Yorkshire

We drove through Yorkshire on our return from Edinburgh.

We stopped at Holy Island. Twice per day, for five hours each time, the ocean covers the only road. We made it on to the island, but this is as close as we got to Lindisfarne Castle, as the tide was coming in even as we arrived.


We passed Bamburgh Castle as we headed down the coast.


Here is Joseph at Alnwick Castle, where we spent the afternoon. This castle was used as the set for Hogwartz.

The courtyard at Alnwick Castle has a statue of a knight.


In Alnwick Castle is an area where visitors can dress in royal garb, joust on a moving platform, go through a mirror maze, and do about 10 other activities.

Here the kids are a Hogwartz... I mean, Alnwick Csatle.

Parts of the interior on display are spectacular, but photography was prohibited in those areas. So, this is one of the few photos I was able to take inside the castle.


A walkway leads along the castle wall.



Our next destination was York. The cathedral in York is immense and beautiful, but difficult to capture in a photograph because of its size.

Edinburgh

In April, we took a trip to Edinburgh. The old part of the city is rugged and beautiful, with an angular skyline of Gothic churches and mighty castles overlooking the valley. The sound of bagpipes greeted us as we stepped into the city.








A woman demonstrated the Scottish art of spinning wool.



The Royal Mile, the main street in Edinburgh, stretches up to Edinburgh Castle. Here is Joseph with the Tollbooth Kirk behind, and the Outlook Tower to the left.


The kids enjoyed seeing the mirrors outside of the optical illusion museum.



Here are Mandy and Jenny at Edinburgh Castle.



Joseph loved the cannons in the castle.





We had dinner where JK Rowling wrote much of The Sorcerer's Stone. Since she wrote the book, Nicholson's Cafe has become a Chinese restaurant.


Scotland is picturesque, with its ruins, crags, lakes and swans.


We spent a morning at Roslyn Chapel. When we arrived, it was snowing.

Roslyn Chapel is as beautiful from the outside as the inside. Stairs lead to a walkway along the perimeter of the chapel. We attended a service, and afterward chatted with several members of the congregation. The priest was a pathologist, so had something in common with Joseph. I wish I could have taken photos inside the chapel, as it was very beautiful.

Roslyn Castle is a ruin. Here it is, seen from Roslyn Chapel.