Spiney Palace lies a few miles north of Elgin and is a similar distance south of Lossiemouth.

View from entrance pathway. As is quitecommen when wev visit places it was swathed in scaffolding:-

Information board:-

Artist’s impression of the palace in its heyday:-

View of little tower:-

Part of Great Hall looking towards water tower:-

East gate and walls:-

Great Hall and well:-

Tower:-

(and scaffolding):-

As we were leaving Elgin Cathedral the custodians asked if we had visited the Chapter House. We hadn’t, as it appeared to be fenced off but we were assured there was access to it and so we went back.

On the way we passed this Pictish Stone:-

Reverse:-

Plus some carved figures:-

The Chapter House is stunning. It’s apparenty the best of its kind in Scotland. I can well believe it:-

The towers of Elgin Cathedral are home to several exhibits relating to its history. The displays were probably the best and most comprehensive  we have seen in a historic building such as this.

These are examples of the carved stones which were once part of the cathedral’s structure:-

A gargoyle:-

Intricately carved boss:-

An unusual carving of a woman, blurry picture since the original was behind glass:-

Elgin Cathedral is perhaps the best reason for visiting the town. It’s a very impressive ruin.

Ruins with (intact) Chapter House to centre right:-

Closer view from left:-

Ruins:-

Elgin Cathedral towers and ruins:-

Towers end:-

You know I like bridges.

This one could be seen from Sueno’s Stone. It’s a pedestrian one across the A 96.

In Forres itself there was this impressive church, St Leonard’s:-

And an Art Deco style shop with great upper glazing and, partial “sunburst” metalwork on the roofline:-

The village of Duffus is a  mile or so from Duffus Castle.

It is home to another ancient monument in St Peter’s Church. This plaque is on the wall by the site entrance:-

An information board is in the grounds:-

The church itself:-

Interior:-

Once again, as at Duffus Castle we heard the sound of a jet fighter. This time I remembered to take a video:-

Duffus Castle is a few miles north of Elgin in Moray.

Castle from car park:-

From approach path:-

Information board:-

Castle interior:-

Castle from east:-

External wall (seen to left above):-

Wee bridge at end of path from Duffus Castle in photo two above:-

As we were walking back up the path towards the castle to go back to the car park we heard a tremendous roar. Two jet planes came flying over. This is one of them:-

From entrance:-

History of family with links to the chapel:-

Side chapel and internal archway:-

Roof:-

Window:-

Arch and window:-

Information about masons’ marks:-

Looking back at tower end. Note intrusion of modern life  by way of fire extingusher at door:-

Looking up inside tower:-

Innerpeffray Chapel lies off a minor road about halfway between Crieff and Auchterarder. It is contiguous to Innerpeffray Library, the oldest library in Scotland.

This is a view of the chapel alone:-

In its graveyard there is a gravestone with a dedication to David McKendrick, missing at Cambrai, 30,11,1917:-

Comrie is a village in Perth and Kinross, lying almost halfway between Crieff and Loch Earn.

It has on its High Street a Charles Rennie Mackintosh building, complete with corner turret and the sort of external render familiar from Hill House. Not exactly the sort of thing you’d expect to see in a small Perthsire village.

The church in the background above is perhaps Comrie’s most prominent building, best seen from the bridge over the River Earn. For obvious reasons this, the former parish kirk, is known as the White Church. It is dedicated to the obscure saint, Kessog:-