Job done - let’s go home!
So, imagine my surprise when later, as I was looking for other filming locations that took place in the lovely Kingdom, I read that The Black Kirk was in fact the West Kirk. Also in Culross.
What? Eh? How did I manage to miss that?
Okay - not to worry - I had time to regroup and plan. And Culross is only about 25 minutes or so from my house so it’s not like I was travelling cross country - I would return! Yet I do so enjoy an opportunity to be grumpy at myself for not knowing things before I know them.
Anyway, Culross West Kirk isn’t actually in Culross proper - which is the reason (I tell myself) that I missed it first time round!
It’s not exactly hard to find - it’s on maps and there are roads leading to it. If you can call them roads.
I grew up in the Highlands so I am used to country roads that are barely big enough for one car, let alone two. Or a tractor, or a herd of cows, flock of sheep etc.
I am not, however, used to driving on them.
I’m also not used to driving on them when I’m not 100% sure that I actually should be on them in the first place.
That was my main problem with finding the church. I drove up the country tracks and just prayed that 1) I wouldn’t encounter a tractor, 2) I was going the right way, 3) If I did meet a tractor I would acquit myself adequately when reversing back down said lane and of course, 4) that I wouldn’t get stuck in the ginormous potholes or mud puddles and have to live on the lane for the rest of my days.
Finally, I reached a clearing that then branched off into three fields. Where to go now? I decided I would park up and go the rest on foot. If I was even in the right place.
Then I saw this:
Woo hoo!
Tilly and I walked the rest of the way to the kirk which keeked out through the trees with just enough secrecy to make my inner fan-girl (and let’s be honest she’s never too far buried these days) do quite a lot of squeaks and squeees on the trek across. Sorry - did I say I trekked? I meant that I ran while doing a silly little jig, of course!
Luckily, there was no-one else there when I arrived. Or at all.
But, oh, what a place.
I always find that there are certain places that just exude peace and calm; that make you feel like you could be in another time and place. The West Kirk was one of these. Just lovely and serene.
A church abandoned yet somehow not.
Now, I don’t know about anyone else but when I look at pictures of the places that have been in the filming, I want to relate. I’ve seen quite a few pics of filming locations and thought - pretty, but I have no clue when or where that featured in Outlander.
So I decided to do some side by side pics.
I might have been just guessing with that last one - but I leaned up against the ivy and swooned just in case!!
And here are some other pics of the church including my arty farty ones.
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| Let's go! 'Tùlach Àrd' |
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| Look at this wee dude. He looked blurry from every angle! |
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| Seriously, dude! Let's go home! |
So, that was my Outlander adventure to the Black Kirk. Fortunately I didn’t eat any wood garlic. Unfortunately, Jamie Fraser wasn’t lurking about in the church yard!
Ach well, you win some and you lose some!
Until our next adventure!
