To start, Gill (Gillian) was our guide/driver and so much fun! And she knows her history, when to be serious and when and how to be funny in her story-telling.
We started the day with a drive to Melrose, Scotland, which included a couple little stops along the way for a vista point for viewing the Eildon Hills and to see the William Wallace statue.
From there, it was only a 5-minute drive into Melrose where we had about 90 minutes to explore. Melrose Abbey ruins were definitely a must for me and we had just learned the history of Robert the Bruce and that his heart is buried at Melrose Abbey. Look up the story of why only his heart is buried there - it's quite interesting.
The ruins are...exactly that, ruins. However, it is easy to fall into imagination here. While walking around, it was easy to imagine what the entire structure looked like when in it's full glory. The grounds are impeccably maintained, but time has taken it's toll on the building and the cemetery headstones. Even so, I had no difficulty imagining what it looked like hundreds of years ago.
After touring the Abbey, I spent the rest of my allotted time walking through the little town/village. "Quaint" is the term that always comes to mind when in a town/village in Scotland. Even when in Edinburgh itself, I think of it as "quaint". But, I realize now that while this term is appropriate, another is appropriate as well; tranquil. I've mostly associated this term with being alone, but it's not. It means, 'free from disturbance', and these little villages seem to be just that. Oh, don't get me wrong, the people are friendly and warm, but they don't "intrude" or make a nuisance of themselves. They are respectful.
Anyway, on to Roslin! The views along the way are fantastic. The sun has come out, fully, shining on the leaves of the trees and making them almost sparkle! We arrive at Rosslyn Chapel and I'm amazed once again. The foundation was laid in 1446, it's design was supposed to be for a cathedral which would have been on par with St. Giles in Edinburgh, but Sir William (the man who commissioned it to be built) died before it's completion. Upon his death in 1484, his son had it finish at the size it was at that time and it was completed in 1486. This building was a Catholic Church before the reformation, at which time it was illegal to practice Catholicism and the altars were removed and destroyed. Over the years it has been used as a chapel, a prayer house, a stable and simply left abandoned. During all of this time, there had not been any windows added and as you can imagine with the Scottish weather, lots of rain made it to the interior. Long story short, Sir William was part of the St. Clair family and this family is still in ownership today. It has been restored and has also returned to being used as an Episcopalian Chapel with regular service times.
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