Outer courtyard, curtain wall behind (quidditch practice on grass!):-

Reverse view:-

Grass inner courtyard and clock tower:-

Note stone figures on ramparts:-

Outside the Fusilier’s Museum was this captured artillery piece:-

Statue of Henry Percy, known as Hotspur:-

Sign on a doorway:-

Archway. The sign reads, “Please do not use. The Great Hall Privy is not a real toilet.”:-

Alnwick Castle is surprisingly hidden from the town of Alnwick itself (except if you go along the street known as the Peth  -which I haven’t done.)  It has been owned by the Percy family since 1307.

It’s very impressive from the approach from the nearest car park:-

Entrance:-

Inner entrance:-

Courtyard:-

Door and cloister:-

Cloister:-

Lantern:-

Model of castle:-

In the Pictish Sculptured Stone Museum.

Pictish Beast Stone. Depiction possibly a precursor to tales of kelpies:-

Hogback stone (these are more usually associated with Vikings):-

Stone with Christian motifs:-

Last July we went back to Meigle to see the stones at the Sculptured Stone Museum. (This time I phoned first to see if it was open.) There’s an impressive array of Pictish stones.

View of Museum stones:-

Cultural crossover stone with Pictish and Christian symbols:-

Reverse of stone in previous photo. The symbols are thought to depict the story of Daniel in the lion’s den:-

Strange fish like symbols:-

A hunting scene:-

Sadly, four of the Maxwell-Stuart family who owned Traquair House were killed in the Great War. Their medals and photographs are on display in the left hand new wing.

An accompanying information sheet lists their fates:-

The Stewarts and Maxwell Stewarts of Traquair House were firm Jacobites and the house contains Jacobite relics.

Hair belonging to the parents of Bonnie Prince Charlie:-

Portrait of “Betty Burke”, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s alias when he was on the run disguised as a woman. The caption spells it Burk:-

The family was Catholic. This is the Priest Hole:-

And its stairs:-

The Lion* Gates to Traquair House  were closed when James VII (James II of England) was deposed, not to be re-opened until the Stewarts were restored to the throne. They remain firmly shut:-

Edited to add:- I have been reminded in a comment that these are actually Bear gates, not Lion gates.

Bells to summon servants, Traquair House:-

A harpsichord:-

Ground floor room:-

Cradle used for James VI (James I of England):-

Bed of Mary, Queen of Scots:-

Relics of Mary, Queen of Scots:-

Most letter cases in print works were untidy as the letters would be thrown in. The workers knew where they ought to go and worked on memory. This is a cleaned up example:-

Letter cases, printing blocks etc:-

Smail’s used to print the local newspaper the St Ronan’s Standard. This is a printing block of a front cover:-

Lithograph stones:-

A press:-

Chicago press:-

Heidelberg press:-

Wharfedale press. As I recall this was Smail’s first three-colour printing press:-

The conceit of a visit to Smail’s is that you are starting a printing apprenticeship. Apprentice Card cover:-

Inside of card:-

My apprentice piece:-

Robert Smail’s Printing Works, Innerleithen, now overseen by the National Trust for Scotland is a treasure trove of printing memorabilia and artefacts. When the Trust took the premises over there was a record and sample of every single print job the works had ever produced along with all their historical printing presses.

Desk as it was left:-

Shelves and ledgers:-

Stock:-

Photos. The Yellow Pages are for 1985, the year that Smail’s was handed over:-

Printing Room:-

Reverse view:-

Originally any machinery in Smail’s was driven by this paddle wheel utilising water from a local stream:-

Paper stock:-

Guillotine. This was a late addition to Smail’s inventory of equipment; bought due to safety regulations:-

By the entrance to Brodie Castle in Moray there is a Pictish Stone:-

Reverse:-

Information Board:-