On a rather chilly and misty day I took a trip over to Loch Leven. For once there was no rain and no wind, so I made the best of it and took my bike with me. There is a path around the Loch for walking or cycling on, it is about 20 km in total so is perfect for a leisurely cycle. So, for the first cycling trip of the year that suited me well.
After
my cycle I dropped off at Kirkgate Cemetery, also known by the unglamorous
name of Kinross East Burying Ground. The
cemetery sits by the banks of the loch and has a great view over to Loch Leven
Castle. This castle, which was built in
the 1300s, was one of the many in which Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner. It was here that she was forced to abdicate
in favour of her son James. After
several botched attempts she escaped from the castle, raised an army, fought
and lost a battle, and fled to England hoping for help from her cousin, Queen
Elizabeth I. I think we all know how
that turned out for her…
The
cemetery, apart from having some lovely views, is quite picturesque with its
ancient graves, tombs and lots of
crumbling gravestones with faded carved skulls on them. The parish church of Kinross used to stand in
these grounds, though there are now no remains of it. It is thought that it probably stood in the
site now occupied by the Bruce Mortuary Chapel.
I
left the Skulferatu that accompanied me on my cycle in a hole in the wall of
the burial ground.
The
coordinates for the location of the Skulferatu are –
Latitude 56.200980
Longitude
-3.406014
