre of Glasgow.
According to the sign it is Glasgow’s oldest Public House, built circa 1515.
Tolbooth Steeple marks the centre of the old city of Glasgow.
Another Glasgow streetscape.
Stirling Castle on the hilltop.
The public library building, donated by Andrew Carnegie, sits opposite the Town Hall and beside the Corn Exchange.
The Stirling Corn Exchange.
Looking from the highest point in the cemetery to Ben Lomond on the horizon.
Stirling Castle on the hilltop as seen from the cemetery.
View to the east from Stirling Castle across rooftops.
Our host at the B&B in Portnahaven was 9th generation from Killearn so when it was near where we were going anyway we decided to call in. It was a very cute village.
They had also told us about the Glengoyne Distillery. We stopped and I had a wee sample which was delicious, quite similar to Macallan for those who are familiar.
This viewing point over Loch Lomond was mapped out for us on a paper bag by the guy at the Glengoyne Distillery. It was a beautiful spot for a visit and although parking was some distance away, it was worth it.
Loch Lomond vista.
The weather was not very nice so something indoors was called for. Here is what the website says… “The Clyde Maritime Trust owns the barque Glenlee, the principal exhibit at The Tall Ship at Riverside. Of the many hundreds of ships built in Glasgow’s shipyards, the Glenlee is one of only five Clyde built ships still afloat in the world today and she is the only one of her kind in the UK. The Glenlee was built at the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow and was one of a group of 10 steel sailing vessels built to a standard design for the Glasgow shipping firm of Archibald Sterling and Co. Ltd. She is a three masted barque, with length 245 feet, beam 37.5 feet and depth 22.5 feet. The Glenlee first took to the water as a bulk cargo carrier in 1896. She circumnavigated the globe four times and survived (though not without incident!) passing through the fearsome storms of Cape Horn 15 times before being bought by the Spanish navy in 1922 and being turned into a sail training vessel. The ship was modified and served in that role until 1969. She then operated as a training school until 1981 when she was laid up in Seville Harbour and largely forgotten. A British naval architect saw her in Seville in 1990 and two years later, the Clyde Maritime Trust succeeded in buying the re-named Galatea at auction for 5 million Pesetas (£40,000) and saved her from dereliction.” http://www.thetallship.com/index.aspx
Charlie has decided that Leanne is his new best friend. He will flutter down from his perch in the hall, walk into the lounge (he can’t fly – he plucks most of his feathers for some reason), clambers on to her lap and ‘demands’ to have his head rubbed! I can carry him around and a day after this photo he allowed me to rub his head as well. If only he would leave his feathers alone!
Guests were just arriving for a wedding on this rainy afternoon as we left Pollok House. It is home to a large collection of Spanish paintings and of special note is ‘Lady In A Fur Wrap’ by El Greco. http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/lady-in-a-fur-wrap-86230
According to the Paisley Abbey website… was founded when Walter Fitzalan, the High Steward of Scotland, signed a charter at Fotheringay for the founding of a Cluniac monastery on land he owned in Renfrewshire, approximately seven miles from Glasgow. Thirteen monks came from Much Wenlock in Shropshire to set up the priory on the site of an old Celtic church founded by St. Mirin in the 6th century. In 1245, the priory was raised to the status of an Abbey, answerable only to the Pope in Rome.
To the legal profession Paisley is known for ‘the precedent of negligence based on the neighbour principle’ due to the Paisley Snail case. It is outlined on this memorial plaque.
The reverse of the plaque has further elaboration. Coats Memorial Church is in the background.
Coats Memorial Church was founded in the 1890s. It was a church business day when we were here so we did not go inside.
Here’s an opportunity, unexpectedly back on the market.
The Weaver’s Cottage was built in 1723 but the roof is a more recent vintage having been constructed completely over the old one. Details of the original sod roof can be seen inside.
The Weaver’s Cottage at Kilbarchan is a Scottish National Trust property and an interesting stop on a wet Sunday afternoon. This lady had recently finished weaving a tartan she had specially designed to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn next year. Here she is in the process of hand tying the 1552 individual thread ends to those of the next masterpiece she will weave, hence she is sitting ‘in’ the loom.
The completed Battle of Bannockburn tartan, all eight yards of it with its official certificate.
I am afraid that the weather forecast for the next week is for 80% chance of rain every day except Friday. It might be a quiet week. We will see.
![View towards to entrance. It is thought that this tomb was in use for as long as 1,000 years and at the end of this period the passage and chamber were filled to the roof by the Beaker people with earth and stones, among which were found pieces of Grooved ware, Peterborough ware and Beaker pottery,[1] charcoal, bone tools, and beads.](https://bikernz.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/west-kennet-long-barrow_2013-05-17_16-51-35_1e4a5350_c2a9briankarl2013.jpg)
Mid-Life OE 