Furness Abbey is a former monastery located in the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It was once the second wealthiest Cistercian monastery in England and it held large tracts of land in Cumbria and Lancashire. It was of course disestablished in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Nowadays it’s a ruin – or several ruins but it’s certainly worth going to see if you’re near Barrow.

Part of what remians is reinforced by steel supports:-

A stream runs under this bit:-

On the way down from Craigellachie we stopped off at Dufftown, mainly to have a look at Balvennie Castle, once the seat of the Earls of Buchan. We couldn’t go into the interior  since the castle was closed on the day.

Balvennie Castle information board:-

Balvennie Castle:-

Entrance:-

Gate:-

Interior through gate:-

From northwest:-

Another Pictish symbol stone, this one by the side of a minor road just northwest of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire:-

Information board:-

This stone is now in the middle of a housing estate in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. It was once part of a stone circle.

Stone’s markings:-

Information Board :-

Information board:-

More of Abbey ruins:-

Part of tower:-

External gateway:-

Reverse view of Gateway:-

It wasn’t just William the Lion’s grave I photographed at Arbroath Abbey.

Model of the Abbey in its heyday (in visitor centre):-

Other view:-

Information board:-

Ruins from visitor centre:-

Looking back to visitor centre:-

Part of Abbey:-

Ramparts at Avebury:-

If you follow the path round you come to the outer circle of stones complete with grazing sheep:-

Standing Stones from road:-

Inner circle of stones with people communing with the spirits of the past:-

Some of the large stones at Avebury.

We were amused to see some of the people at the site hugging the larger stones as if they actually were portals to the past or of some spiritual significance. To the people who erected them they probably were; but in the end nowadays they’re just stones:-

Standing stone and rampart:-

If you turn left after passing through the War Memorial Arch at the entrance to Penrith’s Castle Park you can stroll up to the ruins of Penrith Castle, in the care of English Heritage. There’s not much more to say about it beyond what is on the information board.

Blackness Castle sticks out into the River Forth a few miles west of the Forth Bridges. (See photograph in the link.) Because of its situation and prominence it is sometimes known as ‘the ship that never sailed’. It has had several uses over the years since it was built in the 1440s including as an ammunition store. As with most Scottish castles it has featured in the TV series Outlander.

Infiormation board:-

From approach road:-

Closer view and modern entrance:-

Side view and old entrance:-

Old entrance: now blocked off. The notice warns you not to climb on it:-

As you can see in the photo in the link a pier pokes from the castlefurther out into the river.

Castle from pier. (Stitch of two photos.):-

Pier, part of Castle and Blackness village beyond:-

View west from pier:-

View east: three bridges across the Forth:-

Close-up:-