Glasgow and surrounding areas

Glasgow and its cathedral

After yesterday's historic day, we are preparing for a slightly more relaxed Saturday. We return to the town of Inveraray and the castle, enjoying the bright light coming from the east, and then proceed along the shores of Loch Lomond towards Glasgow. The center of Glasgow The day before the festival is starting, and the center begins to fill with travelers who will soon flood it in a matter of hours. The city doesn't offer major attractions that are worth the trip alone; the only artwork we consider truly significant is the magnificent cathedral, a gothic masterpiece that with narrow columns It rises high above all other urban buildings. The windows They are also very agile and narrow, creating an extremely acute angle in this way. In the lower part, there is a church, and in that case, the columns are low and closely spaced, almost as if to create an aura of mystery in this dark place. It's interesting to note how Scottish churches usually have a transept more towards the center, leaving much more space for the choir. Here we can say that the entire cathedral is located in the choir, as it also includes the pews and, at the very back, at the height of the apse, there is the altar. This is also facilitated by the fact that it is a Protestant place of worship, which simplifies its ornamentation and reduces the space.

Among the abbeys of the Borders

Walked around the city and towards the River Clyde to return and pick up the car when it was almost midday.
We take the highway to Edinburgh and then a smaller road that leads us to visit the abbeys of the Borders region.
Jedburgh: We arrive at 2 PM. There are... remains of the cathedral It is complete except for the roof and windows. The condition is generally good, as is the village itself, with a population of around 4000 people.
Melrose: we were expecting something more. The cathedral is not in such good condition. Although there is still partial coverage. The town is not very well-maintained.
Peebles It's a small town with approximately 8,000 inhabitants, featuring an interesting center, but not much more.

Rosslyn Chapel and evening in Edinburgh

Rosslyn Chapel It is a church dating back to the 15th century, located in Roslin, ten kilometers south of Edinburgh. This church was designed by William Sinclair, Earl of Caithness. Built in 1446, it originally bore the name Collegiate Church of St Matthew. It stands out for its architecture with biblical scenes and pagan sculptures related to the Templar tradition. Furthermore, this church is famous for the myths and legends that have arisen around it. It is said that the church is crossed by the Meridian of Paris and that there is a subterranean room in which no one is allowed to enter. In any case, it is a true architectural gem with a white interior richly decorated in every corner and detail. Since the church appeared in the book The Da Vinci Code And also in the eponymous film, it serves as a key search term for the Holy Grail, and the number of tourists visiting it only continues to increase. In just a few years, it has gone from 30,000 to 130,000. The guide explains allegories, metaphors, and contradictions that are represented in the decorations. Currently, a large-scale conservation project is underway, which is expected to last four years. A very interesting detail is in the ornamentation of an arch from the late 14th century, which represents typical fruits from the American continent. This suggests, as previously mentioned elsewhere, that the Templars had arrived in America at least a century before Columbus, and in this occasion they would have also brought back some fruits. If this were the case, the discovery of the new continent would need to be dated at least a century earlier.
We leave when it's already 6 pm to reach the nearby Edinburgh, we stay overnight at another B&B in a nice residential area that slopes towards the city center. We have dinner at the Deacon Restaurant, located along the Royal Mile, the main street of the Scottish capital. I manage to taste haggis, the national dish made with sheep's entrails. It is delicious, and the warnings of the guides are justified when they mention accompanying it with introductory remarks and strong precautions. Bruna, on the other hand, enjoys haddock and salmon in meatballs. A walk through the city center with cool temperatures, although young people go wild on Saturday evenings and girls show off outfits more suitable for our latitudes. The view is sometimes pleasant, but other times it's just a mess of fat bellies on trousers. Men have learned to defend themselves from the cold by practicing the art of drinking alcohol.