Pupletts in Sweden: April 2024

One of the best things about travel was the chance to meet the international rugby community and play some games in different countries. As well as playing with the Malmö Rugby Club (MRC), I'd also previously played and travelled with the Skåne Oldboys team on tours to Romania, Poland and Scotland.

Unfortunately due to Covid-19, the Skåne Oldboys hadn't toured since my last trip with the to Glasgow in 2018, but the great news was that there was a trip planned for this year and we would be heading back to Scotland.

The plan for the trip was to fly into Edinburgh on Friday, spend the night there and then catch the train to Coatbridge, just outside of Glasgow, for two rugby games - one against the Waysiders Drumpellier Over 40s team (the WD40s) and the Glasgow High Kelvinside (GHK) team. We'd then spend the night in Coatbridge and return by train to Edinburgh for some sightseeing on Sunday before flying back.

We landed at about 3pm Friday to some beautiful Scottish weather - rain and wind. The edge of Storm Kathleen provided some strange weather (New article about the storm). It pushed a layer of hot air up into Scotland, while at the same time bringing rain and strong winds.

We caught a bus from the airport into Edinburgh and then walked to the hostel we were staying at - A&O Hostel. We were 6 to a room and they were brave enough to put me on a top bunk. I was sure I was going to end up falling through to the bunk below.

After checking in and dropping off our bags, we were due to head to a pub to meet with the few team members who arrived early, but the rain had really set in hard. Instead of getting soaked, we decided to have a few drinks in the hostel bar and the rest of the team joined us there.

After a few (well maybe a few more...) beers and some shots, we headed out for dinner to Molones Irish Bar to watch some rugby.

The rugby was good (Glasgow Warriors vs the Harlequins), but unfortunately the only food available was pizzas and they needed to be ordered through an app that could only be downloaded on Scottish region phones. We made a quick detour to a kebab shop and then back to the pub.

The sleep that night was not very good - 6 old, drunk rugby players in a room means lots of snoring and of course my fear of the bunk collapsing, so I managed about 3 hours of poor quality sleep.

The next morning, feeling suitable refreshed (/sarcasm), we had breakfast at the hostel and then headed down to the train station to take the train to Coatbridge, which was about an hour away.

The weather in Coatbridge alternated between being a little sunny and then overcast, but the wind was strong. We checked into our hotel (twin rooms this time) and then caught taxis down to the Waysider Drumpellier club.

The pitch was wet and muddy after the storm and the wind was blowing a gale. Perfect weather for Old Boys rugby:

We played modified rules for Old Boys - no kicking except within the defensive 22, uncontested scrums and no lifting in the lineouts.

Unfortunately it was Easter break and there was another Swedish team (Lund) coming to play the following weekend, so there was a bit of mix-up and only 8 or so of the WD40 players were available. So we played 2x20minute halves against the GHK team and then 2x10minute halves against the WD40 players with some GHK players filling in.

We lost the first game by a try and the second game was scoreless, but it was good fun in some very muddy conditions:

After the game I was covered in mud and looking forward to a shower, but the club showers had no hot water at all and it took quite a while in 10 degree water to clear all the mud off.

Then it was into the club for some food, Scottish and Swedish songs and of course more beer.

At the end of the night, taxis were called and we ended up back in Coatbridge around 10:30pm. And in typical drunk rugby player fashion, we went looking for food. Despite being a Saturday night, most of the places were closed. We eventually settled for fish and chips and some of the other guys found a kebab and pizza bar.

A few of the guys then headed out to a nightclub, but I was tired and decided to retire for the night.

The next day we had breakfast at the hotel and then caught the train back to Edinburgh. When we arrived, the group split in two. Most of the guys had seen Edinburgh before, so they settled in Kitty OShea's Irish pub (it was a little ironic we spent most of our time in Scotland in Irish pubs...), but a few of us went out sightseeing.

First sight was the Scott Monument, a 200 foot high tower, built in the mid 1800s in honour of Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish author. (it is also the second largest monument to an author in the world, the first being in Havana).

The tower is decorated with a statue of Scott and his dog, as well as characters from his stories, but there is also a darker side to the monument. It is constructed of Binny Sandstone, which went cut in enclosed spaces lead to the stonemasons breathing in the fine silica dust and in many cases contracting silicosis, a lung disease. The designer of the monument also fell into a canal and drowned just before its completion.

Next stop was the The Royal Scottish Academy and National Galleries of Scotland, complete with a piper:

Our next stop was Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Scots Greys Monument, a monument to the Royal Scots Greys cavalry regiment:

Edinburgh Castle

We walked around the park towards the castle, past the The Royal Scottish Academy (nothing says Scotland like a Sphinx or two):

Then up towards New College:

Looking down towards the Scott Monument and Balmoral Hotel.

New College

The Mound Place

More uphill trekking - Ramsay Lane

Tolbooth Kirk

At the top of the hill we had the castle on one side and Tolbooth Kirk on the other. Built in the mid 1800s and formerly housing the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the church is now known as The Hub - a public art and events building.

Looking down the road to the castle

Last time I had been to Edinburgh, the road to the castle had been blocked for a festival (possibly the tattoo?) but this time I was able to get all the way up to it.

The castle was built in the 11th century and underwent 26 sieges, making it one of the most attacked buildings in the world.

The India Cross

One of several monuments on Castle Hill, the India Cross is a memorial to the 78th Highlanders who died in the Indian Rebellion in 1857.

View from Castle Hill

After finishing at the castle we walked down Lawnmarket and came across this cool market outside Gladstone's Land, a tourist site showcasing a 1600s merchant's house.

and a few more meter's down the road we came across the real thing:

Next stop was St Giles' Cathedral. Built in the late 1100s, the church is dedicated St Giles, the patron saint of lepers.

We then took a narrow lane called Advocate's Close:

and then along towards Holyrood Palace. Looking out at the mountains in the distance:

In the distance also was the Marriot W Hotel, which looked like the poop emoji 💩

Next stop was St Andrew's House, the headquater's of the Scottish Government. It was completed on the eve of World War II, and looks surprisingly Eastern European:

Just across from there was Calton Hill and the National Monument of Scotland:

We then passed (and fortunately did not have to climb) Jacob's Ladder (140 steep steps built in the 1700s):

and past the Canongate Kirkyard (Graveyard):

the abandoned Old Royal High School:

and the Burns Monument, a memorial to Poet Robert Burns:

We then walked through the New Calton Burial Ground with it's New Watch Tower. The tower was built to prevent graverobbing in the mid 1800s

Our furthest stop was Holyrood Palace. Despite the name sounding like we should be seeing big white letters on a mountainside, Holyrood was not a tribute from someone with a lisp. It was the primary royal residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Built in the 1500s, it's name comes from a relic of the true cross, known as the Holy Rood, which was owned by King David I's mother.