Hadrian’s Wall Hadrian’s Wall By Megan Cutler | May 25, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment In 123 AD, the Roman Emperor Hadrian ordered the building of a vast wall across the frontier of Roman Britain. It’s purpose was to keep the Romans separated from the barbarians, since the Romans were having trouble conquering what remained of the British isle. The wall Hadrian’s soldiers built spanned 73 miles, from Bowness-on-Solway to … Read More Read More
Heavy Metal History Heavy Metal History By Megan Cutler | May 11, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment I’ve written a lot about how music inspires me. I listen to it while I’m writing, planning, and even editing. The right playlist helps set the tone for creative work. But outside that, it also inspired me to read several classic novels. To the long list of things music (especially heavy metal) has inspired me … Read More Read More
Urquhart Castle Urquhart Castle By Megan Cutler | March 30, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment We didn’t have much time on our first trip to Scotland so we had to prioritize the sites we wanted to see. We all agreed it wouldn’t be a trip to Scotland if we didn’t see castles. We skipped the more touristy ones in favour of Dunnotar and Urquhart. The tourist center at Urquhart castle … Read More Read More
Spring Waffles Spring Waffles By Megan Cutler | March 16, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment It’s hard to believe how fast the year has gone; it’s already time for spring break! This year, a very good friend of mine is making the journey north to admire our beautiful mountains, eat our fabulous poutine, and make use of our nifty guest room. So I will be AFK for the next two … Read More Read More
Dunnotar Castle Dunnotar Castle By Megan Cutler | February 23, 2015 | Comments 3 comments Of all the things we saw while we were in the UK, Dunnotar Castle has to be my favourite. Don’t get me wrong; Stonehenge was beyond amazing, and something I’d longed to see most of my life. But never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined visiting a place like Dunnotar Castle (perhaps partly … Read More Read More
The History of Scotland The History of Scotland By Megan Cutler | February 2, 2015 | Comments 1 comment The National Museum of Scotland has a unique wing dedicated to the complete history of Scotland. It spans about five floors, moving up a tower from the base of the museum to the top. Many museums present the history of a location with the layout of their exhibits, but none quite so thoroughly as the … Read More Read More
The Athens of the North The Athens of the North By Megan Cutler | January 12, 2015 | Comments 2 comments I rarely fall in love with a place right away. I take comfort in the familiar, and travel to any new location makes me feel out of sorts, at least for awhile. But I fell in love with Scotland the minute I set foot in it. There’s a beauty in the rolling hills, soaring mountains … Read More Read More
The Viking Experience The Viking Experience By Megan Cutler | December 1, 2014 | Comments 1 comment On our way to Edinburgh for the first time, we stopped for an afternoon in York. There were lots of things we wanted to see, but our time was limited. We settled on one thing; the Jorvik Viking Centre, which my husband was eager to visit. The Jorvik Centre is built over top the remains … Read More Read More
Dry At Last Dry At Last By Megan Cutler | November 10, 2014 | Comments 1 comment Originally built in 1510 in Portsmouth, the Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy built for King Henry VIII. Carrak-style ships featured high “castles” in the bow and stern with a low waist of open decking in the middle. The ship was substantially rebuilt in 1536, and it is on this … Read More Read More
The Warrior and Victory The Warrior and Victory By Megan Cutler | October 20, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment The next stop on our giant England vacation was Portsmouth, where we hoped to introduce our friends from opposite sides of the ocean. Meanwhile, we visited the historic docks to tour the ships we’d previously seen from afar. Our first stop was the HMS Warrior, the Royal Navy’s first ironclad ocean-going armoured battleship. As I … Read More Read More