Culross Palace & St. Andrews

Culross palace and st. andrews

Emily:

After leaving Edinburgh, our first stop was Culross Palace. This name is a bit deceptive, as it is not the kind of castle or palace that is typically associated with these European landscapes (and which we would see a lot of by the end of the trip!). This was the family home of George Bruce, and the restoration inside gave us a glimpse of how the family would have lived, although we couldn't take pictures of the interior to help protect the antique items inside. The house was painted a rich gold color to signify the family's wealth, but to me the most impressive part of this stop was the gardens. They were built into the hill with stone walls, small huts and benches, and even some giant chickens!

Next, we traveled to one of my favorite stops on the tour - the small town of St. Andrews. This town is apparently known for golf, but I am not a golf fan and would never have known this. What blew me away about this area was the ruins of the Bishop's castle and the cathedral. These old stone ruins are stunning, and I loved wandering through the remains of the structures, surrounded by green grass and with the North Sea in the background, imagining the kind of grandeur that once existed here. My mom and I also met a lot of locals who were so friendly to chat with and who were happy to share their experience living in this part of the world. We loved meeting them and hearing about what life is like in this small town.

Clockwise from top left: us at the ruins of the Cathedral; a view from inside the ruins of the Bishop's Palace; graves at the Cathedral ruins; the Cathedral ruins

Views from the grounds and gardens at Culross Palace

LaShon's Highlights:

Liz coordinates the music on the coach with our location and the sites we are seeing. I'm very excited to hear The Proclaimers as we drive through Auchtermuchty.
The Kenmore Inn is beyond quaint, beyond quirky. It was very comfortable and set by the beautiful River Tay. I think my dinner there was one of the most delicious meals I've ever had.