Elgin and its environs

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Amidst all the rushing around over the last fortnight, I had some time on my hands before P's brother's wedding. And since I've never seen anything of Elgin other than the town centre at night, I thought I'd have a look at the ruins of the Elgin Cathedral. From the little I remember of the explanatory placards, it was built some time in the 11th century (maybe later) and was abandoned as a place of worship four centuries ago. And ever since then, the sandstone it's made of (like almost everything else in Scotland apart from bloody granite-shoot-me-now-it's-so-depressing-Aberdeen) has been crumbling. It's a war of attrition for Historic Scotland to keep buildings like this safe for visitors, let alone intact or preserved in any way. All the same, they've done a great job, especially in the two main towers, which you can visit. I find it somewhat incongruous that while the stonework is falling to bits, all we can do is stick in new floorboards and windows to spruce the place up. Anyway, it was a pleasant diversion while I was kicking my heels waiting for events to kick off

Sidenote: What do other partners of groom's/bride's men/women-in-attendance do at weddings? The best man's gf and I were pretty much at a loose end all day and night while our men were obliged to dance with every single female in the room except us. All the same, it was very nice to see the extended family and friends.