Of Northumberland and Scotland: Chapter 3. Durham and Scotland

DSG and P outside Durham Station with Durham Cathedral in the background

On Tuesday, P, David and I had lunch at Blackfriars (mentioned in Chapter Two), then hopped on the train down to Durham. When you disembark from England's National Rail at Durham Station, you're treated to a view that all by itself makes it worth being there. A short 10-minute walk away stands the greatest Norman building in Great Britain. Maybe anywhere. Durham Cathedral dates to 1093, and when you stand at the base of the immense columns and spires that tower into the sky, it makes no difference if you're Anglican, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Quaker or Hindu. Durham Cathedral is a majestic marvel. The highlight for me was standing behind the altar, between the church organ's twin sets of pipes, while the organist practiced for an upcoming service. The depth, power and transcendent beauty of the pipe organ's melody almost made me sob.

Looking down the hill of the Royal Mile

On Wednesday we traveled ninety minutes up the coast to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh (proper pronunciation if you want them to take you seriously: ED'nburruh).We couldn't have known when we got off the train that we were about to fall in love with the city, and the country. Edinburgh is as ancient as the rest of the area. At its heart is the Royal Mile, anchored by the fortress that sits on Castle Rock. There are castles, and then there's Edinburgh Castle. It's vastly older than its brethren to the south, having been inhabited in one form or another since the 9th century BC. It's been a royal castle for a millennium, since the reign of David the First. For modern day Scots, the relevance of Edinburgh Castle is driven home by the sight of two statues of latter-day heroes, one on either side of the main gate:

William Wallace on the right (did you see Braveheart?)

and Robert the Bruce on the left.

Edinburgh Castle

Every inch and every stone in the ancient castle complex pays tribute to the virtues of bravery, tenacity, loyalty and honor. It's a monument to bold and uncompromising Scotsmen who have survived and flourished over the centuries, despite repeated attempts to vanquish or assimilate them. It made me wish I had a clan to call my own, complete with my own tartan.

The castle has dozens of rooms and artifacts worth visiting, but a couple of them jumped out at me. The first was near the castle's peak. From one of the very top walls, you can look down about ten feet on to what appears to be a small, perfectly manicured garden. A second glance reveals small grave markers around the perimeter of the garden. It's not a garden. It's a graveyard, but no people are buried there.

Dog Cemetery

This is the Dog Cemetery, reserved for the pets and mascots of soldiers over the years. Of all the sights we encountered that  first day in Edinburgh, nothing spoke more eloquently to me of the essential Scottish character. They are a fiercely proud and passionate nation, but even in the country's most famous and important military fortress, a strategic place of honor is lovingly maintained and reserved for their faithful companions. Dogs, particularly terriers, have historically been a key part of Scottish history (West Highland Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Scottish Terriers, and Skye Terriers, not to mention Golden Retrievers and Border Collies, among others, all have Scottish roots). Edinburgh is also home to the famous Greyfriars Bobby statue. He was a Skye.

The other location I particularly liked requires no explanation.

None shall pass.

I think I could be very comfortable here...they respect me!

Next post: The Scottish Highlands, cows, and coconuts