Billy visits Scotland and goes to jail

After we landed at the Edinburgh airport, picked up our rental car and then got terribly turned around trying to get out of the area and onto the right highway (or is it called a motorway)  we headed west to begin our road trip through Scotland.  We made it all the way to Inveraray before stopping for a bite and to take in the surroundings.

One of the sights in Inveraray we wanted to visit was the Inveraray jail; a 19th century prison and courthouse that was used as a prison from 1820 to 1889.  Your ticket leads you back into a part of Scotland’s past where you get to see a one stop trial and imprisonment building that once housed pretty much everyone – men, women and children; some as young as seven!

The trial room

The prison is two stories tall with three foot thick stone walls.  The cells were originally out in the open where the public could walk by and be “warned” about what could happen to them should they run afoul of the law.  Conditions were  harsh until 1848 when the new prison was built which gave prisoners a secure yard to exercise in to get some fresh air, a water closet on each floor and something it never had before, heating and light by gas!  A far cry from it’s prior dark and damp days.

Outdoor prison cells

With regular meals and heat many prisoners didn’t want to leave considering what they may have had (or not) to return to.  Some would commit a petty crime of some sort almost immediately after serving their time just to be sent back in.  Now it’s days are spent as a popular tourist site where Billy got himself into a bit of trouble with the law.

I was framed!

Honest! It wasn’t me!

But it was all in fun as many who visit here end up in one of the outdoor cells posing with the guard. There’s even a spot inside of the prison where they can demonstrate the thumb screws on you or put you on the spanking bench.  Billy was thankful to not have thumbs!

And of course there was the ubiquitous gift shop where Billy became quite excited about their selection of books.  Wonder why?  See the one book in the lower right hand corner “Morag The Tickling Midgie” we ran into them in the Highlands and they were neither cute nor tickly!

Coo books

To learn more about the Inveraray jail visit their website here.

Next: On the road again to Oban and a castle!

Teri and Billy 📷