A peacock is a strange image to depict a country with a rich royal heritage, but alas many a fowl, it turns out, gave its life to be such a royal bird. When good things happened the royal families may not have killed the fatted calf, or lamb, but they mostly all celebrated with peafowl.
We found this one in the 17th century garden at Traquair House. Some may think of it as one more ruin (roon) but it is emblematic of the countryside. When we got there it was not yet open, so we cruised the grounds and found this bird. As we were soaking it all in, along came buses of runners getting out to take part in a 20k run. So we left while we could get out the narrow lane.
I am reading a brief history of Scotland to cement all these places and goings on in my short memory. In the process I have become fond of Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots who was quite a character. She was over six feet tall and disguised herself as a male to be able to go into the country to find out what the people were thinking. Born in France to both English and Scottish royalty, she could have laid claim to the throne in all three countries. She ended up in Scotland married twice and had a son who did become the king of England, but not before his mum was beheaded by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. It is not that QE I had her beheaded, but she could have stopped it and did not because she believed the trumped up charges and was fearful of her strong cousin.
I hope I have all this correct because I have gained some readers from the UK...please correct me where I am wrong.
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