29th & 30th July

Friday got off to a bad start. I was woken about five times by one of the cats, the final wake-up call gifting me with a dead shrew. As a result I slept in, missed the bus, and rushed off to Linlithgow, eating a few bananas on the way.
Once in Linlithgow, I devoted the next couple of hours to exploring Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots. For those familiar with my Outlander obsession, it’s also the location where Black Jack Randall broke Jamie’s spirit. The dark, dungeon like room you see is where this happened, and due to my poor photography, the image used belongs to my equally-obsessed friend Annika.

The castle isn’t quite as ornate as some, but it’s size is deceptive. What looks like a simple square building, is in fact home to a labyrinth of corridors, winding stairs, and several levels of rooms and balconies. Known as the Pleasure Palace, it was a popular retreat for royalty. In another instance of uncanny timing, I arrived just as another walking tour was about to take place. The tour guides were children! Two boys, dressed in medieval clothes and known as “Lords”, walked us around the palace. They had very well-rehearsed information and anecdotes, and I thought it was wonderful that they were volunteering their time during the Summer break.

Things I learned at the palace were intriguing! The wine cellar was built from local tombstones, stolen from a nearby cemetery. The dry moat surrounding the palace was filled with all sorts of waste, and the Royal inhabitants would move on to a different castle, whilst the current (smelly!) one was being cleaned. The water being likely

polluted, most residents at the castle relied on ale as the primary drink. It would take up to three hours to meet the King, who liked to play marbles, or a similar game.

Other than the Outlander connection, two things were most impressive at Linlithgow Palace. The first was the recreation carvings on the front gate. These were designed to show the international status of James V, and were gifted from England, France and Rome.
The second feature was the fountain, known as the wedding cake fountain.
The fountain is a gothic style piece of work, also commissioned by James V in 1537. It’s notably huge – almost five metres high! Due to erosion, the fountain was restored over a five year period, from 2000. The carvings are quite ornate, including mermaids, lions, unicorns and of course, a royal crown. The lion is a symbol of the Scottish King, and the unicorn is the national animal of Scotland. Apparently, when Bonnie Prince Charlie visited the palace in 1745, wine replaced the water, which flowed from the top crown tier, into bowls below.

The palace was used by British troops, whilst pursuing Bonnie Prince Charlie towards Culloden. The troops left a fire burning on their departure, which sparked, and eventually burned down a large portion of the palace. Perhaps the destruction was an indication of what was to come for Scotland, after Culloden.

After a couple of hours climbing endless winding stairs, admiring the view of the lake, and inevitably getting lost in all the underground passageways, I left to explore the nearby lake. The lake was particularly beautiful on the sunny-ish day that it was, and full of giant swans. Kirsty had told me that all the swans are owned by the Queen, and as I was able to confirm, each swan has a foot tag, tracking it’s location and number. I came across a family of cygnets, and after a moment of parents and babies staring at me, they all turned to groom themselves busily, obviously unworried about my proximity.

The food hunt began when my stomach was more demanding than my need to explore. An online acquaintance had recommended a place on the main street. Vegan options they had, but bland and small. My meal came with crisps!! I did try the local tea, which incorporated heather blossoms into the blend. Apparently both heather and thistle are edible…well, drinkable at least. It tasted light and subtle.

I managed to meet up with a new friend, and we went to see a Matisse exhibition in the Bourgh Halls. It was a show of his later work, where he used paper cut outs to express himself through colour and shape. Most interesting, but a very small exhibition.
The sun still had several hours to shine, so I took myself off to Edinburgh, where I spent an hour exploring the main street. I was then met by Mirren, Faisal and Carrie, who shipped me off to dinner with some of the UK Vegan Runners Edinburgh group.
Dinner was wonderful, and I finally feel like I have some more people to call friends here. Henderson’s Vegan Restaurant was a little pricey, and the portions were smallish. The food was full of taste, and the company was excellent! Of course, I missed the last bus home, and discovered that finding a taxi in Linlithgow is a challenge, unless you have a number to call and a working phone. A big thank you to the two friendly policemen who happened to walk by, and came to my rescue.
Saturday I was determined to make the Livingston Parkrun. Despite a late night, I made the bus, and finally found accurate directions to the park. It was slow going, but am glad to have ticked another overseas parkrun off the list. The crowd at Livingston kept very much to

themselves. I had to wait for the last runners to pass before I could head back to the bus, and no one really spoke to me, nor was I able to initiate much conversation. The Wollongong crowd are so welcoming, it’s nice to know the people at home are such a good bunch. I don’t imagine I’ll make it next week, as Friday night I’ll be very busy celebrating my birthday.

I'm still job hunting, still flat share hunting. Hoping to hear some good news next week.