Our trip to Scotland was on the occasion of being honoured guests of Max and Jean, a couple I was bridesmaid to. The venue was the impressive Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh at the end of the Royal Mile, set in a splendid estate. Its original name was Priestfield as it was once the site of a wealthy Cistercian monastery founded c. 1510. Burned down in an anti-Catholic riot in 1681, its then owner, Sir James Dick, raised this beautiful manor house from the ashes, sparing no expense. The ornate plaster work was created by the same craftsmen who designed that in the Palace of Holyrood House. He it was who felt it expedient to change the name to its current one, to expunge any papal connotations!
Jean and Max emigrated to Canade in the 70s, so their grown-up family are settled in Toronto and Seattle. People came from ‘a’ the airts’ to help them celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. And celebrate we did! 😊
Our evening began with copious quantities of champagne, served, along with other appetizers, with haggis bonbons - very tasty. Max, with his wry sense of humour, presented a very entertaining speech, extolling his wife for her tolerance!
The food was
splendid; our hosts had selected a range of tasty dishes for us to choose from.
It was very kind of Jean and Max to invite my sister and her husband. Here they are sharing a joke with the photo-bombing host and with the head waitress, Paddy, who we learned was from the Greek island of Symi. What a small world!
We are clearly enjoying our evening and please
note all these glasses. The staff were punctilious in circulating regularly to
ensure no glass stayed empty. :o
And just for old times’ sake, here is a picture of the 1974 wedding party at the reception at Stonefield Castle Hotel. Tarbert Loch Fyne. I wonder if you can recognize the bridesmaid!?
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