American Gothic
- Natalie Penry
- Nov 7
- 7 min read
Greetings from Edinburgh, where we welcome the end of Spooky Season by saying goodbye to the sun at 4:00 in the afternoon.
For comparison, the earliest sunset in Indianapolis happens at 5:20 p.m. while the earliest sunset here is just past 3:00...dark days are upon us.
But we're filling them with wonderful things! October was my first full month here, and things were more settled. There are several weekly traditions I've come to treasure, like Monday Coffees at Cappuccino or Sunday Plunges (Slunges) at various waterfronts. I spend a lot of time reading, writing, rereading, rewriting, but I am really truly enjoying it all.
I've rounded up a few highlights from the past month - solo trips, big events, etc. - as a neat little recap of Edinburgh in October: a Gothic city during a Spooky month ;) Enjoy!
Going to the Chapel
One of the important takeaways I had from living in Menorca was the importance of scenic movement. That is to say, if you live on an island, it's important to leave the island every once in a while, just so you don't go stir crazy. This island is a *bit* bigger, but the sentiment remains. Too much time in the library, in the café, in the dorms just isn't good for you!
With that in mind, I organized a solo day trip to the nearby village of Rosslyn (also spelled Roslin), famous for its appearance in the über successful Dan Brown novel & movie The DaVinci Code. A chance to see something mystical and a chance to fangirl out about one of my favorite stories! (At this point in time, my friends from college will be having PTSD from when I made them watch The DaVinci Code, and funnily enough, no one seemed to like it as much as I did...so strange)
I really do love all things Dan Brown - I have my own Cryptex and everything - so this felt like a uniquely fun side quest to do on the Friday of Reading Week. It was a quick forty-five minute bus ride there, and I still had some time to kill before my ticketed entry slot, so I hiked down to the ruins of the Rosslyn Castle first. The castle itself doesn't really resemble a castle anymore, but it does have an incredible viewpoint overlooking Rosslyn Glen. I have already promised myself that I'll be heading back to Rosslyn, just to spend more time in the country park - it's absolutely gorgeous in fall, and you could easily spend all day on the walking paths!
But back to the Chapel! So, if you've seen the movie, you'll recognize the Chapel from one of the final scenes - Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou arrive there searching for the Holy Grail which is hidden "'neath the rose." They meet the Priory there, Audrey TauTou realizes she's Jesus' great-great-great-great-etc. granddaughter - the end! Instant box office success!
But the real story of the Chapel is just as cinematic: it was built in the 1400s for the Sinclair family as a Roman Catholic college to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours. William Sinclair basically hired 6-8 people whose sole job was to pray for him, and he commissioned a very beautiful chapel for them to do so. Legend has it that whenever a Sinclair is laid to rest in the chapel, it glows red from the inside out at sunset - skeptics will say that's just the effect of red sandstone at dusk, but it's undeniably gorgeous.
After the Scottish Reformation in the mid-1500s, the chapel went through several periods of vandalism and destruction. It wasn't until the 1840s when Queen Victoria paid a visit that restoration efforts really began. I guess when the Queen of England tells you a chapel is beautiful & needs to be protected, you get to work...
It was rededicated in 1862 as a Scottish Episcopal Church, and remains so today.
That's honestly the boring part. Inside the chapel, those are the real stories. Sadly (but understandably), you're not allowed to take photos inside the chapel, so you'll just have to imagine it yourself (or come for a visit!). As I mentioned, the chapel was built using sandstone; however, early in the 1900s, the standard for preservation was to cover sandstone with cement. The result is a kind of greyscale chapel with incredibly intricate stonemasonry, streaks of red or orange occasionally peeking through. Given the chapel's initial purpose as a collegiate church, the carvings/statues/altars all serve to educate someone on stories from the Bible. The Seven Sins and Seven Virtues are carved in a archway, stained glass windows depict various saints. The Chapel's own lore is also depicted - two intricately designed pillars tell the story of the Master & the Apprentice. The Apprentice Pillar is more difficult, more spectacular than the Master Pillar, so the Master Mason killed his Apprentice in a fit of rage. Now, the faces of the Master Mason, the Apprentice, and the Apprentice's Mother are gargoyles in the main section of the chapel. The Master Mason's gargoyle is not a flattering likeness...
I could seriously go on & on about the lore, but you'd truly be better served coming to see it for yourselves. The staff at the Chapel are incredible, and the historical talks they offer every few hours are more than worth it. It was just the most fascinating afternoon, and I've already committed myself to going back!
One last note on the Chapel: in the photo gallery above, you'll see the reddish-tomb of the 4th Earl of Rosslyn, Francis Robert St Clair-Erskine. He played a key role in restoring the chapel and was a bit of a poet - I was particularly taken by the poems etched on the tombstone, including a sonnet written by the Earl. Take a look (I typed it below the photo!):
Safe, safe at last from doubt, from storm, from strife.
Moored in the depths of Christ's unfathomed grave.
With Spirits of just, with dear ones lost
and found again, this strange ineffable life
Is Life Eternal. Death has here no place
And they are welcomed best who suffered most.
Kind of beautiful, no? And this line, etched on the stones bordering the grass:
Not brass or stone.
These will corrode and some day die.
But Love alone Laughs at decay
and soars on high
To fragrant immortality.
Simply lovely. Like the Chapel 💜
An All Hallow's Breakfast at Tiffany's
Happy Holly Golightly Halloween! I found myself in the mood for some nostalgic media this fall - I tend to listen to mid-century jazz as background music when doing my readings for class, and a girl can only hear "Moon River" so many times before she's obligated to dress up as Audrey Hepburn, you know?
It was such a fun costume, too! Doing a French Twist on yourself is...not easy...but the tiara made up for it. Seriously, why did we leave tiaras & gloves in the fashion past? Why has that trend not made its way back? Everyone deserves to feel like the elegant Miss Golightly, even if they're just going to a cohort Halloween party. (To be fair, a raucous apartment party is actually quite in line with Holly Golightly...)
I'm grateful my friends put up with my inner sorority girl, as I made them each take many more pictures than necessary. But hey, look at the memories we have now! And we all unintentionally wore tiaras! Between a Lowkey Princess, Fancy Nancy, Princess Buttercup, and myself, the bling was brought ;)
After the insanity of last year's Halloween (read here if you're curious), I was more than happy to make it a cozy night instead of a chaotic one. After our cohort party, I made my way back to the dorm and did the traditional "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" & Hocus Pocus double feature. No better way to end the night :)
Arthur('s Seat) in the Afternoon
One of my personal goals during my time here is to climb the iconic, ancient extinct volcano, Arthur's Seat. It is one of the defining landmarks of the city, and it offers one of the best views of Edinburgh. As a cluster of hills, there are several ways to make it to the peak, meaning it's never a boring hike up.
My first time at Arthur's Seat was actually back in 2023 when I was traveling through the city with Jenna. We'd both heard that it was an "easy hike" with "really pretty views," so we thought we'd give it a try...in casual clothes. I was in a flowy skirt and sandals, I think Jenna had jeans and slip-ons. While Arthur's Seat isn't like an Everest-level trek, I would not recommend sandals. It was, in a word, treacherous.
Last month, I was way more prepared for my summit. It's tradition to hike Arthur's Seat during Welcome Week to ensure you have good luck during your semester, so there were plenty of students huffing and puffing their way to the top. Anyways, that's all to say that I challenged myself to visit with Arthur every few weeks or so. In mid-October during our Reading Week, we had a fairly sunny, not-so-windy Wednesday, and I jumped at the opportunity. I actually got to see the beginning of sunset from the peak, which was a really special moment. Because Edinburgh is so far north, we never actually see the sun go overhead during the fall & winter - it just kind of arcs to the side the whole day. Having such a singular vantage point of the sunset felt like I was finally see the sky in 3D again. It was oddly soothing.
For my own safety, I left before it got too dark - running shoes are better than sandals, but still not ideal for mountaineering without the sun. I'm already looking forward to my next journey up, and I've got grand ambitions of making it a sunrise hike!
And that's that! October in Review :)
November is also poised to be a very eventful month - I've got a weekend trip in the planner, a few insanely cool literary events, and, of course, my birthday! Not to mention, the end of the academic semester before we enter the exams portion of the term...I'll be busy, that's for sure.
It's hard to believe I've already been here two months. Somedays, I feel like I've been here forever, just in the way the city already feels kind of known. I miss the sun, sure, but I'm making it a priority to get out in the natural light while it's still here.
Have a great day, and go outside during the daylight - those of us walking home from workshop in the dark are jealous ;)
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