Map locator - Carlisle
On our way to
Edinburgh ... rather than use the M6 to bypass Carlisle, we took a look at the centre and castle
Carlisle Castle
Carlisle Castle was on the front line of the various wars between Scotland and England in times gone by, and is one of the places that Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned (You can see a picture of her Linlithgow Palace on our
Falkirk page)
To defend the castle, Carlisle also boasted a city wall ...
Carlisle - City Wall
In modern, more peaceful times the train passes just below the city wall on its way from
London via
Lancaster and Carlisle to
Glasgow, and there's also a good service from
Birmingham,
Manchester and
Liverpool to
Edinburgh
Carlisle - the railway from the city wall
The centre of Carlisle is also worth a look - a great deal of history in a very pleasant setting
Carlisle - Centre
Carlisle thinks of itself as a border town
Although Carlisle isn't on the border, it's a border city in nature. See the
Jedburgh and
Newcastle pages for pictures of the border at Carter Bar, and the
Dumfries page for pictures just across in Scotland
Lunch in Carlisle
Just to the south is the Lake District, and to the South East are the
Penines- here's a characteristic stone bridge - alas, rather the worse for wear.
Near Carlisle
In the Lake District itself, don't forget to stop and see
Ullswater and the
Kirkstonepass.