Peaceful, calm, serene, this was one beautiful castle/Palace. Somehow so entirely different from Edinburgh Castle, which IS still a working barracks. I think Edinburgh a fortress and Stirling a palace, but funnily they are both termed Castles and are both fortresses and palaces. Of course there were nowhere near the crowds that were at Edinburgh when we arrived at 10am. Parked our little red ripper in the no 1 Park!, used our historic Scotland’s cards and received free audio pieces as well.

This tourist attraction was spotless, the gardens immaculate and manicured, it was a pleasure. The hand held audio guide worked our imaginations overtime, said to Kevin, it’s like being read bedtime stories. The replicated tapestries, so detailed and vivid - a £2mil, 13yr project. simply amazing: https://www.stirlingcastle.scot/discover/highlights/the-stirling-tapestries/  just loved them. Mary Queen of Scots mother was French, Mary of Guise. She sounded very loving and sensible. We are becoming very knowledgeable of Scotland’s history, but the more familiar we become and can understand it, it’s actually quite interesting.

We were there until 12.45pm and I suddenly realised that it was time we left for Bo'ness where we were booked for afternoon tea on the steam train to Kinneil. There were 6, short, beer barrelled 80yr olds, volunteers, running the proceedings. It was hilarious, first we were given table 5 in the name of McLean “they’ve mixed your names up, you booked in May, from NZ?” Really? How do you mix McLean with Mullin? Ok, he knew what he was doing, only when we boarded the coach, the McLeans were at our table! That got them all racing around, they’d been trying to find us but we were in another carriage bulging with books and videos, papers, phamplets, you name it, all railway related “even from NZ - see” and he found a 2007 magazine.

They set another table for us and raced off down to the canteen, sorted out our tier of goodies, then we set off. Was very relaxing, we’ve done a few steam trains, they’re always fun, a certain smell and atmosphere. 1/2hr & 15 miles later we arrived at Kinneil. Kevin approached the engine & hopped up with the driver, began to say “when I was a lad. ..” and the driver burst into song, so Kevin sang along with him to the Northern Lights of old Aberdeen, everyone cheered & clapped them when they finished. Then they steamed off down to the points (had a teenage girl and boy as stokers with them) changed the point etc. Kevin had a real bonus - sang for it!

Decided about 3.15pm when we alighted, that we had time to see St Margarets Cave at Dunfermline. - crossed over that stunning new bridge. We arrived just as they were closing at 4pm, ok we'll go to Culross then, and see the Palace there, nope 4.30pm & they were closing too. Arrived back here & we're locked out of the b&b!!!

This is a real hard case b&b. Went down for breakfast this morn and not a solitary soul in sight, so we helped ourselves to the continental breakfast that we could find, made our coffee - plunger, then he arrived back, had taken his wife to work. Re being locked out, I phoned him and he gave us a code to open the key safe at the front door.

After that afternoon tea/lunch, we are now sitting on the bed having a G & T and eating edamame beans mixed with olives - they’re delicious.