I left Roseisle with a heavy heart.  On the way to Elgin Station we stopped at Duffus Castle.

This is one of the finest examples of a motte and bailey castle in Scotland and is the original seat of the Moray family.  It served as a fortress–residence for over 500 years, from the 1100s to the 1700s. During that time it underwent great change, including the replacement of the original timber castle by one of stone in the 1300s.

Duffus was built by a Flemish man called Freskin, who came to Scotland in the reign of David I (1124–53). Freskin settled in West Lothian, but following an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against King David in 1130, he was persuaded to go north.

Freskin’s son, William, adopted the title ‘de Moravia’ (of Moray). By 1200 his descendants had become the most influential noble dynasty in northern Scotland, with kinsmen settled throughout Strathspey and across the Moray Firth. 

Around 1270 the castle passed by marriage to Sir Reginald Cheyne the elder, lord of Inverugie.  Sir Reginald supported England during the Wars of Independence. However, his son sided with King Robert Bruce, affixing his seal to the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. By 1350 the castle had passed, again through marriage, to the earls of Sutherland.  In the 18th century, Lord Duffus moved to Duffus House, a short distance away. The ancient castle rapidly fell into decay.

For more information see 

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertydetail.htm?PropID=PL_099

On the train from Elgin to Arbroath I saw the Haar coming in from the sea near Stonehaven.  

The Haar persisted at Arbroath but it was still warm and people were swimming in the Harbour.  It did not seem very sensible to me.  

Arbroath lies on the North Sea coast, around 16 miles east of Dundee of and 45 miles south of Aberdeen.  I came to visit my cousin and reminisce about my visits to her home in Northern Ireland as a child and being her bridesmaid in 1965.  That was a very special time for me as an eleven year old girl. 

There is evidence for settlement of the area dating back to the Iron Age but Arbroath's history as a town begins in the Middle Ages with the founding of the Abbey in 1178. Arbroath grew considerably during the Industrial Revolution owing to the expansion of the flax and jute industries and the engineering sector.  By the 20th century, Arbroath had become one of the larger fishing ports in Scotland.

This historic town is known for The Declaration of Arbroath in 1320.  I thought this was really interesting, in view of current events.  The Declaration sought to assert Scotland's position as an independent kingdom, rather than a feudal land controlled by England's Norman kings, and to lift the excommunication of Robert The Bruce.  The Pope had recognised Edward I's claim to overlordship of Scotland in 1305.  

The Declaration made a number of points: that Scotland had always been independent, indeed for longer than England; that Edward I had unjustly attacked Scotland and perpetrated atrocities; that Robert the Bruce had delivered the Scotland from peril; and, most controversially, that the independence of Scotland was the prerogative of the Scottish people, rather than the King of Scots. In fact it stated that the nobility would choose someone else to be king if Bruce proved to be unfit in maintaining Scotland's independence. Some have interpreted this last point as an early expression of 'popular sovereignty'.  This means that government is contractual and that kings can be chosen by the community rather than by God alone.

‘It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.’

Extract from the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320.

Arbroath is also the home of the Arbroath Smokie.   Local legend has it a store caught fire one night, destroying barrels of haddock preserved in salt. The following morning, the people found some of the barrels had caught fire, cooking the haddock inside. Inspection revealed the haddock to be quite tasty.  It is much more likely the villagers were of Scandinavian descent, as the 'Smokie making' process is similar to smoking methods which are still employed in areas of Scandinavia.  

Today, some 15 local businesses produce Arbroath smokies, selling them in major supermarkets in the UK and online.  In 2004, the EU registered the designation "Arbroath smokie" as a Protected Geographical Indication, acknowledging its unique status.

I wanted to take smokies back to Lichfield as my friend thinks they are delicious. The shop assistant assured me the vacuum pack would last ten days out of the fridge, but in the end, I decided not to chance it.