The day, like the weather - rainy to beautiful...
The day we were supposed to go to Edinburgh - skipping Fringe was probably a very good thing for us given the fact that I hate crowds. Large crowds are even worse - they bring out the worst and most stupid of humanity. We had a plan to hit two castles. That plan changed slightly last night to include a museum for the boys.
They did pretty good in the morning and as we got ready to leave, everyone had their assignments and their work to do. Jess and Duncan were still at the apartment so, Neil, Malcolm and I headed down to the car. Things were still good. Neil was carrying a lot of water. We got to the parking lot and things were still good. They get in the car and it's meltdown time. Remember yesterday's disagreement - it begins again. Neil and Malcolm are fighting over who can put their arm or leg on Malcolm’s seat. After a few minutes, Jess and Duncs arrive and things get worse. The crying was completely out of control. You would have thought that someone died or they broke a major bone, but no. It was over who could put their arm or leg on that part of the seat. Neil started to say he was hungry and tired. Mind you it was like 10:50 and they had breakfast prior to leaving. I had to pull them both out of the car to calm down. Neil was standing at the front and Malcolm at the back. It took like twenty minutes total from when the meltdowns started to when we were finally able to leave. We started to question them about why they were so tired. We got two different stories about what happened in the am:
Neil: we woke up at three am. It was still dark. Malcolm told me to get up and go.
Malcolm: it was six am and it was sunny out.
Neil was talking about waking up in the middle of the night last night when I was putting him to bed. Malcolm doesn’t really notice numbers. You figure it out. They’re both napping in the car as I am typing my notes on my phone.
We had a bit of a ride to the first stop and were glad to have the boys actually take a nap. It's like 11:15. Who naps at 11:15 unless you're like three weeks old. Hailes Castle was pretty ruined but a cool spot. Sometimes the roads here are f'n crazy - like, there's no way we should be driving on this or I can't see anything around the curve thanks to those hedges or is this someone's driveway? Hailes was on one of these roads and it eventually got to a slightly more residential spot and then bam! The castle is on your left hand side.
In case you haven't noticed, I love castles. LOVE THEM. Despite the ruin, there is something about wandering around the castle, seeing what is there, imagining what was and just relaxing. Ok, so I don't really get to relax anymore, but I remember what it was like to relax in the ruins of a castle and there is nothing better. I know it's a novelty for us, but it's still awesome. If I could live near one and be able to just go in there any time I wanted, I would jump at that chance.
The work that must have gone into building them is insane and then when you walk around and see the different doors and windows that have been closed, you wonder where those passages once went. It was just me, Neil and Malcolm on this one. We walked around - down and out and close to the small stream that ran outside the castle. Back up and in. Neil had to pee - so I let him pee out one of the castle windows since no one was there, They liked that.
We got back in the car and grabbed our food to head to the National Museum of Flight. There was a lot to see here. They boys liked different things - Neil liked the movies they had with the displays, Malcolm liked the phones and Duncan liked hitting the touch screen displays with the phone.
Glad we made it out without have to pay for anything. There were hangars with military and civilian planes, an obstacle course for the kids and some other stuff that we didn't see.
In the civilian hangar they had this fire truck from Barra where the MacNeils are from. That's the closest we are going to get to it on this trip.
They also had an interactive area that tried to help explain how flight and physical forces made flight possible. I was just dreaming that this ejection seat still worked.
Crichton Castle was also awesome. When you first get there, there is a local church and a nice stroll up to the castle. At the castle itself, there is a building across from it, from the 15th century, that they believe was a very impressive stable. It was across from the entrance, so they think that was what they wanted people to see when they first arrived.
I am not sure how we missed these two when we were last here. It had an Italian facade on the inside - the owner had traveled extensively throughout Europe. I think it was probably a Spanish inspired facade since there was no plastic on anything in the house.
As we walked up into the first area of the castle, Malcolm announces that he has to shit. He wasn't that vulgar, but you get the idea. Malcolm had to shit in a place that in the parking lot clearly states that there is no bathroom. We had nothing to take care of this, so Jess walked him down and out of the castle. Jess had to choose her leaf and choose wisely. She said she got poop on her hand and couldn’t use that hand for the rest of the time we were in the castle. Some people will use any excuse.
On the way home we stopped off for some coffee and some snacks. Duncs got his own treat - where he learned that every once in a while your brothers will be really awesome to you - in this instance, they go with their mom and leave you with the bag of chips.
Drove home and had meat pies for dinner. Everyone showered. There was a bonnie sunset this evening in Balerno. The picture doesn't do it justice, there was a nice purple tint at the bottom of the horizon from where we were. We could hear a pipe band playing in the distance.
They did pretty good in the morning and as we got ready to leave, everyone had their assignments and their work to do. Jess and Duncan were still at the apartment so, Neil, Malcolm and I headed down to the car. Things were still good. Neil was carrying a lot of water. We got to the parking lot and things were still good. They get in the car and it's meltdown time. Remember yesterday's disagreement - it begins again. Neil and Malcolm are fighting over who can put their arm or leg on Malcolm’s seat. After a few minutes, Jess and Duncs arrive and things get worse. The crying was completely out of control. You would have thought that someone died or they broke a major bone, but no. It was over who could put their arm or leg on that part of the seat. Neil started to say he was hungry and tired. Mind you it was like 10:50 and they had breakfast prior to leaving. I had to pull them both out of the car to calm down. Neil was standing at the front and Malcolm at the back. It took like twenty minutes total from when the meltdowns started to when we were finally able to leave. We started to question them about why they were so tired. We got two different stories about what happened in the am:
Neil: we woke up at three am. It was still dark. Malcolm told me to get up and go.
Malcolm: it was six am and it was sunny out.
Neil was talking about waking up in the middle of the night last night when I was putting him to bed. Malcolm doesn’t really notice numbers. You figure it out. They’re both napping in the car as I am typing my notes on my phone.
We had a bit of a ride to the first stop and were glad to have the boys actually take a nap. It's like 11:15. Who naps at 11:15 unless you're like three weeks old. Hailes Castle was pretty ruined but a cool spot. Sometimes the roads here are f'n crazy - like, there's no way we should be driving on this or I can't see anything around the curve thanks to those hedges or is this someone's driveway? Hailes was on one of these roads and it eventually got to a slightly more residential spot and then bam! The castle is on your left hand side.
 |
| The pit prison - where these two might end up this evening |
In case you haven't noticed, I love castles. LOVE THEM. Despite the ruin, there is something about wandering around the castle, seeing what is there, imagining what was and just relaxing. Ok, so I don't really get to relax anymore, but I remember what it was like to relax in the ruins of a castle and there is nothing better. I know it's a novelty for us, but it's still awesome. If I could live near one and be able to just go in there any time I wanted, I would jump at that chance.
The work that must have gone into building them is insane and then when you walk around and see the different doors and windows that have been closed, you wonder where those passages once went. It was just me, Neil and Malcolm on this one. We walked around - down and out and close to the small stream that ran outside the castle. Back up and in. Neil had to pee - so I let him pee out one of the castle windows since no one was there, They liked that.
We got back in the car and grabbed our food to head to the National Museum of Flight. There was a lot to see here. They boys liked different things - Neil liked the movies they had with the displays, Malcolm liked the phones and Duncan liked hitting the touch screen displays with the phone.
Glad we made it out without have to pay for anything. There were hangars with military and civilian planes, an obstacle course for the kids and some other stuff that we didn't see.
 |
| More swallows. |
They also had an interactive area that tried to help explain how flight and physical forces made flight possible. I was just dreaming that this ejection seat still worked.
Crichton Castle was also awesome. When you first get there, there is a local church and a nice stroll up to the castle. At the castle itself, there is a building across from it, from the 15th century, that they believe was a very impressive stable. It was across from the entrance, so they think that was what they wanted people to see when they first arrived.
 |
| The stables |
I am not sure how we missed these two when we were last here. It had an Italian facade on the inside - the owner had traveled extensively throughout Europe. I think it was probably a Spanish inspired facade since there was no plastic on anything in the house.
As we walked up into the first area of the castle, Malcolm announces that he has to shit. He wasn't that vulgar, but you get the idea. Malcolm had to shit in a place that in the parking lot clearly states that there is no bathroom. We had nothing to take care of this, so Jess walked him down and out of the castle. Jess had to choose her leaf and choose wisely. She said she got poop on her hand and couldn’t use that hand for the rest of the time we were in the castle. Some people will use any excuse.
On the way home we stopped off for some coffee and some snacks. Duncs got his own treat - where he learned that every once in a while your brothers will be really awesome to you - in this instance, they go with their mom and leave you with the bag of chips.
Drove home and had meat pies for dinner. Everyone showered. There was a bonnie sunset this evening in Balerno. The picture doesn't do it justice, there was a nice purple tint at the bottom of the horizon from where we were. We could hear a pipe band playing in the distance.
Of course, since we don't listen, that let to Malcolm trying to go back out and listen for the band. This led to the window being locked for the evening - they will have to sweat their asses off. It could be worse, they could be in the pit prison.
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