"Fast by an ingle, bleezing finely"

The title is from the poem "Tam o' Shanter" - and an "ingle" describes this kind of ancient fireplace with seats built in on either side to keep really warm.

This morning I was up for an early meeting at Carberry Tower. The old house is located between Musselburgh and Dalkeith on land first mentioned in an 11th century charter. Mary, Queen of Scots, famously surrendered to an army led by the Scottish Lords in June 1567, and was imprisoned.

In more recent history, the Tower was owned by the Elphinstone family. The Queen Mother's sister, Lady Mary, married the 16th Lord Elphinstone. As a result, this house became a favourite visiting place for the present Queen. As a small girl she, and her sister Margaret, would be dropped off at the station at the foot of the hill when their mother and father (George VI) were going to Edinburgh to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

They had a much better time, I guess, exploring the house and grounds of Carberry!

This fireplace stands in the entrance hall. Above are little doors leading in and out of quite secret chambers. This is one of those places where you are sure that, if walls could speak, there would be a story or two worth telling.