CHAS’ & RUBY’S 2006 UK TOUR Thursday, June 1st: CULROSS VILLAGE

While planning our trip, I Emailed my friend, Brodie Patterson, asking to visit with him
while Ruby & I were in the Stirling Area – where he lives. I wanted to meet his wife,
and take them both to dinner at a Stirling pub, or restaurant.
Brodie is an RN and an Instructor at Stirling University, as well as a published
restraint asphyxia issues researcher. He and I have been corresponding (related to
restraint asphyxia stuff) via Email for years. And, in December of 2004, I met Brodie
when I presented my Restraint Asphyxia – Silent Killer program at the Stirling
University conference center. [He actually helped arrange for that “stop” on my 2004
tour.] That was when I first learned what a truly GREAT PERSON Brodie was!
Since our 2004 Tour Itinerary allowed NO time for getting to know each other while
in Stirling, Brodie volunteered to drive us to the airport after my presentation, affording
us the ability to spend a little more time together – as well as saving us the expense
and delay of taking a CAB there!
In response to my Email about our 2006 holiday trip, Brodie insisted on taking a
DAY OFF FROM WORK, to personally squire us around Stirling Area Sites!!!
I gratefully accepted, and indicated to Brodie the Stirling area Castles and places
I wanted to visit, based upon my Internet research of the area’s “popular” sites.
Brodie (bless his heart!) designed his tour including many of my requests,
but added a few of his OWN ideas of what I might enjoy.
WOW! HIS ITINERARY WAS FABU!!!

Brodie picked me up at Airth Castle and began his TOUR
by driving me into A DESERTED FIELD.

Thankfully, Brodie is NOT an Axe Murderer!
He simply was using BACK ROADS known only to “locals”
in order to avoid the very congested “main” roads.

Brodie’s tour began with CULROSS VILLAGE
– a place I had NO previous knowledge of!

“Culross Village is a Royal Burgh located 12 miles west of the Forth Road Bridge. Royal Burghs were generally seaports, were represented in the Scottish Parliament, and could appoint Magistrates with wide powers in civil and criminal justice.” “When you stroll through the narrow cobbled streets of the quiet old burgh of Culross, it is not difficult to imagine yourself back in the 16th or 17th century. Almost the entire village is a living museum, as all the pan-tiled houses with their crow-step gables have been carefully restored.”

Culross Village is a WONDERFUL place to visit!!!

“The PALACE (or GREAT LODGING) is a late 16th / early 17th century
house, the former home of merchant Sir George Bruce.”

“The building has been restored to include its original mustard yellow decor.
The gardens to the rear of the Palace contain a variety of unusual vegetables,
herbs and perennials, all available in 1600.”
OH! I know this would be a great place to tour, were one
spending the WHOLE DAY in CULROSS!

“In the 16th and 17th centuries Culross was a thriving community, with a flourishing trade with the Low Countries, as evidenced by the architectural style of the village. There was once important coal mining and salt panning industries, but throughout the 19th century the village's fortunes declined. The National Trust for Scotland has been working in Culross since the 1930s to conserve its historical past.” [Hellow! That’s more than 76 YEARS of conservation and reconstruction!]

The INCLINE of that lovely cobbled lane is MUCH STEEPER than it appears!
But, Brodie wisely elected to BEGIN our Culross trek going UPHILL.
(Affording us HAPPY trekking DOWNHILL, later! LOL)

[A scanned pic o’ the Unicorn a-top the Cross]

Our first stop on the trek UP through Culross (“Huff-Puff!”) was Mercat Cross Square. “The Mercat (Market) Cross has a unicorn on top. The cross was the symbol of a burgh's right to trade and was located in a town's market place.” I’m not sure why it’s called a “Cross”!

This is a fairly yucky “morph” of my next two pix.

But, I wanted to give you an idea of the “scope” of the square.

“The cross dates from 1588, but only the base and steps are original,
the head was replaced in 1902.”

Bordering Mercat Cross Square is (above, RIGHT): THE STUDY

“The Study was traditionally used in the late 17th century as a study by Bishop Robert Leighton of Dunblane on his occasional diocesan visits to Culross.” This is yet another of the MANY places I know I’d enjoy TOURING, were I able to spend a WHOLE DAY in Culross!

[This is a scanned pic.]

The Study’s “main feature is the OUTLOOK TOWER [at left] which has good views over the pantiled rooftops to the Forth. [The waterway.] A painted ceiling and some original paneling decorate the interior. The Study was restored by the National Trust for Scotland in 1966-67.”

GO TO THE NEXT PAGE:
CULROSS ABBEY Exterior PIX

If you have information or suggestions for Ruby & Chas’ 2006 UK TOUR Website
– or PHOTO contributions for it! –
PLZ Email CHAS!
c-d-miller@neb.rr.com
That’s: c-d-miller@neb.rr.com –
those are hyphens/dashes (-) between the “c” and “d” and “miller”