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Through Caledonia: Whimsy in Scotland 4Heading Home and Looking Back

Through Caledonia: Whimsy in Scotland 4

Heading Home and Looking Back

Gwen Akers

The Ashland Beacon

 

It is crazy to think that four weeks have passed here in Scotland, and that in that time I have seen so much and learned so much. Just as I am feeling like I am used to the sun setting at 10 p.m., and the cold, sometimes sporadic weather of Scotland, it is almost time to board a plane and head back home. 

In my weeks here, I have seen the breathtaking nature of the Highlands, and wandered the dark craigs that mark their studded peaks. I have walked along the rumbling country paths that every heroine seems to have walked at one point, surrounded by the braying of sheep and storm clouds crowding the sky. All of it was beautiful, but maybe what spoke to me the most was the nature of the architecture, and the looming castles that dot the green landscape. 

The view from Edinburgh Castle was the most striking to me, while there I toured the hallowed halls of Stirling Castle, once the royal seat of Scotland, as well as Alnwick Castle, which sits just over the border in England. These, coupled with the castles and palace ruins can be found throughout the beauty of both the Highlands and Lowlands of the area, showcasing the character of every place. 

There are many reasons so many castles can be found in Scotland – for defense or build by nobles and landowners to watch over their land. Yet each one anyway, seems to have revealed something about the area it is over, showcasing the character of the people and land it watches over. 

Edinburgh Castle is imposing, yet also serves as a reminder of all the great knowledge that created the foundation of Edinburgh. It reminds me of the Surgeon’s College, and the advanced rate of medical advancement and research that blossomed in the early years. It reminds me of the builders, dreamers and architects that have passed down these streets. 

Stirling Castle reminds me of the awe, the pride, that comes with one’s country. Stirling reminds me of the glamour, excitement, and power that rests within the hands of the people, and how our future is what we make it to be. It reminds me of music filling the eaves of churches and cathedrals, young child looking up in awe. 

Even Alnwick Castle, resting just outside Scotland, holds some of these similar traits. It reminds me of safety, that feeling of chasing some sort of sanctuary and quietness in this chaotic world. Yet also, it speaks to the hope in me, the one that searches for that peace but wants to spread it as well. 

All these castles, these impressions of hope, safety, pride and love, remind me of all the stories and history that is still living and breathing around me. They remind me of the constant memories that permeate our sidewalks and our conversations, standing like the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, a sweet Skye terrier that has become a symbol of these very emotions. 

Bobby was a watchdog, standing guard with Edinburgh night watchman John Gray. The two could be spotted regularly throughout the city, keeping their eyes on the citizens of the town. After Gray’s premature death due to tuberculosis, he was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, a graveyard in the center of Edinburgh. Bobby refused to leave his master’s grave, even after Gray’s passing, and the sheer loyalty and sweetness of their bond is immortalized now in Bobby’s statue just outside. 

The kirkyard itself is also famous – marking itself as the true center of the city, as well as a sight of inspiration for J.K. Rowling who pulled several character names for Harry Potter from the kirkyard. 

So, when I head home on the plane, and I close my eyes, I hope that what I remember is the loyalty and goodness of Greyfriars Bobby, rolled into the impressions of each castle, each person and each story that make up this beautiful country. While I may be heading home from this journey now, I know that I will return here to keep learning about this big, wide world we all call home, and the stories that thread us all together. 

 

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