The Lewis Chessmen (and Chessladies)

We visited the National Museum of Scotland last week, where we go often, and it comes with my highest recommendation for anyone visiting Edinburgh. Though not the main reason for our visit that day, we spent a little time with one of the museum's most famous exhibits, the Lewis Chessmen.

The exact history of the Lewis Chessmen is a little dubious at either end. The common story is that they were found in a sand dune near Uig on the Isle of Lewis in 1831or a little before, and although there are a few conspiracy theories against this, it seems likely to me.

Their origins are much murkier. They were once thought to have been made in Iceland but it is now generally accepted they were made in Norway sometime round about 1150 to 1200 (the shape of the bishops' mitres are of a style developed around this time). It may be of some satisfaction to many of my collegues on the Foinaven that some experts think that they may have been crafted in Trondheim from walrus tusk and whales teeth.

What is definate is that there are 96 pieces, from at least four sets, most of which belong to the British Museum in London but 11 belong to the National Museum of Scotland - they must have one in a box somewhere as there were only 10 in the case when I took these pictures.

They are not in the style of chess pieces as we have come to know them today - they may have been used to play other games. The kings in the sets are seated on thrones with a sword on their laps.

The queens in the sets are portrayed with their heads on their right hand. Some look somewhat concerned, after all, there's hubby with his sword out and only able to move one square in any direction at a time, and some look...well...just a bit bored. Some are seen clutching a drinking horn - passes the time I suppose.

Pictures of the pieces usually shows them from the front but it's worth a look round the back as the backs of the thrones are elaborately decorated.

When they were found the absence of rooks was noted and there were a number of warriors which are now thought to be the rooks.

Some of the warriors are berserkers, biting the top of their shields in their excitment to get into battle.

The knights all seem to have rather undersized horses.

This seems to be a good time to go back a few years and show you some pictures I took of the pieces that are in the British Museum in London. You can see here a number of gaming counters and a belt buckle that was found with the chessmen.

Although these two fine institutions in Edinburgh and London are the permenent homes of the pieces, it is worth pointing out that they are often loaned out to other museums around the world, including the Nan Eilean Museum in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. Last year I saw some of them in Aberdeen while on my way to work, so keep your eyes open in case they're heading your way.

The Lewis pieces have been used as the models for many sets now on sale like these fine fellows made by the Regency Chess Company in Bath.

They used laser technology to take a 3D scan of this berserker that appeared in an earlier picture to produce a full sized replica of the original. Have a compare and see how close you think they've come.

Culzean Castle

The middle of February seems a good day to revisit the height of Summer and the day I dropped in on Culzean Castle was one of the better days last Summer.

When I'm to write a blog about a castle, you might wonder why I have a picture of my car in a lay by first. This is the Croy Brae which I passed on my way to the castle. It's better known as the Electric Brae and is famous for the fact that things seem to roll uphill there. The car here is pointing uphill, though it doesn't look it and the hill is steep enough that when I took off the handbrake it rolled backwards. I was here as a lad, when there wasn't a lay by. I'm sure there must have been many an accident as people drove round the corner to find somebody stopped in the middle of the road playing. I had a look on Youtube and found a video of somebody else's visit here.

The castle sits in extensive grounds and as you approach, it is first viewed through this ruined (if ruined is the right word when it appears to have been built that way) arch. It offers a contrast against the grandeur of the castle itself.

As castles go, there's nothing particularly old about this one. It doesn't date back far enough to have been the scene of a battle or siege. Although there is mention of a tower here in the 15th century, the current building was built between 1777 and 1792 by Robert Adam (who is responsible for much of Edinburgh's wonderful Georgian building) for the 10th Earl of Cassilis.

You can go on a tour round the inside of the castle, which I did and found it a bit lack lustre to be honest (perhaps I'd been spoilt by Fyvie castle a few weeks earlier), but you can't fault the grounds and gardens, they're beautiful. I did pick the right time of year for these of course.

This battery of cannon was built by the 12th Earl in the time of the Napoleonic wars in case of a French invasion.

Culzean Castle may look good from the side I approached but it is best viewed from the sea side. This is the best I could do I'm afraid. I had to walk round the coast a bit and was dangling rather precariously from a tree when I took this.

The view of the castle from that side is such that it has found it's way onto the Royal Bank of Scotland's £5 note. This specimen, fresh from my wallet, is, rather like the Royal Bank themselves, a bit crumpled.

Looking out to sea at the Isle of Arran.

There's a large walled garden, which when I was there was at it's best.

This pagoda looks at it's best from this distance. Any closer and it gets a bit scruffy. Built in 1860, it is actually an aviary although it was once thought to have housed a monkey so is often known as the monkey house.

A heron, amongst the great variety of feathered friends on the Swan Pond.

A last look at the deer in the deer park before I went home.

The Twix Sandwich

 On the course of my virtual travels the other day, I dropped in on the Foodstuff Finds blog, where I learnt about an awful hoo haa that had blown up over a child's packed lunch. I have to say that a Smarties sandwich sounds fine to me and who am I to complain, coming from the country that invented this (I've never tried one). I must commend the Foodstuff Finds blog for the thorough investigation of the incident, sourcing some particularly attractive Smarties, and not using white bread and thus increasing the public outcry like the Daily Mail did.

Saturday night out here on the Atlantic is chocolate night. By the time I got there, all the Smarties had gone.

Now I know I don't look all that impressed here but actually it tasted rather good. Our baker onboard's lovely malty brown bread with seedy bits in it complimented the Twix perfectly. Although on the downside a certain amount of dexterity was required to hold the Twix in the bread as I ate it - I'm sure a little butter would have solved this problem but, quite frankly, I think I've put enough weight on this week already.

January snips

Not that you'd think it to wander out onto the deck just now, but the weather in January was generally rather kind to us (or me at least). One grey but mild afternoon I took myself for a wee run round Loch Ken in the car. It's only a few miles from Kirkcudbright (it's where I saw the water skier in my Autumnal Sweepings back in September)

 My main aim or the trip was to see the red kites that have been introduced into the area. I didn't have to try very hard in all honesty - they're doing very well and don't take much finding. In the last year I've spotted them outside the introduction area around Castle Douglas and nearly at Kirkcudbright. As reintroduction schemes go, it's been very successful. There's more information here.

For photographic purposes, I'm not armed with high tech equipment, or for that matter great patience, so I like my wildlife to be closer and stationary. Also, small appeals to my supply of bravery so this chap was ideal.

On the way back I spotted all these red kites flying over a wood in the dusk (honest each black splodge in the sky is a kite). They have feeding stations in certain places so I think I must have passed at tea time.

A few days later we were out for a walk in Edinburgh. It's good to see signs of spring. This blossom was pictured in Princes Street Gardens.

And crocuses too.

Edinburgh is amply blessed with much open space - some of it just about big enough to be countryside - within the city. Arthur's Seat is the best known but there is also Blackford  Hill, where we went for a wander with a small picnic we had picked up at the supermarket on the way round.

Somebody somewhere has lost this rather excellent glove - I do hope they pass that way again and find it.

The winter so far (perhaps not counting the last couple of days which I believe have been chilly onshore as well as here at sea) has been quite mild but it's had it's windy moments. On Blackford hill a few fairly mighty trees have come a cropper.

And what with other branches everywhere, this is not a sensible place to be when the weather is wild.

This is the Royal Observatory where Edinburgh University does it's astronomical stuff.

They had a slightly different approach to building telescope domes in 1894. A touch classier than the white domes you see for modern telescopes.

I like to go window shopping for art on the internet from time to time. My virtual living room has millions of pounds worth on it's walls, both old and modern. I was admiring Alex Dewars painting here on my last trip and must have surfed up a couple of dozen photos of the High Street in Edinburgh to try and work out exactly where the second one down was. It's a street I can never remember in the right order. It's just a wee bit down from St Giles Cathedral. I thought I'd better grab a picture on the way past as we were going for a cuppa - anyway, red phone boxes make good pictures.

Who's that young chap? I hear you say. I've had a haircut and shaved the beard off in aid of my oldest daughter's trip to Borneo with Operation Raleigh. The hair can stay the way it is but the beards coming back - you can see it on the way already in this picture from the other day on the train. Profile picture changes can wait for the beard's return.

On the culture front this month, we went to see Scottish Ballet doing Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty. First time I've every been to the ballet and thoroughly enjoyed it. They've their own channel on Youtube so you can have a look at it yourself here.

If you're planning a trip to the pictures then I can recommend The Artist which we saw on my last night off.  It's up for a whole raft of Oscars and Baftas and has 3 Golden Globes tucked away under it's belt already and for good cause. Event the trailer deserves an award.

 And finally, another shot of the blossom in Princes Street Gardens