Today we set out for an overnight at Dalhousie Castle, which now serves as a small spa getaway, where we will join E's twin's family and hand off E's mom to them as they spend the rest of the week journeying the countryside.

 

The morning begins with me recruiting J to help me tote some of our luggage to our next hotel, Grassmarket, storing it there while we spend a day outside Edinburgh. We leisurely wend our way up, down, and around the city for about 20 minutes (each way), and it's a nice way to spend companionable time with him.

 

The estate is short cab ride from Newtongrange station, and it is, unsurprisingly, beautiful, an honest-to-God castle(!) situated amid wide open grounds. Twin's family arrives shortly thereafter and we putter in the library (where J notices a secret door that looks like a bookcase!) until it's time for our afternoon activities - archery and falconry!

 

We begin with archery at fairly short range, probably 10 meters at most (and the minder brings the targets in for our younger archers). We take turns in two groups of four, and J is chuffed as he's able to hit multiple bullseyes; G is a little young for the activity and doesn't quite have the strength or coordination to achieve any consistency, though they do manage to land one bullseye.

 

We then prepare for the falconry, donning gauntlets that the birds will perch on, and that will protect us from their (quite wicked) talons. We first get to meet Jeannie, a sweet, stunning white owl, and we all get to take a turn with her perching on our forearms. It's amazing to be able to see her up close and even, under the close supervision of the falconer, stroke her feathers. 

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nPK4FNYxZAeko8cH6

 

After Jeannie we get to meet Iona, a majestic Harris's hawk, dark brown with a white underbelly/butt. She's much more imposing, even more clearly a predator than Jeannie. When it's my turn, she lands on the gauntlet and then wanders up my forearm for a bit, and I try not to tense up too much as her talons start to encroach on my flesh.

(I managed to take video of her flying onto Julian's arm: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qux8AC8hZ1WfEv899)

 

I think everybody fell in love with those birds a little bit. I certainly did.

 

We then mosey back to the castle, where our rooms are finally ready, and they are dizzyingly opulent and plush. Twin's family gets the turret room (literally in the castle turret!), where it turns out there's enough room for G to have a sleepover with their cousin. We have the castle room with a ridiculously lush four-poster bed, a window nook with a seat, and an adjoining room for J to sleep in. It's awesomely grandiose, like something out of a novel.

 

Before dinner we while away in the library, where G and cousin play some terrible chess, and I find some Trivial Pursuit cards (British edition) and we pass them around and try to guess the answers. E and I go for a bit of a walk around the castle grounds, giving both us and the children some appreciated alone time. We dine in the Orangerie and then call it a day, sinking back into the luxury of our rooms.