Edinburgh Castle

Update:
Scottish Flag, photo by Lauren:
Sydney and knight, photo on Sydney's camera (not sure who took it):

Emma's knight in shining armour, photo by Roxanne:

Wallace window, photo by Lauren:

Edinburgh Castle, photo by Sydney:

Matt sleeping, photo by Roxanne:

Edinburgh Castle, photo by Lauren:

Sydney and Sammy:

Cannons, photo by Jon:

Emma at the Castle:The earliest building (12th Century) is St. Margaret's Chapel, who is the mother of King David. The castle is built on an ancient volcano. The black rock is very visible on the west side:

The British flag (photo by Chris B):

The Scottish flag--St. Andrew's Cross:

Katy, Marshal, Whitney, Emma:

The view from the parapet back to the National Gallery and Scott Monument:

Chris remembers when he was three years old and wanted one of those short swords:

The view from the Castle north across New Town to the Firth of Forth:

Glastonbury

The Abbey walls stand broken, abandoned, and forlorn, their monkish inhabitants long gone. Henry’s little snit with the church was perhaps good, ultimately, breaking the grip of the Church on the country and allowing more freedom, but it is sad to think of all those places of devotion and refuge ruined, their inhabitants scattered, their lovely and laboriously crafted stone buildings reduced to garden decorations for royally favored lords. The strongest feeling I get in or about the Anglican churches we visit today, along with the sense of long, formalized tradition and pretty but irrelevant ritual, is a sense of embarrassment about the past. At least the Roman Catholics, through the burning, wars, and persecutions, have maintained their passion and authority. Here it seems that Henry overturned it all. People have to make their separate peace with the tradition and live spiritually passionate lives despite the history. [2003]

Carisbrooke Castle

...where Charles I was held prisoner (and from which he escaped) before his beheading:

Trebuchet at Warwick Castle (2007)

John helped man the trebuchet: