Tappoch Broch

For the last two sites we visited, our guide changed to our current teacher: Dr Huggett (very popular, especially with the graduate students). Tappoch Broch was a fascinating place. We walked through a thick wood to get to it, which glowed with an almost phosphorescent green. When we reached the ruin, Dr Huggett told us that hardly anything is known about this site. Brochs are most often found in the north of Scotland, so it is a bit of a mystery that it is here at all. He also said that most of his colleagues aren't aware of its existence - it is a somewhat hidden and magical place. And I agree. It dates from the Iron age, roughly around 100 B.C. to 150 A.D.

A view down into the broch.

All of us standing on the wall listening to Dr Huggett inside the broch. He told us the wall is about 20 feet thick.

The stairway going into the broch. This stair is within the wall.

Faded heather growing on a ledge inside the broch.

The entrance.

A better view of the stairs.

Up on the wall again.

Maps and information

Morag requested maps for the sites we visited. So I'm including links to the sites - both information and google maps. These are links our teacher sent us. Enjoy:
Dunblane Cathedral:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=dunblane+cathedral&sll=56.189645,-3.96394&sspn=0.007128,0.013239&ie=UTF8&hq=dunblane+cathedral&hnear=&ll=56.189568,-3.965378&spn=0.003564,0.00662&t=h&z=17
and
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/24672/details/dunblane+kirk+street+dunblane+cathedral/
Doune Castle:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=56.1853250365727,+-4.04905119801437&sll=56.043509,-3.873088&sspn=0.028621,0.052958&ie=UTF8&ll=56.184941,-4.049814&spn=0.007129,0.013239&t=h&z=16
and
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/24738/details/doune+castle/
Tappoch Broch:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=56.0435094331553,+-3.87308774575641&sll=55.958917,-4.070876&sspn=0.028684,0.052958&ie=UTF8&ll=56.042298,-3.872209&spn=0.014311,0.026479&t=h&z=15
and
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/47004/details/torwood+tappoch+broch/
Bar Hill:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=55.9589167954584,+-4.07087652488413&sll=37.771008,-122.41175&sspn=0.040504,0.052958&ie=UTF8&ll=55.958738,-4.06846&spn=0.014342,0.026479&t=h&z=15
and
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/45920/details/antonine+wall+bar+hill+roman+fort/

Doune Castle

This castle was built around 1400 by Robert, Duke of Albany. Interestingly, it was never completed. Another feature of this castle which is unusual is that it has had very little alterations or additions over the years, so is the same, more-or-less as when it was first built. It was built on a large earthwork, probably the site of an earlier timber castle. The Duke of Albany never was king, but did rule Scotland for about twenty-five to thirty years (part of that time James I was imprisoned in England). The Duke of Albany died in 1420, and his son took over, but was executed when James I returned to Scotland. The castle wasn't an important structure after that, and was used as  a hunting lodge and such. But it was seized by the Jacobites during the Jacobite Rebellion.

And of course, I must add that its greatest claim to fame is that it was used in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

A view of the river Teith from the roof.

You can't tell, but I'm up on the roof in this picture.

In the kitchen: the place where they'd sharpen their knives!

The stones sticking out from the wall indicate where more building was going to take place - but never did.

The Great Hall, purposefully built to be old-fashioned: no fireplace, just a huge brazier in the middle of the hall.

Oooh!

I had a little fun making a couple of my skull pictures black and white. Before I move on to the rest of the field trip, I want to add them!

Next stop: Doune Castle!

The Churchyard

There were so many fabulous gravestones - many of which were from the 1700's, and most of them had skulls on them, so I had to take pictures!

Notice the lovely thistle at the bottom of this stone.

One of my fellow students asked me what the skull & cross-bones symbolised. I told her I supposed it was Momento Mori. "Oh," she replied, "I was hoping it had something to do with pirates."

Not a grave, I know. But I hope this came out - seeing the stained glass windows on the other wall, through the plain windows. It was a lovely effect in real life, I'm not sure if the picture captures it.

Inside the Cathedral

detail on some of the remaining choir stalls

The nave, where the regular people would have been. In medieval times there were no pews, and there were alters for saints.

I didn't see a date on this, but I thought it was pretty fabulous.

Lovely effigies of a man and wife.

Another view. I thought it was quite interesting how part of the cloth from the man swoops down and touches the woman's dress. (Earl & Countess of Strathearn)

This is inside the square tower - a place for an alter.

This fellow was Bishop Clement, I believe.

The square tower from inside.

Dunblane Cathedral

I was very excited to learn that we did have one field trip this semester, because originally I supposed all the field trips to be a thing of semester one only. The first place we visited today was Dunblane Cathedral. Dunblane is in Perthshire, and Professor Driscoll, our guide for the first two sites, told us that was in an important place, as being on the edge of the highlands.

The reason we were visiting the cathedral was because of a square tower which stood out from the rest of the cathedral (built in the late middle ages) and dating from the 12th century, earlier than the church. It is a free standing tower, and once would have dominated a landscape of buildings surrounding the cathedral area.