On The Way Back - Edinburgh and Islay
On The Way Back
Saturday 8th September 2007
Today we drove from Inverary down to Edinburgh, and then from there got the train back to London. We went a different route from the West coast to Edinburgh this time, taking us by way of Stirling, and, to my delight, Doune Castle - as featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Edinburgh and Islay
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| 10:32:32 Our first little break en route was at this spot towards the North of Loch Lomond, where we could take in a bit of the (albeit overcast) scenery. | 10:32:38 I rather liked this Scotsman on the boat here. | 10:33:06 More of Loch Lomond... |
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| 10:34:32 ....and the same again without that jetty in the way. | 10:35:13 ...a hydro electrict power station on the banks of Loch Lomond. | 12:07:39 Imagine my delight when I spotted a sign for Doune Castle on our way back to Edinburgh - as used (somewhat extensively) in the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail - we absolutely had to stop and take a look round. |
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| 12:11:44 The staircase used in the wedding scene - and rather appropriately there was a wedding on this afternoon - you can see people carrying a harp up the stairs here. | 12:12:31 Superbly the gift shop has a coconut (cut in half, tied together with string) which visitors can loan for that full Monty Python effect. | 12:13:03 Inside the castle... I'd seen the 2001 documentary where Michael Palin and Terry Jones go and visit some of the filming locations for the Holy Grail, and was trying to remember which bits were used in which scenes... |
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| 12:13:43 ....so here follows a lot of castle interior pictures... | 12:14:11 The Great Hall, in the process of setting up for a wedding this afternoon - what a fantastic venue. | 12:15:10 I don't think this room was used in the Holy Grail, but I could well be wrong. |
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| 12:15:27 | 12:15:36 | 12:16:07 |
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| 12:16:15 | 12:17:12 This looks somewhat familiar... | 12:19:20 |
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| 12:19:25 | 12:20:54 Out on the battlements... | 12:21:05 |
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| 12:21:15 Nice view from here. | 12:22:26 Self timer shot, me looking reassuringly idiotic with the two empty halves of coconut shell. | 12:23:14 Chie, possibly practising some French taunting here. |
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| 12:23:34 | 12:24:00 | 12:27:52 That famous staircase again. |
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| 12:28:07 Lancelot charged through here, randomly killing people. | 12:29:17 Me standing where John Cleese and Michael Palin once stood. In the film this courtyard is made to look like it is indoors if I recall correctly. | 12:30:16 A bit of a tribute to the film in the exhibition room here. |
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| 12:30:26 | 12:32:17 These look like the battlements from which either the French taunting or the first scene ("You're using coconuts!") were filmed from, although I think in the documentary it mentioned at least one of those scenes used a mock set of battlements. | 12:32:27 I think this is the bit of wall where the knights charged up and attacked, and then were forced to "run away!" in light of various livestock being hurled at them. |
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| 12:32:37 Another familiar looking bit of wall. | 12:33:18 | 12:33:22 I think I remember this being mentioned in the documentary as well. |
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| 12:36:10 A couple of last shots of the castle... | 12:36:15 ...with the wedding guests assembling, but no sign of Lancelot rushing in to sluaghter them all indiscriminately. | 13:18:55 Chie had wanted to see the Forth bridge, and so we found this nice little point to stop off on the way back to Edinburgh. |
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| 13:19:03 There's a close-up. | 13:19:57 ...and one more shot before heading on to Edinburgh. | 18:37:39 On the train from Edinburgh back to London, Chie enjoying an M&S salad. |
