Sloten, in Friesland, is another of the eleven “cities” of the Elfstedentocht and the last one we visited on our day trip last June when we were in the Netherlands.

Canal at Sloten, with bridge:-

In the other direction is this bridge and a windmill:-

The windmill:-

The canal beyond the windmill:-

The Protestant Church, Sloten:-

Sloten’s Elfstedentocht fountain is a small pillar of containers of various sorts surmounted by two figures. It’s apparently called the ‘Peewit’:-

We visited four of the Elfstedentocht “cities” of Friesland in one day. Stavoren was the third of them.

Church of St Nicholas. The church is at the end of a short street off the main street.

A canal at Stavoren:-

One of the buildings:-

Its Elfstedentocht fountain is in the form of a fish:-

Not very prepossessing but striking:-

In June last year we visited The Netherlands again. One of the day trips we took was to Dokkum, in Friesland.

On the way in to the town fom the car park, along the canal, I spotted this house (in that Dutch fashion known as De Stijl?) which is so Art Deco looking:-

Further on was this scene which is so Dutch it’s almost a cliché, canal and windmill – with lovely bridge added in:-

The Town House in Dokkum has a carillon tower:-

Town House:-

A sculpture in the twon:-

Side view:-

Another almost deco building:-

Dokkum is one of Friesland’s eleven cities between which an ice-skating race known as the Elfstedentocht used to take place when there was ice on the canals. I suspect it’s extremely unlikely ever to be held again as the winters are no longer cold enough long enough for any ice to be safe to skate on. In honour of that history, though, the canal side benches in Dokkum are in the shape of an ice skate:-

In 2018 eleven artists designed a fountain each for the eleven cities. Dokkum’s is known as the Ice Fountain:-

Ice Fountain information:-

Linlithgow in West Lothian is one of our favourite places. I could have sworn I had posted photos of the palace there,  Linlithgow Palace, where Mary, Queen of Scots was born in 1542, but a search on the blog proved fruitless.

The Palace is approached from the town up a short road and is partly obscured by St Michael’s Church on your right as you do so. As a result there is not a good angle to view the Palace facade. It opens out a bit at the top.

The Palace – with St Michael’s Church (the tower with crossed beams) behind – is best viewed as a whole from across Linlithgow Loch:-

Side view from the grounds surrounding the Palace:-

The interior courtyard is dominated by an elaborate fountain:_

Fountain and east range. The Palace’s original entrance  was on the east. The wall above taht enrtance would have been painted in bright colours:-

North range:-

There are two formal gardens in the grounds of Glamis Castle.

Walled garden gateway:-

Walled garden interior:-

Italian garden entrance:-

Italian garden interior:-

Glamis Castle from Italian garden:-

Fountain in Italian garden:-

Italian garden and trees:-

In the castle grounds we found this “fairy ring” of fungi:-

Colourful fungi:-

Thee’s a frog in this one just below left of the leftmost mushroom:-

Glamis Castle is one of Scotland’s most iconic. It’s not a castle in usual sense. It wasn’t built as a stronghold and has never suffered seige. It is perhaps most famous for being the childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who married Prince Albert, became Queen Consort on his accession after the Abdication and so Empress of India and of course gave birth to the present Queen of the United Kingdom (and may other territories besides.)

The castle has avery long drivewat up to it from Glamis village.

Glamis Castle from end of driveway approach:-

The car park is round the back. Glamis Castle from Car Park:-

This fountain-like structure is on the grass opposite the castle:-

This photo was taken several yaers ago when we visited the grounds only:-

There are extensive grounds to the side and rear of the castle. Glamis Castle from east:-

In one of the exhibition areas inside there was this model of the castle which also shows its extent:-

Or Holyrood Palace, as it is sometimes known, is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland, where investitures and garden parties are held.

I had been inside it once, as a child so many years ago now, but the good lady hadn’t. During the Covid restriction loosening in September we booked a visit.

Palace from gates to north side:-

Entrance gateway from inside outer courtyard:-

South gates looking onto Arthur’s Seat/Salisbury Crags:-

Stitch of fountain and palace from outer courtyard:-

Outer courtyard fountain:-

Older wing:-

Entrance to palace proper:-

Inner courtyard:-

Hawarden, where Gladstone’s Library is situated (see posts in the past week) and where Gladstone and his wife lived, is a village in Flintshire, North Wales.

Main street:-

Gates to Hawarden Castle:-

Hawarden Post Office and side street. I got a flicker of deja vu at the road sign pointing to Queensferry. For a moment I thought I was back in Fife:-

Over the road from the Post Office and near to the gates above lies the Gladstone Memorial Fountain, erected by locals to commemorate the fiftieth wedding anniversary of William Ewart Gladstone and his wife, Catherine:-

The upper inscriptions on the three sides read in total, “Drink ye the water of life.”

More photos of Pitmedden Garden.

Gates with steps down to formal garden:-

Heart shapes by the gates above:-

Bottom of steps:-

Drinking fountain at steps:-

Steps and gates above:-

Another set of gates. There is a private area beyond:-

Human sundial:-

The human acts as the sundial’s gnomon by standing where indicated, according to the month. It obviously matters what the weather is like. I tried it but cast no shadow at all:-

When I was up north for the Peterhead game in August last year we took the chance to visit Pitmedden Garden as it’s always been somewhere the good lady wanted to see.

In the formal garden there’s some odd topiary:-

A fountain:-

A pond:-

Some geometric planting:-

An upper terrace with a semi-circular sculpture at the far end:-

The terrace gives a good view of the formal garden:-