Forest sprites welcome the choir
Day 5 of our 10 days together on the road. You’ve been there. The same faces, the same sounds, the same smells. Still, damp socks didn’t dampen our spirits! Goal for the day: arrive in Edinburgh in time to check in to University of Edinburgh for a 7 pm dinner whilst visiting world renowned Balmoral Castle in Cairngorms National Park: Scottish home to the Royal Family.
So, Balmoral is actually the summer home of the Royal Family with most of the castle closed to tourists except the ballroom which features a nice art collection open to public. Still, there are thousands of acres of woods, fields, and gardens to explore with a nice audio guided tour tailored for a few of those acres. There’s also a nice, warm, and dry tea and lunch shop on the grounds on those very rare occasions when one finds oneself hanging around a Scottish castle and it just happens perchance to rain a wee bit. Suffice to say our chapel choir frequented the café along with – surprise – another gift shop!
When the Royal Family is in residence at Balmoral, and the castle and grounds are closed, many tourists watch as the family attend Sunday service at nearby Crathie Kirk. Since the Royal Family is still hanging down in London town, we decided to visit Crathie Kirk anyway and your SPC Chapel Choir tour did something special once again. The nice ol’ chap giving us the brief oral history of Crathie Kirk pointed out the sole occasion and location the queen ever sat in Crathie other than her own royal pew. And as he looked at that spot, he enthroned our own Elizabeth as queen (at least for a day!). The gentleman then invited us to do what we do best – sing, as so we did. An uneventful trip south to Edinburgh followed, with lodgings and dinner on time, and… wait for it… 4 bars of Wifi service to the happiness of ALL.
So, Balmoral is actually the summer home of the Royal Family with most of the castle closed to tourists except the ballroom which features a nice art collection open to public. Still, there are thousands of acres of woods, fields, and gardens to explore with a nice audio guided tour tailored for a few of those acres. There’s also a nice, warm, and dry tea and lunch shop on the grounds on those very rare occasions when one finds oneself hanging around a Scottish castle and it just happens perchance to rain a wee bit. Suffice to say our chapel choir frequented the café along with – surprise – another gift shop!
When the Royal Family is in residence at Balmoral, and the castle and grounds are closed, many tourists watch as the family attend Sunday service at nearby Crathie Kirk. Since the Royal Family is still hanging down in London town, we decided to visit Crathie Kirk anyway and your SPC Chapel Choir tour did something special once again. The nice ol’ chap giving us the brief oral history of Crathie Kirk pointed out the sole occasion and location the queen ever sat in Crathie other than her own royal pew. And as he looked at that spot, he enthroned our own Elizabeth as queen (at least for a day!). The gentleman then invited us to do what we do best – sing, as so we did. An uneventful trip south to Edinburgh followed, with lodgings and dinner on time, and… wait for it… 4 bars of Wifi service to the happiness of ALL.
Queen Elizabeth of Shallowford
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