From Humble to Grand...

Burn's Cottage in Ayr, Scotland
Yesterday I made my way to Glasgow in order to meet up with the tour group that I'll be seeing Scotland with!  How nice it is to sit back and enjoy the drive and not have to think about driving!  We made our first stop this morning at the birthplace of Robert Burns, poet of Scotland.  The low whitewashed stone cottage with thatched roof is bordered by a lush garden

Cabbage in the garden at Burn's Cottage
The cabbages were magnificent!

Roses in the garden at Burn's Cottage
The garden was filled with beautiful roses ~ though I seriously doubt it looked like this in Burn's days at the cottage!

Burn's Cottage
Like most of the heritage sites, photos aren't allowed inside, though I didn't figure that out here until after I'd taken a large number of them!  The house is just four rooms.  Two actually, a Kitchen with sleeping alcove and platform and a parlor.  The other two rooms are barn, a byre and an open work room.  Despite the small size, it felt quite comfortable ~ until we tried to fit all 30 people from the tour in one room!

Me and the "Wee Mousie"
Along the path through the town of Ayr, there signs and sculptures that tell the tale of Burn's Poem, Tam o'Shanter.  There are references to other poems as well.  My first introduction to Burns was through his poem, "To a Mouse", and the "wee mousie" is well featured throughout all the exhibits!  I had to have my photo taken with this "wee mousie"!

The Auld Kirk
The "Auld Kirk" plays a role in "Tam o'Shanter" and we got to visit it as well.  The new church is directly across the street.

Cross in the church yard of the Auld Kirk
The church yard was filled to the brim with old gravestones.  I just love the old carved crosses such as this beauty.  

Brig o'Doon
Another stop was to see and walk over Brig o'Doon (Bridge over the river Doon).

Cobblestones on the Brig o'Doon
I was a fascinated with the mossy cobblestones as anything else!

Rose in the garden at Burn's Cottage
Everywhere we went that had something to do with Burns also had lots of roses due to the inspiration of his poem, "My Luve is Like a Red, Red Rose."

Culzean Castle
After spending the morning with the humble dwelling of Burns, we switched gears and visited the grand Culzeen (pronounced Cull-een) Castle.

Culzean Castle
The grounds were beautiful!  While grand, the scale of things was still comfortable.

Gardens at Culzean Castle
The gardens are built on several levels and these little towers lead to stairways down to the next level.

Flower border at Culzean Castle
The borders were gorgeous!

Sweet smelling climbing roses at Culzean Castle
The blossoms of this climbing rose smelled so sweet!  And in my favorite tones!

The Walled Garden at Culzean Castle
We had limited time at the castle and I made sure I had enough time to fit in a walk through the walled garden!  Massive high walls around this one that must be 12 to 15 feet in height.

Borders in the Walled Garden at Culzean Castle
The borders were so beautiful!  I could have spent hours just enjoying them and taking photos!

Cottage in the walled Garden at Culzean Castle
As grand and lovely as the castle was, I'd be quite happy in the Gardener's cottage that's tucked into the walled garden!

Vine House at Culzean Castle
These vine house also fit within the walled garden!

Vine House in the Walled Garden at Culzean Castle
The vine houses went the entire length of the walled garden.  This is about 1/3rd of them.

Deer at Culzean Castle
Near the parking area is a Deer Park, where this herd of red deer was resting under the trees.  Magnificent!

Farmland in Ayrshire, Scotland
And then it was time to head back to Glasgow for the evening.  The countryside of Ayrshire in the lowlands of Scotland is beautiful with lush fields over rolling hills.  In the evening we had a lovely dinner together as a group followed by music from our guides, the lovely gentlemen of the Scottish Folk group, "Men of Worth"!  What a fun way to end the day!


Comments

Cathy said…
It looks as though you had a beautiful day for touring and enjoying gardens!! Thank you for another lovely post. Hugs, Cathy
Laurie said…
I so wish I wasn't afraid to fly Lisa, I'd love to experience all the beautiful places you've been. I'm thankful though to see it through your eyes.
Bonnie said…
Gorgeous photos and trip!
Marnie said…
How glorious! Love being able to see these places thru your photos. Thanks for sharing!
Gail said…
Beautiful! Great photos
robin michelle said…
Beautiful pictures! I'm having a lot of fun following your trip!
Linda H said…
Once again, spectacular photos. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. SO glad you are having a wonderful tour...

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