Leith Hall Garden & Estate, Scotland, United Kingdom
Hair cut for Kev this morning after a breakfast of mushroom & cheese scrambled eggs on a bed of spinach. Washed up, then remembered the tomatoes in the microwave!
It wasn't a very nice day, gloomy and chilly. Messed about a bit and left the cottage round 11.30am, heading for Macduff, we need a food flask, we have soup we can take for lunch then.
We found a perfect, never been used flask in the RedX op shop, BUT wait, there’s more ............ they had the most amazing range of crystal glasses. £2 pair of Royal Doulton brandy balloons, and a £2pair of deevine Stuart whisky glasses, heavy as, however, Kevin was clutching 3 smaller unmarked but matching, crystal whisky glasses for 50p each, he wasn’t worried who’s mark was on them! Of course we bought them. They may not come home with us, but at least we’ll have our wine, and Kevin his whisky, in style while we’re here.
We decided we’d go to Huntly, the town we passed thru a week ago. Beautiful rolling country, grain, and a lot of beef and sheep. Trailed behind tractors & trailers several times, winding up their harvesting and the day was improving the more we headed inland.
I’m so annoyed, I don’t know what happened but more than half my blog has disappeared.
This WILL be brief.
1.30pm, 15* Huntly, we saw the sign for Leith Hall (National Trust Scotland) 9kms away, it was fabulous, but unfortunately closed, only open on weekends from September. The gardens were beautiful, it was worth it to go for them alone.
"The north wing of the house was constructed in 1650, on the site of the earlier Peill Castle, by James Leith of New Leslie (see Castle Croft). The east wing was added in 1756, and the south wing was built in 1797 by General Alexander Leith Hay. The west wing, containing the entrance front, was added in 1868 to complete the courtyard.
During the First World War it became a temporary Red Cross hospital and housed over 500 patients. In 1945 the house and grounds were presented to the NTS. The gardens and grounds are open to the public all year round. After several years' closure the Hall was re-opened by the NTS in 2013.”
A lot of these stately homes were used as military hospitals during the war years.
Since 1903 Duff househas actually been used as a palm court hotel, a sanatorium, a prisoner of war camp and a barracks.
Leith Hall - We walked around it, accompanied by a very friendly ginger cat. Later we cheekily drove the car around the back of it (no one was around), and had our lunch on one of the tables - out of the wicket picnic basket from NZ, remembered to pack it today.
Returned to Huntly, parked in the square and went walking around the town. Sry old, grey town, narrow streets again but quite a grid formation mainly. A lot of high school age kids around, reasonably busy. These towns are nothing like home, shop fronts always look like houses, with a door in the middle and a window each side. You need to stop looking where you’re putting your feet on the cobbled streets and look in the windows, pharmacies, hair dressers, ops shops and pubs, the odd corner “newsagent” intermingled.
New supermarket complexes which also sell clothing & electrical appliances have killed a lot of the small family businesses.
Huntly Castle - we photographed and that was all, it’s a ruin, but quite preserved compared to some.
We were back here by 5.15pm. Easy dinner at 7.30pm as I had casseroled the other 2 pork chops (Kevin says they were from an old chopper!!!)
Graeme nz
2018-09-07
That historic scenery of castles,aged mansions and quaint bridges is to die for. You just want to "box some up" and bring I one eh?
jukes
2018-09-07
You’re so right Graeme, how’s the ankle?
Jasha
2018-09-07
Beautiful castles, gardens and scenery. Love it. More great finds from the op shop. How wonderful. I would be hunting for cups and saucers.
Richard
2018-09-08
Have you been through Buckie Findochty and Portknockie little coastal town worth a drive through we did in 2016. We stayed in Elgin. Get use out of those whiskey glass Kevie
Nina
2018-09-08
We will be visiting the Op shops next year!
Sandra & Casey
2018-09-08
Casey enjoying looking at photos of you both, he is not well been coughing all night. mum and dad at Pink Concert home tomorrow. Charlotte to busy playing with Summer.
jukes
2018-09-08
Hello Casey & Sandra. I must put some more pics of us up, and tell Charlotte that Jimmie has been staying in the car recently, it’s a bit cold for him - says Kevie.
jukes
2018-09-08
Yes, Richard, those fishing villages, so quaint, alike but so totally individual.
Manda
2018-09-10
I’m sure Mumsie and I went to Leith Castle when she was in Scotland! Great photos and love the whisky glasses xx