Friday 27May16
Today we're relaxing in our spacious B&B in this charming village prior to heading for the wilds of Scotland's north west tomorrow. Visible nearby is the stark outline of Stirling Castle, which we intend to visit today. But first let me tell you about our visit to Durham and the drive from there to here, which we undertook yesterday.
I had high expectations of Durham, especially because of the reputation of its cathedral but I was disappointed in what we found. Don't get me wrong, the people are friendly but the impression gained during a 36-hour stay is one of a small city which needs a bit of management and vision. For example, the steep left bank of the River Wear in the city (pronounced as in "weir"), generally appears unkempt where there are no buildings, with a profusion of unmanaged and largely unsightly vegetation where some glorious parks and gardens, evident in other English cities could be created. The cathedral was well worth a guided visit, although the tower was closed and covered in white clad scaffolding.
Google Earth view of Durham.
The city owes its existence to the cult of Cuthbert, an early Christian saint, whose alleged remains are entombed in the cathedral. The story goes that initially Cuthbert was discovered to be a special person when his body was exhumed on the nearby offshore island of Lindisfarne, eleven years after his death in 687AD. This exhumation was normal practice in those days and the intention was to clean up the bones and rebury them. To the amazement of the disinterrers, however, Cuthbert's body was found to be uncorrupted, a certain sign of saintliness in those days before cryogenic preservation. The body was quickly re-interred and the cult was born, especially as miraculous cures were reported and attributed to the intervention of Cuthbert, who himself had died in his fifties. The Vikings then came on the scene, plundering and pillaging, with Lindisfarne being an obvious target for their rapaciousness. This led to the removal of Cuthbert's remains and their carriage around the north of England for some 300 years before they reached their "final" resting place in 995AD on land at the near-impregnable bend in the river where the cathedral now stands. The city arose as a result of the popularity of the cult of Cuthbert and the need for the devotees to visit his remains. This story reminded me of the monks in a small town in France (which we visited a couple of years ago), who stole from another group of monks the remains of a saint and advertised them as now resident in their village, which prospered as a result. "Thieves never prosper", hah!
The Dun Cow, a pub with a grim past, near where we stayed in Durham.
And so we left England for Scotland on the Thursday. On the way, despite the weather, we diverted to see a famous modern monument, which perhaps you've also seen, in BBC TV drama shows if not in real life.
We'd intended to drive along the coastal route, for the views, but were thwarted by the foul weather which reduced visibility to a couple of hundred metres. By the time we realized that views were unlikely we were committed to that general route and so, like the stoic people of that area, pushed on regardless.
Bamburgh Castle, just visible in the murk but perched right on the (invisible) beach.
With Mary driving, we crossed the border into Scotland in pouring rain and low visibility.
And eventually we arrived, without incident and with the invaluable help of our iPad navigation system, at our B&B at Bridge of Allan. For those curious to see how we navigate, on foot, in trains and buses and in our car this short video may help. Make sure you tap or click to turn on the sound.
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Kev Long
Author iPad Traveller for iPad and Mac.
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The technical stuff:
Our main iPad is connecting to the Internet mainly through a cellular connection provided (prepaid, 3gb for three months for £16) by the UK "Three" network. On high ground and in town environments this connection has so far proven quite good but, as in Australia, some places lack good coverage so no or poor connection. There are quite a few WiFi options available too although not always advertised. Just ask if you're unsure if available. All except two of our accommodation reservations include free WiFi which is of course the preferred method of transferring large amounts of data but I have been posting these blogs and their images sometimes using only a cellular connection either from inside our accommodation or on the roadside.
Mary's iPhone is operating using an Australian SIM card (Optus prepaid) which is roaming while in the UK and gives us the ability to make phone calls (not cheap) and send and receive SMS. It also uses WiFi, can connect directly to the Internet through the local cellular system (expensive), and use a Personal Hot Spot provided by the iPad (essentially free as the iPad connection is prepaid).
I went to school with the Cuthberts. I never knew such a history of the name!
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