#SwaninLondon - Day Ten

As this trip carried on, I continually felt more and more exhausted. It was probably because I’m not used to being such a tourist – moving around from place to place with a schedule. However, after my freezing cold sleep in Dumfries, Scotland, I was ready to hit another milestone in my travels.

Before booking my trip to explore England, Scotland and Ireland, I did a lot of research/studying on locations that would be worthwhile to see. There were so many that it was difficult to narrow down. However, this little town of Dumfries was a must-see on my list. On the outskirts of town there was a castle with a moat called Caerlaverock Castle.

Once I got there by bus, I was concerned I wasn’t in the right place. It felt like I was in the middle of nowhere (which I was), and the little road that I walked down seemed more like a driveway to someone’s home.

Once inside the small gateway to the area, the castle stood so stoic, surrounded by a large field of green grass. From the front as I walked up, the castle was somewhat of a letdown. But, once I walked over the moat and through the front entrance, my mind was changed.

Since the castle was a triangular shape, the inside was so open. Much more open than I had expected it to be. I was also surprised to find that one could walk wherever you pleased. Going up stairs to other rooms and touching the centuries-old stone work. Maybe it’s because I’m from America where it’s less likely that you can touch things in fear of ruining them. Though it makes sense: why stop people from touching this castle and roaming through it if it has stood the test of time since the 1200’s?

I could ramble on and on about this amazing place, but sometimes words just don’t do history justice. Especially when you’re in the presence of it. I took some pictures of the signs explaining portions of the castle and its rich history.

I’m unsure of whether or not this post or these pictures will describe to you how phenomenal this place was, but I know it means a lot to me.