St. Margaret

With our two visits to Dunfermline, we have now seen nearly everything there is to see connected to St. Margaret there. The points of interest are:

The former shrine of St. Margaret, where her relics were originally interred.

The church of St. Margaret, where her relics are now. Unfortunately the church is only open briefly for morning Mass during the week, so we didn't get to go in. The kindly old priest at the presbytery seemed pleasantly surprised that we wanted to come in, but he didn't have the keys to the church. Here, however, is a photo of the outside:

And here is Cardinal Patrick O'Brien with the relics:

Also in Dunfermline is the Cave of St. Margaret, where she would retire to pray while her husband Malcolm was busy killing Macbeth. Originally a nook in the side of a hill, this cave is now reached by a long, long tunnel sided with corrugated metal. Why? Because the owner of the ravine containing the cave decided to fill it in and build a parking lot. When a protest with over 1,000 signatures was raised, they compromised on building the tunnel so that the cave was still accessible. It seems strange, but almost no one goes there: we were the first visitors in three days. No photography was permitted, but the internet will provide:

The cave also included replicas of St. Margaret's Gospel, and her Black Rood. 

And, of course, while in Dumferline we re-visited the 'smallest building in Scotland'. The smallest registered building in Scotland is situated in the park; Mommy pointed it out on our last visit. Brigid promptly decided that the ice cream stand next to the tiny telephone booth was the 'smallest,' &c; since we've gotten ice cream there both times, she is a great fan of it. (The real smallest building has since been inscribed with 'THIS IS A DOCTOR WHO TARDIS', which gives you a good idea of the appearance.)

--Sophia