We're a bit sad that our time in Scotland is coming to an end. This morning we got up and met our driver at 9:45. He took us to this tiny place that he claims has the best Scottish breakfast. He may have been telling the truth. It was delicious!
After "breakfast" we went to Sterling to see the castle. It was fast and fun! There was a big cycling event going on, so we were let off at the bottom of the hill and hiked our way up to the castle. It was a blast. The castle was not nearly as ornate as Edinburgh, but it was indeed fantastic!
We then made our way to Dunblane to the breathtaking Dunblane Cathedral! Malcolm Wilson, their handbell conductor, welcomed us with an elaborate tour of the gorgeous space. The acoustics in the space resounded with fabulous bell ringing.
In our concert, Dunblane Cathedral's four handbell ensembles performed first. They were really great, especially their youth ensemble:
Then, we finished the concert, playing our favorite pieces from our program, including "Bell Jubilee" by Ellen Jane Lorenz, "Celebration" by Fred Gramann, and Camille Saint-Saëns' "Danse Macabre" arranged by Michael Keller. The 150 audience members were fantastic!
A reception of biscuits and cakes followed the concert, and we made our way home. To finish the evening off, we celebrated tour advisor Beth Bozeman's birthday with chocolate cake and ice cream.
Thanks to Malcolm Wilson and the Dunblane Cathedral Handbell Ringers for taking the awesome photo of us!