Day 24: Falkirk and Falkland

Anyone else watching Outlander?

It's been a funny old day.

If Northumberland was all about castles, this morning Scotland was all about bridges.

The new Queensferry Crossing over the Firth of Forth was being constructed immediately over my head.

Thanks to Karen McNally asking Facebook friends, I was off to Falkirk today for my must see and must do when I saw a signpost for Hopetoun House.

According to Visit Scotland it's not only Scotland's premier stately home. It's also find location for Outlanders Duke of Sandringham's home. In the series we see it like this...

In reality it looks like this, but the film company digitally removed the two wings.

Don't remember seeing the flock of black sheep in the films though.

Took photos then back on the road. National Trust Scotland has been kindly tweeting suggested places for me to visit on route so second detour was to House of Binns a 17th century lairds house near Linlithgow.

Their livestock is not penned in.

Some of their livestock is unusual...

It wasn't actually open. Should have guessed as Gloria was the only car in the carpark.

Today the former MP Sir Tam Dalyell and his wife live there, but I thought no one would mind if I went through the woods to the tower to see the wonderful panoramic views.

Eventually I reached Falkirk. She wasn't looking her best. The clock tower in the town centre was hidden by scaffolding, and it was interesting that parking on the street would have cost me £2.30 an hour, whilst in the temple to Mammon, the Howgate shopping centre, just £1.50 for three hours. Mmm...

The outskirts had big retail parks too. So, hardly surprising that the actual town centre shops are dying fast. From the entrance to the Howgate centre I saw 13 shop premises for sale signs. What are they going to do with the high street shops I wonder?

Not impressed.

However my real reason for coming to Falkirk was to see two fabulous engineering projects. Both creative.

First the Kelpies in Helix Park.

They are 30 metres high  and are standing right next to the Forth and Clyde canal. Created by Andy Scott, They are possibly the largest horse sculptures in the world and cost £5 million to build.

Wish I could have stayed on to see them lit up at night.

The second one was a world first on the Forth, Clyde and Union Canal. When I think of wheels I think of round things like car or bike wheels, or even The London or Brighton Eye, but in Falkirk they have literally reinvented the wheel.

It is a canal boat lift that rotates taking a boat up from the Forth and Clyde canal and depositing it on the Union canal. I saw one being lifted. It was astonishing. It's possibly one of the largest functional pieces of sculpture I have ever seen.

Had trouble booking my next two night Airbnb stop in Fife as everyone I contacted was not available. But forth time lucky Lorna in a place called Markinch said she could have me. Well Karen McNally and friends, how beautiful is the Kingdom of Fife!!!

The cottage I am booked into is lovely.

My host suggested that I drive a few miles down the road to look at another Scottish National Trust property, a Palace no less, in a small village called Falkland. The Palace would be shut but I could see it from the road and get supper there in one of the pubs.

Falkland was stunning. Won an award from Scotland in Bloom as well as one from Beautiful Scotland.

 

 

It was after 6pm and the locals were obviously having supper and the streets were deserted so I could walk down the road and just look.

The place looked like a stage set.

Then I saw this....

And when I got back to the cottage my host told me I had just missed the Film crew from outlander by about three weeks. And I had no idea....

My car indicators have stopped working so tomorrow first thing I need to find a garage. That will stop me in my tracks for 24 hours.