Posted in Bridges, Trips at 20:30 on 5 August 2020
Annan is a town in Dumfries and Galloway. It is named for the river which runs through it:-
That bridge is well-proportioned:-
View from bridge looking north:-

Somewhere in the park beyond is the remains of Robert Bruce’s motte and bailey castle:-
A statue of Bruce adorns the Town Hall:-
The Town Hall itself from a different angle:-
This is the view south from the bridge. Another bridge (a footbridge) can be seen to top centre right:-
We walked down to get a closer look (and eventually walked over it):-
The footbridge gave a good view of the old railway bridge over the River Annan. the railway is now disused:-

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Posted in History, War Memorials at 15:00 on 25 June 2015
As at Edinburgh Castle there are War Memorials on the esplanade of Stirling Castle.
Again there is one to the Indian Mutiny, this one dedicated to the men of the 75th Stirlingshire Regiment who died at Seringapatam, Delhi and in the Relief of Lucknow.

The other side of the memorial names the officers (1 colonel, 2 captains, 6 lieutenants and 1 surgeon) but only gives the total numbers of other ranks (13 sergeants, 9 corporals, 3 drummers and 216 privates) – all of the 75th Stirlingshire Regiment – who died in the mutiny, 1857-8.

Again too there is a Memorial to the South African War (Second Boer War) dedicated to the men of the 1st Battalion (Princess Louise’s) Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

The plaque here gives the names of the officers and non-commissioned officers who died:-

The plaques on these two sides give the names of the privates:-

Staring out towards the scene of his great victory at Bannockburn is a statue of Robert Bruce.

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Posted in Edinburgh, War Memorials at 12:00 on 23 June 2015
As well as the Ensign Ewart Memorial there are four other memorials to British (make that Scottish) regimental involvements in various wars. Three of them can be seen on the right and one on the left in this view of the castle from the esplanade.

The first was erected in 1861 to the memory of the 256 men from all ranks of the 78th Highlanders (78th Regiment of Foot) who died during the Indian Mutiny. Pity about the traffic cone in the foreground!

The second was erected in memory of the men of the Scottish Horse who died in the South African War (the Second Boer War.)

The thinnest one is to the memory to the men of the 72nd Highlanders who died in the Afghan War 1878-80. That was the Second Anglo-Afghan War. (Despite “Never Invade Afghanistan” being Harold MacMillan’s first rule of politics there have now been no fewer than four Anglo-Afghan Wars.)

The Memorial on the south wall of the castle Esplanade is to the Gordon Highlanders who died in the Second Boer War, the South African War, 1899-1902.

This detail shows a fine stag’s head.

The entrance to the castle itself is flanked by statues to Scotland’s two great warrior heroes, Bruce and Wallace,and surmounted by the Royal Emblem (the Lion Rampant) and motto, Nemo Me Impune Lacessit.

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Posted in Dunfermline, History at 12:00 on 3 May 2015
I visited Dunfermline Abbey and Palace back in January. At that time the Abbey Church was closed for the winter and consequently I couldn’t photograph the tomb of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, hero of Bannockburn and he of the spider. In mid April I was able to rectify that omission. The tomb is situated below the Abbey Church’s pulpit.

The pulpit surmounting the tomb of Robert I (as he was known) is rather ornate.

A rather macabre exhibit in Dunfermline Abbey Church contains a cast of Bruce’s skull.

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