A necklace for the naughty...

This is a reminder that in days gone by, people (often women) who broke the law or did something seemly were publicly humiliated. I did not get the picture of Aleene trying this contraption around her neck only because I wasn't fast enough. This device is 600 years old and is accompanied by a stone platform for them to stand on. When I took the picture it was dusk and I got as close as I could so the flash would be effective. This is right outside the Duddingston Kirk (church) where several other pictures show the days gone by.

Incedentally, The Reverend James Jack, the Rector of Duddinston Kirk hosted us for tea shortly after this picture was taken in huge dinning room of the Manse that was added in 1822. He was our guide on our two visits to Duddingston Kirk, one of the best endowed churches in Edinburgh.