In recent years I've marked the autumn Doors Open days in the diary. They take place over various weekends in September and each local authority organises its own programme. A wide range of buildings and other locations is open to the public free of charge. Special tours or displays are often part of the experience and pre-booking may be required for certain events. The 2020 schedule was wiped out by the pandemic and a limited listing was posted for 2021. I selected a few venues in Edinburgh and also a military museum in Perth.
By coincidence, a castle in Kinross-shire was advertising an open day during the same month. It wasn't part of the official Doors Open scheme but looked an interesting prospect nonetheless. My mum was keen to come along and we headed towards Crook of Devon for a look at Tullibole Castle, tucked away out of sight from the main road. As we wandered into the substantial grounds, a tour group was just making their way into the main building and we managed to piggyback on that. A 17th century medieval tower house, Tullibole is a good example of a laird's house of the era, built on the palace plan. Present owners Rhoderick (the 6th Lord Moncrieff and 16th Baron) and Alison offer bed & breakfast as well as hiring the grounds and carriage house out for wedding parties. The castle has belonged to the Moncreiff family for over 300 years. The grounds feature a circular maze, croquet lawn, ruined dovecot, formal fishponds, ancient graveyard, grand trees and the remnants of a medieval church. Several peacocks stroll around it is certainly a picturesque spot for a nuptials. The ceremony itself can take place in the castle's great hall. Other hospitality and team building events are also catered for. The castle's own website incorrectly states the location as the Perthshire countryside. This is most likely a marketing ruse and probably slips by largely unnoticed since the name of the local authority is Perth & Kinross. Use of the Big County's name will conjure up scenic images among prospective customers. Cheeky! We entered what was clearly Rhoderick and Alison's main living space then proceeded upstairs to view the main hall, which measures 10 metres by five and a half. The highlight of the upper chamber is the enormous fireplace which has a lintel formed by a single slab of 11 feet. Unfortunately I was unable to get an unimpeded view in order to take a photograph. Even after the main group began to filter out, several kids were playing in front of the hearth. Not to worry. After viewing the master bedroom, we descended to the kitchen which had a sturdy wooden dining table and a fabulous lived-in look. I spotted a pile of cassettes lying around! We emerged from the back door into bright sunshine and decided to explore the grounds. I had found the castle tour fulfilling. Definitely a strong human touch among all the usual ornamental artefacts. Rhoderick Moncrieff himself had been our guide and was able to draw upon centuries of family history to explain the finer structural details as well as outline a few of the characters who had inhabited the stronghold in the past. The outing was already past the worthwhile stage. Any further treasures we could unearth would be a nice extra. My eye was caught by the peacocks, doing their usual strutting and preening routine. As I zoomed in with the camera, I noticed one appeared to be sitting in a shallow depression. Then I spotted another, scrabbling away at the earth, obviously creating its own hollow.
Despite seeing the peacocks now and again in Dunfermline Glen, I hadn't observed this aspect of their behaviour before. They are beautiful birds and there's one action I would love to see them perform - flight! I've seen YouTube footage of airbourne peacocks, but never with my own eyes. I don't think they're capable of sustaining a serious flight but they seem perfectly capable of reaching the top of a house or barn. The closest I've come to witnessing a peacock in the air was when a chick in the Dunfermline aviary half jumped, half flew, on to a branch a few feet off the ground. The birds have been a familiar sight in the Glen for over a century and they have free run of the place (and also freedom of the Royal Burgh!). Just a couple of years ago, the population was down to one - old Clive, who could sometimes be seen parading up the High Street. When Clive went to the great nest in the, erm, sky, measures were taken to introduce a new flock and establish a sustainable breeding programme (Clive walked the walk no problem, but didn't take things to the next level). This has by all account been successful but a young peacock was tragically killed by a dog just recently, off the leash against the park rules. Sometimes they cross the road to the car dealerships, where they apparently enjoy a few titbits. Opportunists to the core! We checked out the maze and I had a go at reaching the centre while mum rested on a bench. The hedges were only up to my chest but that didn't make it any easier to find the gaps. After hitting a few dead ends, I gave up then had the problem of finding my way back out! I remember (successfully) navigating a maze in Vienna which had an elevated café in the middle. You then had the pleasure of enjoying a coffee while watching others blundering around. We sought out the old dovecot in the woods before making our way back to the car. Humorously, the ancient burial ground was described on the estate map as a "grave yard" - must be a rather serious place! A nice afternoon out and another slice of local of history to take on board. We drove home via Cardenden where mum pointed out the site of the cottage in which my dad's maternal gran had lived in her final years. Now part of a public park, it was another piece assembled in the genealogy jigsaw that never ends. A couple of weeks later, it was time for a trip to Perthshire proper for a walk around the Fair City and a visit to the Black Watch Museum. The free-entry policy of Doors Open Day saved me having to pay the normal £9 admission charge for the regimental galleries. I had travelled up the M90 by bus, having left the car at the Halbeath Park & Ride facility. I used the weekly pass I buy for commuting to work. Timewise there wasn't much of a difference as the only stop en route was Kinross. I jumped off at the North Inch parkland and wandered down to the River Tay. A set of information panels outline the importance of the river to the town's development and I absorbed the details while ambling upstream to the South Inch green space. The playing fields and golf course were in full swing as I continued to follow the river bank before swinging over towards the museum.
I took a nice photo of the exterior then ventured inside. It was a self-guided tour around the various displays and there turned out to be plenty to see. As expected, I learned a great deal. I allowed myself an hour and a half to complete my visit. The plan was to skirt the town centre on my way back to North Inch, taking in a few more of these information points on the Perth Medieval Trail, as the urban walking route is styled. The roots of the Black Watch regiment go back to the days of Jacobite unrest. Indeed the very name reflects the practice of keeping an eye on the potentially unruly Highlanders. The museum is located within Balhousie Castle, an L-plan tower house overlooking the Tay that was substantially rebuilt from a ruinous state in the 19th century. It was requisitioned by the army during WW2 and became the regimental headquarters for the Black Watch in 1962. The military unit was formally structured in 1739 under the official title 43rd Highland Regiment of Foot. The popular name stemmed from the dark colour of the regimental tartan and their original role to perform a policing role across the north of Scotland. As with almost any army subdivision, there have been mergers with other fighting forces over the years and changes made to the command structure. A major - and highly controversial - overhaul occurred in 2006 when the Scottish parts of the British Army were grouped together as the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The Black Watch was retained as the 3rd Battalion within this super-sized regiment but no doubt a lot of noses were put out of joint. That's understandable as the standing of a highly respected organisation with well over two and a half centuries of history was being diluted. Army politics isn't something I've kept tabs on. I do have a strong interest in the campaigns and battles conducted over the centuries but the actual make-up of the troops has always been very much of secondary importance. That's not to say I wasn't enjoying learning about the finer points of the Black Watch as a regimental entity. The museum does a sterling job of explaining the sequence of military campaigns over the regiment's existence. From the days of Bonnie Prince Charlie, to the colonial wars of the 1800s, the two worldwide conflicts of the 20th century, right up to more recent events such as the Irish troubles and the war in Iraq. I also liked the sections that explained how living conditions had changed for the individual soldier over time. A lot of history unfolds as you wander through the galleries and my self-appointed time slot was just about right. Although I got in for free, it's nice to make a small donation and I purchased a pack of postcards from the museum shop, depicting soldiers in various forms of battle and ceremonial dress. That would satisfy Postcrossing requests for military themed cards or those showing traditional clothing. I wandered back through the centre of Perth, discovering the narrow alleyway Skinnergate was once home to the tanning industry (no, not the orange stuff!) and was sited outside the city walls due to the pungent aromas generated. A great day out. I stopped at the Caley Woods on the edge of Dunfermline on the way home in order to complete a local walk for the website. That, in addition to my Perth City wander. It never ends!
The following weekend was the Doors Open programme for the City of Edinburgh. Some events were online only and others required pre-booked slots, most of which was already sold out. Not to to worry, I pieced together a wander that would take in a historic graveyard and three churches - all very central. I kicked the day off with a regular visit to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Queen Street. It was great to make a post-pandemic return to one of my favourite places but I'll write about that in a separate Edinburgh Museums post. I emerged into a sunny forenoon and wandered round to the Old Calton Burial Ground. A mere stone's throw from the eastern end of Princes Street, along Waterloo Place, the cemetery had been recommended to me by my mum who had checked the place out a few weeks previously with my sister. They'd spent a couple of days in the capital city and were looking for sights within easy walking distance of their hotel. Located on the slope of Calton Hill, the burial ground was opened in 1718 and is the resting place of several notable Scots, including philosopher David Hume and scientist John Playfair. It also contains the Political Martyrs Monument - a tall obelisk erected to a group of reformers. Another highlight is the Scottish memorial for the American Civil War. The graveyard was listed on the Doors Open schedule but guests were simply instructed to have a nose around. No special arrangements were in place. I climbed up from street level and was afforded an excellent view of the various buildings and monuments on the top of Calton Hill. A homeless man was reclining on a tomb and unfortunately I had no coins to give him. The pandemic really has obviated the need to carry loose change. Just about everything can be purchased by card. How sustainable is the national network of cash machines? Will they soon go the same way as phone boxes? I reflected that none of this helps the poor guy who was obviously down on his luck. Another kick in the balls to those on the very bottom rung of society. The tomb of David Hume (check the rhyming!) was a grand affair and the Martyrs Monument reached skywards. I was most impressed with the Civil War tribute (erected in 1893) which features a statue of Abraham Lincoln standing on top. The cemetery is a fascinating place to explore and one that thousands must pass every day without venturing inside. The New Calton Burial Ground was established half a mile to the east in 1820. Around 300 residents of the old graveyard were carefully re-interred due to the construction of Waterloo Place cutting right through the cemetery plots. I headed up the Bridges and turned along Chambers Street past the National Museum of Scotland. I went inside for a brief look around the main hall before strolling the short distance to Greyfriar's Kirk. As ever, tourists were milling around the statue of Greyfriars Bobby on the main street, jostling for the opportunity of a selfie with Edinburgh's most legendary canine citizen.
The churchyard is an oasis of calm in a busy part of town and you instantly sense the change of atmosphere upon entering. The church was open to visitors today but first I had a stroll around the spacious cemetery. Burials have been taking place here since the late 16 century and the kirkyard (along with its monuments) is protected by a Category-A listing. It is linked to the history of the Scottish Covenanters who signed the National Covenant in 1638, confirming their opposition to the interference by the Royal House of Stuart in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Stuart monarchs harboured the belief of Divine Right. Not only did they insist that God himself appointed them as the infallible rulers of the kingdom, they also believed they were the spiritual leaders of the Church of Scotland. This latter assertion was not embraced by everyone. No man, not even a king, could rival Jesus Christ as the spiritual head of a Christian church. This was the nub of the entire struggle. The Scots would have been unquestionably loyal to the Stuart dynasty, but for that one sticking point. For the next half century, until Prince William of Orange performed a bloodless invasion of Great Britain, a great deal of suffering, torture, imprisonment, transportation and executions would ensue. In 1679, around 1200 Covenanters were imprisoned in a field to the south of the churchyard following the Battle of Bothwell Bridge. The area was conveniently enclosed on two sides by the Flodden Wall (a 16th-century fortification) and on the west by the high boundary of George Heriot's School. The open end faced the churchyard and was easily patrolled. When part of this land was amalgamated into the churchyard in the 18th century, vaulted tombs were constructed as was the fashion at the time. Although the captured people had long since departed this earth, the graves became known as the Covenanters Prison.
I went into the church for a look around. Founded in 1620, it was the the first place of worship to be constructed in a post-Reformation Scotland. The modern philosophy of the establishment is stated on its website: "Our aim is to be a welcoming, inclusive community and to respond to local needs in a variety of ways, particularly through our work with the Grassmarket Community Project and the Greyfriars Charteris Centre. The kirk is also an important venue for the arts, a beautiful space for social events and a popular visitor destination"
I was handed a leaflet showing the architectural highlights of the interior. These included the organ, stained-glass windows (the oldest examples in the Church of Scotland) and the eagle lectern. A small museum is contained within the building but it didn't seem to be open today. Much of the activity centred around an exhibition of local artwork. A nice way of tying together a creative project with an event that brings in plenty visitors. I bought a stack of postcards from the shop and exited into the sunshine.
Next stop was just along the road - Augustine United Church on King George IV Bridge. It wasn't opening until 2pm and I passed some time by popping along to Pie Maker and having my lunch on the National Museum steps. I headed back round the corner and wandered down Victoria Street towards the Grassmarket in search of some photo opportunities. Suddenly I noticed a swarm of postcards swirling around my feet in the strong winds. They must have been ripped out of a nearby rack by the gale. Or was it a gift from God? I gathered up a few but they had been damaged in transit, a crime Royal Mail isn't entirely innocent of. As I approached the church, I noticed the building extended below the bridge and there must have been substantial space available on these lower floors. I received a friendly welcome and a volunteer chatted to me about the history of Augustine and also Doors Open Day in general. There were a couple of stands exhibiting further information and I had a wander around. Not a great deal to see here but I did learn some fascinating new facts. The church originally stood on North College Street, now known as Chambers Street. The plot of land it occupied was purchased by the government in 1854 for the sum of £2000. The site was earmarked for the construction of the new Museum of Scotland. The elders jumped at the chance to vacate their dark and dingy premises and move to King George IV bridge which had opened just 20 years earlier. The new elevated thoroughfare spanned two unequal worlds and the Cowgate below was a cesspit of filth and disease. Living conditions of course became more sanitary over time and the whole area around Augustine is now prime city-centre land. The church took advantage of owning so much valuable ground and in 1968 the seating capacity of 1000 was drastically reduced to allow office space to be rented out. This arrangement continues today and is probably an essential stream of income in these days of dwindling congregations. Now B-listed, the building had its spire restored in 2002 following the award of a National Lottery grant. The church does indeed cut an impressive figure in the centre of the bridge. One thing that did surprise me during on my ecclesiastical tour was the active promotion of a welcoming message to minority groups. Given that this includes the LGBT community, perhaps not a demographic traditionally targeted by the clergy, it does indeed indicate the changing nature of the times. A nice touch! It was just another short walk to my next destination - St Columba's by the Castle, on Johnston Terrace.
A smaller church than the two I had just called upon, St Columba's has existed upon its present site since 1846. A hundred years on, slum clearance and the ensuing population movement significantly reduced the numbers of people living in the immediate area and the church was was threatened with closure. In response, the Reverend Mark Kemp made changes which gained St. Columba’s the reputation as the pioneer of liturgical renewal in Scotland. He was responsible for removing the Victorian rood screen, bringing the altar forward so that the priest could celebrate the Eucharist facing the congregation (one of the earliest to make this change), bricking up the East window which was in a state of poor repair and commissioning the mural of Christ in Majesty (still dividing opinion). Painted by local artist John Busby, the mural is indeed an impressive sight and forms a stunning backdrop. A member of the church staff came up to chat with me as I was taking photos. I was directed to a small exhibition of Columba's life. My curiosity satisfied, I thanked the volunteers and went back outside. A very interesting day and beautiful weather for a wander around an old part of the city. I enjoyed a pint in the Bow Bar on Victoria Street - arguably the best traditional alehouse in Edinburgh. The beer is served through classic air-pressure pumps and a varied selection is guaranteed. A strict check-in procedure was in force but as a sign on the door made clear, a lot of the Bow's customers are elderly and not confident about returning to a pub environment. Suitably refreshed, I passed through the busy Grassmarket and on to King's Stables Road with the castle looming high above me. I was plugged into a podcast celebrating the 30th anniversary of landmark Nirvana album Nevermind. Happy days!
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