Birthday on John Muir Way

I have had a wonderful birthday today in Scotland. I started the day with a Full Scottish breakfast complete with Haggis and black pudding.

Today we had a  25km day ending at the Champany Inn at  Linlithgow.  We walked through a  park where there was a Park Run in progress, so we were amongst runners and dogs of all ages and shapes and sizes.

We came across Callendar House, a mansion that dates back to the 14th century.  Through wars, rebellions and the industrial revolution, Callendar House has played host to many great historical figures over the centuries, including Mary, Queen of Scots, Cromwell and Bonnie Prince Charlie.

The mansion was used in the second series of  Outlander.

It was free entry, so  I finally was able to see an impressive historic building that wasn’t just a pile of rocks up on top of a  steep hill.

We spent an hour wandering around the rooms. The long history of the site was well documented.  There was  information about the Antonine Wall and the Roman period in Scotland. We had been following a long stretch of the Antonine Wall, which dates back to the Roman times. There were forts strategically placed along the wall, just visable now as mounds of grass or plaques about them.  Definitely not as interesting as that real live Callendar House.

The path today was quite varied and pretty.

The day got better as we arrived in Linlithgow. There was an Aldi store, which we both enjoy a wander around, finding bargains.  I bought myself a birthday treat of tube of moisturizer as my legs were getting scales on them.
So for a grand total of  £6.50 I had a present, a salad and cheese for my dinner, and a bottle of South African wine to celebrate my birthday.

Then, to top off the day, we came across the Linithow Palace whuch was  under reconstruction.  Kay shouted me entry to the “pleasure palace” that was used as a stopover for royals traveling between Edinburgh and Stirling castles. It was the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots in 1542 and James 1, born 1542, and Priness Elizabeth born 1596. (Not the latest Elizabeth) Obviously, there were some good midwives in the area.

It had 122 fireplaces and, even though the roof and any wooden floors and doors etc. were long gone  it was easy to imagine what the castle looked like in all her glory.

Our accommodation at the Champagny Inn was very nice, an inn that had been privately owned by the same family for over 50 years. 

I commented on the pretty flower garden out the window.  Kay came back very quickly, saying, “They are just weeds and f##n ragwort.” The move to let everything grow naturally is alive and well in Scotland too.

This was the first place we stayed at that had a top sheet and a fitted bottom sheet.