Tag: Edinburgh

  • Incholm Island

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    Greeted by an island of Gnomes we arrived at Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth, some say it is the most beautiful of all of the islands in the Firth of Forth. Situated about 4 miles east of the Forth Bridge we were welcomed by this stunning view of Incholm Abbey.

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    Bye for now boat!

    Incholm Abbey

    Incholm Abbey is the best-preserved group of monastic buildings in Scotland. The abbey was originally a priory founded by David I. During the centuries the abbey saw conflict as well as calm.

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    Inchcolm means ‘Colm’s Isle’, and it is also called the ‘Iona of the east’, but doesn´t share any links with Iona.

    The Augustinian canons settled here in the early 1100s, to enjoy the island’s peace and isolation. But Inchcolm’s Firth of Forth location also made it a target. English naval raids were common during the wars with England from the 1300s to the mid-1500s. (HistoricenviromentScotland)

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    It was the Protestant Reformation of 1560 which finally brought monastic life to an end. But Inchcolm continued to serve in the defence of the country right up to the Second World War.

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    It is even said that a hermit lived on Incholm Island before the foundation of the abbey. Inchcolm’s oldest relic is a 10th-century ‘hogback’ tombstone. In 1123 Alexander I sheltered on the island and resolved to build a monastery in thanks for his life being saved.

    He died in 1124 before being able to keep his promise. So his brother, David I, invited Augustinian canons to establish the island priory. Inchcolm was raised to full abbey status in 1235.

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    The abbey church was enlarged to the east around 1265. In the 1400s, a new church was built, and an abbot’s residence created above the original church. The choir of the 13th-century church became the nave of the later church and is now mostly wall footings. But a striking fresco painting of a funeral procession, dating from the 1200s, survives in a tomb recess. Also remarkable are the stone screens dividing the choir from the nave. (Historicenviroment Scotland)

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

     

    Incholm was attacked by England numerous times. In 1795, during the Napoleonic Wars, a gun battery was installed when the French threatened to invade. Inchcolm was heavily fortified in the early 1900s and during World War II to help defend: Edinburgh, the Forth Bridges and the Rosyth naval base.

    The remains are still seen today.

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    Incholm Island is home to thousands of birds, there is a notice everywhere that one should not scare the birds and might get pooed on. A large colony of seagulls and fulmars live on Incholm Island.

    I started walking up the little hill, didn´t see that many birds, wasn´t attacked and just enjoyed the views.

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    The next boat arrived a few hours later and we were on our way back home to South Queensferry. One last look toward “Iona of the East”.

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    Going through the three Forth bridges – that house has an amazing location!

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    Two of the three bridges.

    exploring Incholm Island in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh

    And with this iconic, we conclude the Scottish Island summer of 2021 – it definitely was an extraordinary and unique summer. hopefully, there won´t be another time with me being one of only “foreign foreign” tourists in Shetland or Orkney. I enjoyed the calmness but it was also a bit strange sometimes.

    Speaking of Shetland, I will go back to the Northern Island this summer, the summer of 2023. Until then I will tell you about my “Hebridean Summer” of 2022.

  • South Queensferry

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

    On my very last full day in Scotland, I hopped on a train from Glasgow to Edinburgh and then on a bus to South Queensferry. Quickly dropped my luggage at the hotel and went for a walk through South Queensferry

    for a bite to eat and a boat trip to Incholm Island.

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

    Always present – the three Forth Bridges

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

    Going through the old railway bridge towards Incholm Island.

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

    First glimpse of Incholm Abbey & Island,

    taking a walk in South Queensferry and going on a boat trip

  • Rosslyn Chapel

    This morning I decided to board one of the Scottish Borders buses in a different direction, towards Edinburgh. After about a one hour journey I got out near Roslin and walked towards the famous Rosslyn Chapel.

    Visiting the beautiful Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh in Scotland, featured in Dan Browns thriller Da Vinci Code

    Founded in the mid-15th century on a little hill by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness Rosslyn Chapel became even more famous after playing an important part in Dan Brown’s thriller “The DaVinci Code” and the movie with the same name. Is the Holy Grail really hidden at Rosslyn Chapel?

    Rosslyn Chapel is privately owned by Peter St Clair-Erskine, 7th Earl of Rosslyn.

    Rosslyn Chapel 1

    After the Scottish Reformation (1560), Catholic worship in the chapel was brought to an end. The Sinclair family continued to be Catholics until the early 18th century. From that time, the chapel was closed to public worship until 1861. It was re-opened as a place of worship according to the rites of the Scottish Episcopal Church, a member church of the Anglican Communion. (Wikipedia)

    Visiting the beautiful Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh in Scotland, featured in Dan Browns thriller Da Vinci Code

    Architecture

    The original plan was to built a cruciform but it was never completed, today we only see the “head” of the cross.

    Only the choir was constructed, with the retro-chapel, otherwise called the Lady chapel, built on the much earlier crypt (Lower Chapel) believed to form part of an earlier castle. The foundations of the unbuilt nave and transepts stretching to a distance of 90 feet were recorded in the 19th century. The decorative carving was executed over a forty-year period. After the founder’s death, construction of the planned nave and transepts was abandoned – either from lack of funds, lack of interest or a change in liturgical fashion. (Wikipedia)

    Rosslyn Chapel stands on fourteen pillars with the “Apprentice Pillar” as the most famous one. The stonework in the chapel is masterfully carved and the master mason had planned to carve this pillar himself. But when he arrived at Roslin his apprentice had already finished the pillar. The legend says that the mason was so jealous of the work that he killed the apprentice.

    The chapel and the crypt have been a burial place for generations of the Sinclairs, but the crypt had been sealed off for many years and the entrance to the crypt isn´t known any more.

    Visiting the beautiful Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh in Scotland, featured in Dan Browns thriller Da Vinci Code

    In 1842 the chapel, then in a ruined and overgrown state, was visited by Queen Victoria, who expressed a desire that it should be preserved. Restoration work was carried out in 1862 by David Bryce on behalf of James Alexander, 3rd Earl of Rosslyn. The chapel was re-dedicated on 22 April 1862, and from this time, Sunday services were once again held, now under the jurisdiction of the Scottish Episcopal Church, for the first time in 270 years. (Wikipedia)

    In 1995 the Rossyln Chapel Trust was established to oversee its conservation and its opening as a sightseeing destination. Between 1997 and 2013 the chapel was extensively renovated and restored including works on the roof, the windows, heating, the carvings and the organ.

    Visiting the beautiful Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh in Scotland, featured in Dan Browns thriller Da Vinci CodeVisiting the beautiful Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh in Scotland, featured in Dan Browns thriller Da Vinci Code

    The Holy Grail at Rosslyn Chapel

    Speculations of a connection between Rosslyn Chapel and the Knights Templar started in the 1980s and went a little bit wild after Dan Brown’s thriller “The DaVinci Code” & the film of the same name with Tom Hanks in the leading role. Numerous books were published to prove Brown’s fictional theories that the Holy Grail might be stored at the chapel or that the chapel is an important part of the legend.

    Many Templar symbols are said to be found in the carvings and members of the Sinclair family were members of the Freemasons.

    Whatever the truth may be the legends helped to bring many visitors to Rosslyn Chapel.

    Visiting the beautiful Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh in Scotland, featured in Dan Browns thriller Da Vinci Code

    Rosslyn Chapel is a wonderful place to visit but also a quite busy one – don´t get fooled by the empty pictures, I was just very patient. I didn´t spend a lot of time inside the chapel, it was just too crowded! It is also forbidden to take pictures inside the chapel.

    Visiting the beautiful Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh in Scotland, featured in Dan Browns thriller Da Vinci Code

    After my visit, I walked through Roslin back to my bus stop.

    Visiting the beautiful Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh in Scotland, featured in Dan Browns thriller Da Vinci Code