We searched Scotland throughout β seeking that special place that we could call our own. A castle was what we wanted. One we could live in part of the year and rent out for the rest β hoping the rental would take care of the expenses.
Finally we stumbled across Kellie Castle, south of St. Andrews and not far from the North Sea. Though we had a couple of other places in mind β the Scone Palace outside of Perth (too close to civilization) β the Blackness Castle just between Edinburgh and Grangemouth (too close to the main highway that runs between them and the traffic on it) β we wanted to settle somewhere nearer to Kirkcaldy on the Firth of Fourth. Kellie Castle was just close enough to St. Andrews for shopping β yet far enough away that curious sight-seers were kept at bay.
As we inspected the castle to assess how much money was to be spent in renovation β we came to the kitchen. Somehow the butchers block in the center of the kitchen looked odd. It was solid granite and spoke of the numerous blows that it had taken with an ax or a broadsword in the hewing of it. Making it fit to be used as a true butchers block. Above it, hanging from a massive roof beam, was a pulley with a rather large meat hook, rusty brown with dried blood, dangling from a sturdy rope. Presumably the meat hook had been used numerous times to hoist huge pieces of animals onto the block for further dissection.
As I gazed upon the block β it came to me. It was way too large to have fit through the doorway (it was almost as large as our king sized bed) β how did it get here? Magic? No β I donβt think so β then it hit me β the block of granite was here all along β the castle had been built around it. Strange turn of affairs, no? More of the butchers block later β we still had more of the castle to inspect.
We continued with our inspection of the castle β through the pantry β the great hall where all the meetings and dinners of past kings, queens and princes had been held β the wide staircase, hewn out of stone, to the landing above. Though the castle appeared to be round on the outside, the insides were intricately melded into rooms of size that gave no such illusion.
On the landing above the great hall β there was a certain symmetry as though treading down the hall of any large hotel β rooms off the landing to the outside wall of the castle. There were 7 rooms on this landing with another landing located on the opposite wall of the castle from the first. This would have probably been the 8th room had not another floor been built.
On this 3rd floor β there were only 5 rooms. We decided that this would become our living quarters β to be rented out only in a case of emergencies β to be kept pristine for our homecoming. Our sub-letters could use the second floor for their bedrooms β after all β anyone that wanted to rent a castle would be doing it for the glory and not the exercise of climbing stairs.
We gave our agent an offer and proceeded back to the kitchen. That butchers block intrigued me.
Our agent departed to work up the papers on the castle while you and I decided to have a little fun. Going to the boot of the car, we took out our little bag of toys and returned to the kitchen.
First I put the black silk blindfold over your eyes β this was to start tuning your other senses β that of smell and taste, not to mention touch β there would be plenty of touch.