Wednesday 21st -- morning in Linlithgow

Wednesday. The day of the Tattoo. The excitement builds :-)

We start with a stroll round town, Linlithgow. With a visit to the Palace.

Linlithgow Palace started as a fortress then was extended into  palace. From a solid stone place for defence to a much larger country estate mansion. Four or more storeys, six or more towers, dungeons, parapets, the works. Now a very substantial ruin.

We check out a few of the upper floors... remains of floors... The narrow stone spiral stairs and the open -- though fenced off -- upper floors make us (or just me?) nervous. There are pigeons -- and nests -- in once-inside areas. The fresh remains of a rabbit lie in one lower passage.

I'm left wondering about those spiral stairs. I can see that they are a stack of identical steps. Each step shaped like one of those spinning seeds, solid pod with a flat wing (the step) attached. So when the "pod" sides are stacked (and the wings, steps, fanned out) what stops them sliding sideways?

We also check out the collections of household items find around the palace. 

the usual sort of stuff. I guess that they sacked the maid who broke all the earthenware.

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After an hour or two at the palace, it's time for lunch, or tea, or something... I'm writing this the next day, memory is already fading. I'm sure I can remember: 

We have coffee at the Burgh cafe, in Burgh Hall. The name makes more sense when I finally realise that it's pronounced "borough", it's the local council house.

We also, at some point, have lunch at The Coffee Neuk. Probably soup and bun, we do that a lot. Then home again for a rest... and to get ready to go to Edinburgh.

Time for a break. I'll be back after some real-time icecream...

====    Dr Nick Lethbridge  /  Consulting Dexitroboper
             Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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"I would like to think it's possible to construct a society where our orders don't involve slaughtering our own people." ...Gen. Khiruev via Yoon Ha Lee

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dying for you to read my blog: notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au :-)
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