The Old and the Beautiful

Sometimes I forget how far away I am from where I came.  I'll be thinking about something else, and then suddenly, "Oh, my God!  I'm in Scotland!"  It's strange how that happens.  Normally, though, all I have to do is look up at the mountains.  That reminds me not only of where I came from, but where I am. 

I love the mountains here.  When I lived in Seattle, that was my favorite thing about that city.  Many details about living there have faded from my memory, but one that never will is riding the bus into the city as the sun was coming up through the mountains.  I don't miss how flat Ohio is.  Being surrounded by such a beautiful landscape makes every day more interesting. 

I also love driving around and seeing castles, ruins, and old buildings.  For those that have lived here their entire lives, such things are commonplace and probably quite boring.  For those of us that haven't, these extraordinary buildings are awe-inspiring, and I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that these places are everywhere.

Just down the road from us are the well-in-tact remains of the Cambuskenneth Abbey, founded in 1140 (that's right, I said 1140....).

Anywhere we go, we can see two beautiful buildings:  the Wallace Monument, and Stirling Castle, perched high atop the Ochils.

The Wallace Monument is quite young by Scottish standards....only 150 years old.  Stirling Castle, however, dates back to 1124, and was the site of many famous battles.

Walking down from the castle is an adventure in itself.  That area is Stirling Old Town, with the Holy Rude Church dating back to the 12th century, an old schoolhouse dating back to 1593, and many other fascinating places.   

This is what makes living here so special for me.  It feels like I belong where old things are.  Walking through these places stirs something deep in my soul that has longed to be fed.  Standing atop Stirling Castle recently, I read a sign that said it was the exact spot where the queen went to look at the views.  There was something magical about standing there....something that makes me feel part of a larger whole.  I wonder, what was it like to live then? 

I really love it here.  It is so beautiful, so dramatic, so lovely.  The only time I have felt a pang of sadness is when I saw a woman with young children out playing, and her mother was along to help.  Another small pang watching two women chatting over tea while their kids played together.  I do miss my friends and my family, but do I regret coming here?  Never.