a wee bit of the countryside

This weekend, and after only a little prodding, I convinced my friend Sara to join me on an International Student Center excursion to Scone Palace and Perth. We spent the day gallivanting around the ancient grounds of Scone (pronounced "scoon," not "scone," to my great gastronomic disappointment) and the cobbled walkways of Perth, a nearby village on the banks of the River Tay.

Cute Highland Cows on the grounds of Scone Palace

Sara and I in front of Scone, ever so pleased with our decision to escape the city for a day!
Outfit: coat - Barbour, scarf - India, bag - Cole Haan, trousers - James Jeans, boots - Ciao Bella

In the Middle Ages, this was the site of the Augustinian Scone Abbey, the crowning place for Scottish Kings. The Stone of Destiny, also known as Jacob's Pillow, was used for Scottish coronations. The stone currently resides in Edinburgh Castle.

In preparation for this trip I watched the film "The Stone of Destiny," which chronicles the successful raid of Westminster Abbey by Scottish students in the 1950s to steal back the stone, which had been taken by Edward I of England as a gesture of usurpation of the Scottish throne. The English re-seized the stone but have since given it back to Scotland... on loan.

The grounds are strikingly well maintained (so typically British), with fiery ivy and impeccably placed topiaries abounding. Though the journey from Edinburgh is just short of an hour and a half, the Palace enjoys a constant stream of tourists, as well as still being used as a private residence for the Earls of Mansfield.
 

Scone Palace's Chapel

Just across the yard from the Palace, and perched atop Moot Hill, is this Presbyterian Chapel, the crowning place for the Kings of the Scots. A replica of the Stone of Destiny sits in front of the chapel entrance. This hill is man-made, legend being that over the centuries, when men would come to pay their respects to the newly-crowned Scottish Kings, they would bring some of the soil from their homelands in their boots in a gesture of reverence. Over time, this small hill was formed, consisting of soil from every corner of Scotland.

Beautiful peacocks, with vivid blue feathers, were everywhere on the Palace grounds -- so Sara and I made some friends :)

After taking a guided tour of the Palace and learning about its history, both in ancient and contemporary times, we boarded the bus and headed across the River Tay to Perth!

Wandering the streets of Perth, on our way to the Farmers Market

Bridge over the River Tay

There have been settlements at Perth since prehistoric times (and indeed, we even were able to see a Bronze Age longboat in the Perth Museum that was recently found in the river!), and the town has been called the Scottish capital at various times throughout history, due to its proximity to Scone.
 
After Sir Walter Scott published his story "Fair Maid of Perth" in 1828, Perth has been lovingly called The Fair City. And, thanks to the lovely weather that accompanied our visit, I can absolutely see why.

Standing on the bridge leading from Scone Palace to Perth, with St. Matthew's Church in the background and the sparkling River Tay below

After trying my first plate of coronation chicken at a local tea shop, sampling the goodies from the Farmers Market, and meandering through the museums and alleyways of the city, our fun-filled afternoon came to a close. On the way back to the bus, Sara and I stopped at the same moment to snap a photo of the shop sign below...

Just perfect :)

xo,

Laur