Here are some photos from an extracurricular trip on Saturday. Kinneil House is only open a few days a year to visitors, but the grounds are open all year round. In the 1930s, when this house was being torn down, they found Renaissance murals. This discovery saved the house from destruction! It is still a partial ruin, but a very compelling place. On the grounds are remnants of a medieval church and a Roman fortlet (I believe that means "mini-fort".) It looks sunny, but there had been a 10-minute squall that soaked everything.
After the house was a short drive to Blackness Castle. This is a very military building that was used up until the late-19th century. It is very Romantic in a Scottish-seaside-blustery sort of way. By the way, the coastline in this part of Scotland reminds me of those on the Puget Sound--well, perhaps a wee bit more rugged.
Today is a dreary, rainy day. I learned yesterday that the Scottish have about a dozen words for rain. I think I will try to track them all down. The one I learned yesterday was "shmer". Okay, I don't know if that is the correct spelling, but that is how it sounds. "Shmer" is that sort of misty rain that comes down and coats everything in wet without really forming raindrops.
Seriously, fortlet's a real word?
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's what it was called. I wonder if the Romans called it a "mini-fort" or "fort-lite". Heehee.
ReplyDelete