Bongo Fury

For this year’s brief tour we thought we’d tag it onto the Scottish Bongo bash in Edinburgh. Normally with schools etc we can’t get away on a Friday but this year we were able to get away handy on the Friday morning and take the scenic route, up the A1 to Morpeth and then across to Cragside in Northumberland, home of William Armstrong who installed hydro-electric power in the house and invented the hydraulic accumulator amongst other things....


Cragside, Northumberland


Cragside, Northumberland


Cragside, Northumberland


Cragside, Northumberland. Is that mist above the river or has Muz cracked the barbie up again?


Cragside, Kitchen


Cragside, Dining Room


Cragside, Library


Cragside, Bedroom


Cragside, The Gallery


Cragside, Northumberland – the rather impressive Drawing Room


Cragside, Drawing Room


Cragside, Northumberland – the equally impressive fireplace


Cragside, Northumberland. Muppets


Mortonhall Caravan & Camping Park, Edinburgh




Better get tea started






What’s this blue sky?




Breakfast was eyed very curiously by Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and German neighbours....


....who couldn’t seem to grasp the Edinburgh smoke-free zone rules






Entertainment was provided by the site, dragging French motorhomes out of the mud


Just when you’re relaxing – that’s what little sisters are for


Healthy lunch option....


....followed by a spot of exercise


This is what happens when you sit in herr BongoMeister’s chair




Another meal, another barbecue....


....with all kinds of health food available


Craigmillar castle, Midlothian. Do not feed the animals


Craigmillar castle, Midlothian


Craigmillar castle, Midlothian


Craigmillar castle, Midlothian


Crichton castle, Midlothian


Crichton castle, Midlothian


Crichton castle, Midlothian


At Crichton castle, Midlothian


Blackness castle, West Lothian


Blackness castle, West Lothian


Blackness castle, The Hall


South Queensferry, West Lothian


South Queensferry, West Lothian. Muzette on the wobble-water again


Forth rail bridge – and no scaffolding


Room with a view? ....


....it’s rude not to. Picture taken at 2.15am


Bongo breakfast


Maid of the Forth, ferry from South Queensferry to Inchcolm island


Inch Garvie in the Forth estuary, a convenient place for the centre support of the bridge....


....and a convenient place to put gun batteries....


....used in the wars to defend the bridge....


....and the Rosyth dockyard


The BBC were on the boat filming....


....look out in the near future for a documentary....


....about Colm Cille (Columba), king of the Saints


Barnbougle castle, West Lothian, shot from a long way away in Scottish weather


Typical wildlife on Inchcolm




Inchcolm Abbey, Fife. The Iona of the east




A doorway arch in arches in an arch


Muzette in the latrine drain


Inchcolm abbey cloister






The abbey from one of the many gun batteries


Gun positions used in both World Wars, with troop tunnels and an ammunition railway






Back to the mainland....


....before some proper rain came in






Aberdour castle, Fife


Aberdour castle, Fife


Aberdour castle, Fife


Walled garden, Aberdour castle, Fife


St. Fillan’s church, Aberdour, Fife


Kellie castle, Fife


























Raw gooseberries, Kellie castle






Falkland Palace, Fife




Falkland Palace, Drawing Room


Falkland Palace, Tapestry Corridor


Falkland Palace, The Chapel Royal


Our Lady of Ostrabrama, made from ammunition boxes and corned beef tins






A large game of draughts at Falkland Palace....


....which Muzette won


Burleigh castle, Perth & Kinross


Loch Leven ferry to Castle Island




Loch Leven castle, Perth & Kinross








Glentress, Borders


Glentress, Borders




Muzette reading, Muz Jr on the beer


Bacon, egg, Lorne sausage & clootie dumpling


You’ll need a chainsaw to cut through that


Glentress, Borders






Muz Jr hired an Orange Five....


....which is supposed to be good


Remember last year’s tour, ....


....Jr did six of the eight centres in the Borders area


....so he was ferried to Innerleithen to complete the set....


....and take some quite good shots on his phone – this of Innerleithen village with the Tweed in the foreground....


....while Muzette got some proper tuition in the Glentress forest








Meanwhile I went to the oldest inhabited house in Scotland, Traquair house....




Traquair House, The High Drawing Room


Traquair House, The Library


Traquair House, Drawing Room


Traquair House, Drawing Room


Traquair House, Chapel


Amazing






This is what 8 hours of mountain-biking does


Peebles, Borders


Peebles


After sampling many offerings including the renowned Anstruther fish bar in the Kingdom of Fife, best fish & chips were at Jim Jack’s in Peebles


....washed down with chilled wine and Brew Dog beer


That’s all for this trip, catch you next time

Cracking photos (as usual). Glad to see a few bottles of our local beer cropping up in some of the photos.

How did Jr find the Five?

Paul

He wants one

He certainly put it through places he would have bottled out on his own bike. He found Innerleithen tough but did the Glentress red route twice.

They set the suspension up for him according to his weight and he really enjoyed it. He was hoping to get a Yeti but they've sold all of those and only have the Oranges as demo bikes.

He even sidled up to Mrs Muz and asked if she'd buy him one if his exam results were good. Yeah right!!

BTW, no problem parking overnight at South Queensferry as long as there isn't a cruise liner due in, dates for which are clearly marked

And thanks for the hydration pack, 1 x Innerleithen red and 2 x Glentress red is tough work

Brilliant photo's Paul, your children are very lucky with your and Alison's enthusiasm for travelling our native isles

Jo

Hi
Fantastic photos...it's almost like being there....however....I have seen picture 12 (fireplace in Craigside)...and I'm perturbed to see that there is trouble in paradise.
It seems that those perfect beings supporting the fireplace mantel are arguing, and paradise doesn't look any different to our miserable existance.....the pair each end of the mantel are having a right old tiff, as one is knee-ing the other in the NUTZ
Cheers
Helen

Ouch!! - Hadn't noticed that

Hi
I see all things
Cheers
Helen

What no real ale from Traquair House's own brewery !!!!!

No photos of the famous Bear Gates of Traquair House that have been closed ever since Bonnie Prince Charlie rode through them !!!!!

I hate to say it Muz but you seem to be slipping a wee bit

Tony

Hi Tony, I did go into the brewery but most of it was out of bounds as they were brewing at the time.

As for the bear gates - - But I'll get them next time now that I know what and where they are - and it's easy enough to get to. Jr will want to go back to Glentress soon I'm sure

As the story goes, the Bear Gates was the original entrance to Traquair House. Bonnie Prince Charlie on his way down to Derby was the last person to pass through them. The Laird of Traquair, a strong supporter, vowed never to open the gates again untill Charlie passed through them as king of England and Scotland. As history tells us it never happened.

Tony

PS: It is going to be an expensive trip for you if you have to buy Muz Junior one of those full suspension bikes before you come. Pop in for a cuppa again next time. I am only 12 miles down the road from Innerleithen.

Will do.

He can buy his own bike, have you seen how much those Orange Fives are?

The road from Innerleithen to Moffat was, erm, interesting!!

Muz

Good education Tony. Or until a Stuart reigns again which isn't likely any time soon.

To follow on from Jo (Pixie) I hope they retain some of what they learn on these jaunts. Muzette is doing the Victorian age next term so Cragside was a good introduction. And there was plenty of history in the places we went - Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned at Loch Leven castle and her dad, James V lived at Falkland Palace.

There can't be many kids of their age who have been to Iona, Inchcolm and Kells, for instance. You don't have to be religious, and we're not, but you can't fail to be in awe when you visit such places

The road from Innerleithen to Moffat was, erm, interesting!!

The section of the road in the Scottish Borders is fine. Its the section in Dumfries & Galloway that is falling appart. The tight wads in Dumfries & Galloway blame the damage on heavy lorries using it when the M74 was made a motorway down to the M6 for the damage and are trying to get the Scottish Government to pay for repairs even though the road is not classified as a trunk road.

Tony

If there were more parents in this country like you it would be a million times a better place.

Your children are blessed and will look back in years to come on a brilliant childhood.
You two are [ i'm sure ] equally blessed and will never look back and think '' oh i wish i had done this with the kids ..... '

thanks for sharing.

Muzorewa wrote:
The BBC were on the boat filming....


....look out in the near future for a documentary....


....about Colm, king of the Saints

Tonight, 7pm, BBC2, "Voyage to Iona". But only in Northern Ireland

It's in Gaelic with subtitles for the hard of hearing. Catch it on the iPlayer in case Muzette is running around in any of the footage