Well, this is the end of the third week of the lockdown - not that this is a totally accurate word for it, since we're still allowed out once a day. But I wish I could think that huge progress had been made. Britain has now had over 10,000 coronavirus deaths. Anyway, today, for a change, we headed west and then south. This, above, is the main road from Edinburgh to Glasgow. There was some traffic but it wasn't hard to get a traffic-free photo.
Then we came to Corstorphine Village, long since amalgamated into Edinburgh.
It's quite a historic little place, though. Here, for example, is Corstorphine Old Parish Church, built in the 15th century in the churchyard of a 12th century or earlier chapel. There are lots of heartbreaking gravestones which tell of the early deaths of many children from the same families. And we think we've got problems.
It's currently closed, of course.
We then wandered on to the Dower House, whose origins can be traced back to 1587. Here it is a hundred or so years ago
and here it is now. It's used as a heritage centre. Currently closed, of course.
We walked across the park, with its view over to the Pentland Hills,
and along to the Doocot, built in the 1500s. This is all that remains of that castle, which was built some time before 1405. The doocot, or dovecot, was for pigeons, whose meat and eggs were eaten. Hmm.
Happily, we didn't meet the ghost of Christian Nimmo.
Instead, we walked back through the streets, admiring this beautiful flowering cherry,
on to the path, and then home. 3.85 miles today.
In the afternoon, we had a Zoom chat with the family (including the Unbloggables (not pictured)). It's good to keep in touch but it also brings home how out of reach they all are.
So I picked a little bunch of flowers to cheer myself up and got back to the quilts.
What a beautiful walk! You have such history there, and everything is incredibly old and interesting. (not so much here!) I try to be thankful for all the internet and ease of keeping in touch, but it's still very hard to be away from our loved ones. Hope you're making progress in flattening that curve!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteIn one of the books about the Stevenson family I recall that D.E. Stevenson's father David Alan and his brother Charles and cousin Robert Louis like to play on Corstorphine hill best of all. You seem to live fairly close to that area. Today we had a family party, with social distancing. Alice set up tables for each family at a good distance from each other with cake and tea or coffee on each one. We spoke loudly to one another. And used wipes in the car as we left and washed our hands when we were home. Strange times!
ReplyDeleteThe tables were all outside.
ReplyDeletePlease don't make this into a recommendations for others. It goes against all the current essential needs for people to stay in their own homes.
ReplyDeleteAwww look -- the cute Zoom family! I'll bet the Edinburgh grandchildren love the zoom chats -- and I'll bet they are missing their days at Grannies house. You're taking some great long walks -- I so wish my walking companion and I were there too!
ReplyDeleteZoom is very useful I find. Though I wish I didn't have to use it...
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