Culross
I took time out to visit Culross last month. I’ve been many times, but as I’m now a member of the National Trust, it meant I had free entry to the Palace, so I wanted to revisit before it closes for the winter. It is described a a unique example of a merchant house of the early 17th century. The west block dates from 1597.
Culross is another destination on the Outlander trail, with the location featuring in the series. The village has generally remained unchanged for the best part of three centuries and you feel like you have travelled back in time when walking the narrow cobbled streets. The interior of the Palace was also used during filming. When I was there, I saw a couple of people striking a pose while looking out the window in the same way as Claire does, while having their photograph taken. If you’re thinking I did likewise, I didn’t! As an aside, the remake of The 39 Steps was filmed in Culross, as was the film Little Vampire and Captain America.
How the village came to be and the remarkable feats of engineering to mine coal under the Firth of Forth river is well worth checking out. Advances in coal mining were realised by Sir George Bruce (born c1548) a descendant of the family of King Robert the Bruce and it was due to his expertise the town flourished. He lived in what is known as the Palace, though it was never a royal residence. The tour of the palace starts with a film explaining all this and it’s quite fascinating to watch. The palace contains a number of rooms very much as they were centuries ago. The wooden painted ceiling in the Painted Chamber is a real highlight. Look out for the scratched marks in the fireplace surround to ward off evil spirits! There is a garden and if you take the steps up the back of it you get a great view of the town as you overlook the Forth.
Like many places it has a dark past, with links to that period in Scotland when accusations of witchcraft were not uncommon. The Town House attic was used to imprison the accused. Although you can enter the Town House, the attic is off limits to the public. There is the ruins of an Abbey up the hill along with a church and an old graveyard. With walks along the rivers edge, it is a popular destination for those interested in Scottish history and are keen to experience a location that is very much a peek into our past.
The Fiction Factory 