Day 1612: Culross

I knew as soon as we stepped off the bus this would be the best day yet. Culross is a tiny, ancient town on the Firth of Forth with a population of only 300 people.   Seventeenth century structures have been restored by the National Trust and reflect the best of the era without the stink of garbage, coal fires and human waste that characterized that century.

A small park stretched between the road and the sea.  Then opposite, a cobblestone entrance led to Culross Palace, or Place, and a dozen other homes and shops.  The palace was a very modest estate with several additions, painted mustard gold.  We immediately spotted a sign for hanging gardens and hiked up steep stairs between six foot tall rock walls leading up hill to overlook the town.  It was a breathtaking view.  Gardens, orchard, hens cackling, herbs draping over the walls, clusters of purple flowers growing from cracks.   So beautiful!

We had lunch in a quaint biscuit shop.  A cheese biscuit with a bowl of spicy butternut squash soup with rose flavored lemonade.  So Scottish!

Then we took a brief walking tour of the village and heard so many stories of life in the 17h century.  The best one was the explanation for the small windows in the second story of most houses.  What could they be for?  I assumed they were used for dumping waste into the street. No!  They allowed barn owls to enter homes at night to catch the mice and rats that tormented the residents.

Incredibly, a wedding was taking place on the palace grounds!  Groomsmen and guests wore formal kilts, jackets and vests.  Women wore grand sweeping hats, flowered dresses and heels.  Finally, the bride and groom appeared, she in her lovely princess gown and he in kilt suit.  A beautiful scene.

We searched the Abbey cemetery for a gravestone with the name Masterton, but had no luck.  We gathered a few more leads and clues that will require further research.  Nevertheless, Mary was happy because several generations of their ancestors would have walked those same streets, worked in village and gazed upon the sea.