Neidpath Castle is an authentic 14th century castle that was converted into a tower house in the 17th century. It is located west of Peebles on the A72, with the River Tweed next to it. The castle sports 11 foot thick walls, a pit prison, and a scenic picknick area.

Another photo of Neidpath Castle, this time looking more sinister and bullish.

This is the village of Peebles, a lovely place in the Southern Uplands and the Tweed Valley. And this is Peebles' church at the end of the main street.

And while we were walking up and down the main street, all of a sudden the Peebles Burgh Silver Band (founded 1834) appeared in front of the Tourist Information Center and started to play for the visitors. Nice.

Next was Galashields. The photo shows the magnificient church that overlooks the town. The town itself has many excellent shops, catering both the tourist as well as the locals.

Our last stop in Scotland was the beautiful town of Melrose with its old Abbey. It lays in ruins today, but it must have been huge at its time.

This photo shows a detail of Melrose Abbey.

And this is the final photo of our three-week-trip to Scotland, showing the milestone that you see when you enter Scotland on the A68. It was (again) windy and cold, and a bit of drizzle could also be felt. One might think that this is the stereotype of Scotland, but it is not! Scotland can be quite different indeed, with overwhelming nature, friendly people and fascinating culture. We will return!