A couple of weeks ago we stopped off in Haddington in passing. A friend had told us that St Mary’s Church there was worth seeing. Unfortunately it wasn’t open that day, but it was still worth a visit.

The photo doesn’t give the idea of how large it is. The church was founded in the 1380s but was more or less a ruin by 1548, a victim to the ‘Rough Wooing’ by King Henry VIII, his attempt to persuade the guardians of the infant Mary, Queen of Scots to allow him to marry his son Prince Edward to Mary, thus securing Scotland for himself and England.

The setting is lovely with the River Tyne running right past the church grounds.

I know that people love to have a river view from their homes but I always wonder how often the river pays you a visit!

I love old stone bridges too, so it might be worth being flooded out every now and again for this view – or maybe not! There’s a swan just in view if you look closely. If you’re in the area Haddington is well worth a visit, it’s really historic and has some eclectic shops. We had a lovely lunch there.