Grim Castles and Glorious Gardens

[anteros_lmc]

Over the weekend we had a well deserved break and went off camping down to Dumfries. Despite the fact that it was a bank holiday weekend, we actually had some glorious weather and less rain than we'd feared :}

Dumfries and Galloway runs an annual art festival every year, the Spring Fling, so we had a very cultured day on Sunday wandering around the art galleries and I came home with a lovely piece of art :)

Earlier on Saturday we went to visit Threave Castle, stronghold of the Black Douglas dynasty, who ruled Galloway during the 14th and 15th centuries. Threave it a fabulously atmospheric site which sits on an island in the middle of the River Dee and is only accessible by a small boat which you ring for from the river bank. The main tower of the castle was built in 1369 by Archibald the Grim (I'm not making this up), 3rd Earl of Douglas and Lord of Galloway. A contemporary source records "He was callit Archibald Grym be the Englishmen because of his terrible countenance in weirfare." (I can think of one Englishman who may beg to differ about Archibald's terrible countenance ;) Apparently the tower was patched up in the 19th century and used to house French prisoners during the Napoleonic wars but I haven't been able to find out any more information about this.

We also visited Threave Gardens, the National Trust for Scotland's school of horticulture, the azaleas were all in bloom and the colours were spectacular. Then on the way home on Monday we stopped off at Dundrennan Abbey a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 and famous for its elegant and restrained architectural style. I've only visited Dundrennan one or twice before but it's probably one of my favourite monastic sites in Scotland, I love the way that the gray stone contrasts with the lush green farmland.



Threave Castle, stronghold of Archibald the Grim

Ring for the boat!	Threave Castle
Threave Castle tower	Threave Castle artillery house
Threave Gardens	Threave Gardens
Threave Gardens	Threave Gardens
Threave Gardens	Threave Gardens
Threave Gardens	Threave Gardens
Dundrennan Abbey	Dundrennan Abbey
Dundrennan Abbey	This stone is thought to commemorate a wealthy widow who lived and died nearby, if you look at her feet you can see they are resting on two small dogs :)

Comments

[amaraal.livejournal.com]

Splendid post, as always. Dundrennan Abbey reminds me of Tintern Abbey in Wales. I wasn't aware that there are more such ruins.

The two little dogs thing is awesome! I love things like this :)

And the azalees... *sighs* Are you sure you don't want to write for a garden magazin? Just a thought.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Well spotted! Tintern and Dundrennan are both Cistercian abbeys built around the same time. There are many more in the UK, as well as others belonging to other monastic orders.

The two little dogs thing is awesome! I love things like this :)
It's very cute isn't it? :)

Are you sure you don't want to write for a garden magazin?
Ha! If you could see my own garden, it's more jungle than anything!

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

Aw. luvverly.

I can has two small dogs to keep my tootsies warm?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

My niece has a lhasa apso that obligingly sits on your feet to keep them warm!

The monument warden was at pains to point out that the woman is not actually standing on the little dogs, as the slab was originally recumbent, they are just lying by her feet :)

[katriona-s.livejournal.com]

beautiful flowers and the amazing site. They look typically Scotland :)
I'm glad to know you had a nice weekend!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

What could be more Scottish than an imposing castle and a glowering sky?! :D

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Archibald the Grim sounds like he ought to go live in the Dismal swamp. (With, as will recall, Pukey Jinkins...)

I know where Archibald the Hot and Delightful belongs too!

Still waiting to hear about apartment. Swinging between horror and alarm.

[nodbear.livejournal.com]

sorry you are in between these difficult places and hoping for the best for you

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

How could I forget Pukey Jinkins and the Great Dismal Swamp?! To say nothing of the toothbrush on the string :D

I know where Archibald the Hot and Delightful belongs too!
I know where Archibald the Hot and Delightful belongs too - wrapped round Horatio in one of your fics :)

Still waiting to hear about apartment. Swinging between horror and alarm.
I'm not surprised! I'd be having kittens by now. Have you heard anything yet?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Thank you, thank you m'dear :)

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

Looks storytelling. Even the flowers. ;D

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

You're right! It does rather look like something from an enchanted fairy tale!

[nodbear.livejournal.com]

How do some people manage to grow hostas without slug decimation?

*admires gardening skills of those who grew these*

grand pictures - and certainly the surviving tower of Archibald the Grym looks full of foreboding ;)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I know! I was thinking exactly the same thing! Not one single nibble. Meanwhile my garden is being stripped bare. The little buggers have decimated it!

the surviving tower of Archibald the Grym looks full of foreboding
Surely if anyone deserves to be called grim it's Horatio rather than Archie?!

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

We did not get the first one that we wanted most. It is so crazy competitive here, even if you have money to plunk down, another candidate may just be, in some way, more appealing.

We have three possibles. Tomorrow I will find out which choice we get. I think it unlikely that we will be stuck with no place to go, but of the three I have a preference. I hope I do not end up with the one I want least.

The whole process has gotten so much worse since the time we moved here. It is like looking for a parking space, there are just not enough...

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

I want to know more about Archibald the Grim.

Great photos!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Thanks! According to Wikipedia, it sounds like Archibald the Grim had a very eventful life. He was the bastard son of Sir James, The Black Douglas, and was also known as Black Archibald. It's all very Game of Thrones :}