After a lovely, albeit brief, visit back to Maryland, I returned home to the UK on 6 January. Since then, I have been to a conference, was able to visit with my Scottish Family (the Plenderleiths), and have been busily pounding away at a thesis chapter. This past week I spent some quality time in the National Library of Scotland (in Edinburgh), pouring over some sixteenth-century theological texts. While in Edinburgh, I have been staying with my friend Claire, at her home in Dunbar. This weekend, we decided to take a break from the books and visit some castles and abbeys in The Borders (the region of Scotland bordering England). Thanks to various kerfuffles with the English over the centuries, all three sites are in ruins. But Jedburgh (pronounced 'Jed-burr-ah') Abbey, Melrose Abbey, and Tantallon Castle were still amazing! Here are some (ok, a lot) of the photos from our trompings-about in The Borders. Enjoy!
(The slideshow effect isn't working, so just click on the photo, and it should take you to the whole album, where you can peruse at leisure.)
