Empire-Advance
Serving Virden & area since 1885
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From the prairies to the highlands 204 – part 5
Now for the rest of the story of the Hunterston castle.
Madame Pauline Hunter is the current Laird of Hunterston castle. She is the fifth female to hold the title. It is a lifetime commitment, and she also has to name a successor who will succeed her upon her death, but the Lord Lion Doctor Josef Morrow has the final say.
The last piece of the Wallace Oak rests in the bottom floor of the castle. William Wallace was chained to this tree before being executed. In 1992 the tree blew down in a storm. And the Hunter Clan became the proud keeper, preserving this piece of history.
The roof trusses of the castle are interesting, as not a single nail was used, amazing!
We also encountered the youngest Hunter Knight while we were exploring the castle, Sir Bowen!
The craftsmanship of the time it was built is outstanding, this is a marvelous castle. To think it still stands today is mind boggling. Houses in Canada nowhere last the test of time like this castle.
One thing I observed was that Scotland preserves their history, unlike Canada who tear it down or destroy the work our forefathers did.
There is a garden just a few steps away from the castle. As we approached the gate leading into the garden, our guide had to unlock the heavy gate, which opens into a beautiful, landscaped area. Such beauty! There were flowers, shrubs and fruit trees with several places to stop, sit and rest while appreciating the absolute stunning view. Surrounding the garden was a ten-foot-high stone wall to keep trouble out. Also in the garden were vegetables. In the early days food was scarce, so the people relied on the Hunters to bring in wild game to the table. Berries were also very common, but potatoes were not introduced to Scotland until the early 1700s, so they relied on meat.
It was time to say our goodbyes to Hunterston castle, so we loaded up our bus and had our roll call. We headed to our next stop, lunch at Piersland House hotel where we had a great lunch overlooking a garden of flowers and shrubs.
The memory of the Hunterston castle is still deeply entrenched in my mind. I was blown away to think that a structure built so long ago could remain so beautiful. Everything there was neat and tidy, so cared for. One other thing about the garden was that it was manicured to perfection. Our hosts were fantastic and shared their stories and answered all of our questions. This is one of the best memories of the trip. For me, leaving was bittersweet as I just loved it there. I was excited to go on our trip, but I think a bit of me stayed at that castle. I still get a little choked up just thinking about it.
That evening back at the church we ordered pizza and just relaxed. With so much to see and take in each day, we just needed to unwind. This was the second evening of musical chairs.
The next day we were all excited to visit David Caldwell, Donald Caldwell's father. David and his late wife Jean farmed in the Kenton area for a number of years, so I was happy to be able to visit with David. David used to come to poker night at the Kenton Legion and always entertained the folks there, be it a story or a joke, and of course with a pint!
Next week we will visit Port Patrick and hope we do not hear the bagpipes, because this may happen to you.