A Couple of Amazing Sculptures.

 I have  just come back from a lovely trip to the Scottish Borders and Edinburgh and I would like to share some brief impressions I have of the Lothian region. On a day trip to Edinburgh I enjoyed a guided tour of the Scottish Parliament Building. Did you know you can pre-book this free guided tour ? The other highlight of my day in Edinburgh was a visit to the Royal Botanic Garden.  
During our week in Scotland we visited Alnwick Castle and Gardens  which included the largest tree house of Europe. Alnwick Castle was used as part of Hogwarts in the first Harry Potter film.
We also visited Jedburgh (well worth visiting!) and Jedburgh Abbey
and enjoyed Scott's View which was one of the favourite places for Sir Walter Scott to sit and write and overlooked his house Abbotsford.

Most of all I would like to share with you my impressions of two amazing statues.

The first one is a statue of William Wallace or Braveheart as he is sometimes known as.

This statue is in the grounds of the Bemersyde estate near Melrose in the Scottish Borders.

It was erected by David Stuart Erskine, the 11^th Earl of Buchan and for many years was hidden from view with only the locals knowing where it was.

It has now been refurbished and is a grade 2 protected listed building and is available for all to see with a car park nearby and a footpath to the statue where overlooking the estate.

At the base of the statue is an inscription:

Erected by David Stuart
Erskine, Earl of Buchan
WALLACE
GREAT PATRIOT HERO!
ILL REQUITED CHIEF!
MDCCCXIV

Jagan lühidalt muljeid reisist Shotimaa piirialadele ja Edinburghi. Kuna olen Edinburghis ennegi käinud, siis sel korral oli põhiliseks huviobjektiks Shoti parlamendihoone, mis on tõesti omapärane ja kuhu on võimalik reserveerida tasuta ringkäik koos giidiga. Nautisin ka jalutuskäiku Kuninglikus Botaanikaaias, mis on samuti tasuta, v.a. klaasmajad.
Käisime ka Alnwick Castle's, mis tänapäeval kogub rohkem kuulsust Harry Potter'i filmi Hogwart'i võtteplatsina :) Tore linnake oli Jedburgh, mis on tõesti väärt külastamist, oma kloostri ja muude huviväärsuste poolest.
Kõige rohkem muljet avaldasid sel reisil aga kaks skulptuuri. Üks neist on püstitatud Braveheart William Wallace'i auks Melrose'i lähedal Bemersyde House aladel. Pikka aega oli see kuju teada ainult kohalikele, täiesti metsa kasvanud. Nüüd on üles pandud teeviidad ja rada viib läbi metsa kujuni, mis ootamatult muljetavaldavalt seisab mäenõlval.

 

 

The other amazing statue is  the Angel of the North, sculpted by Antony Gormley.

It is visible from the A1 at Gateshead on the way south from Scotland but it is well worth stopping and having a closer look and a walk round this truly amazing sculpture. It is Britain’s biggest sculpture and is believed to be the world’s biggest angel sculpture.

 Teine hämmastav skulptuur on vaadeldav juba maanteelt A1 Gateshead'i lähistel teel Shotimaalt lõunasse. See on Põhja Ingel, The Angel of the North, autoriks Antony Gormley. Tegemist on Britimaa suurima skulptuuriga ja arvatavasti maailma suurima ingli kujuga. Tõesti väärt teha väike peatus ja ajada pea kuklasse :)