A descendant of Saint Margaret travelled thousands of miles to say a prayer at the weekend in the Fife spot where she worshipped almost 1,000 years ago.
Around 18 months ago, Texan Jan Kehoe discovered that the former queen of Scotland was her ancestor.
She set her heart on travelling to Scotland to walk in her footsteps, and on Saturday she made the emotional trip to St Margaret’s Cave, in Dunfermline, where her forebear prayed.
Retired college president Jan, of Fort Worth, had been researching her family tree for several years when she noticed similarities in stories of her ancestry and those of St Margaret and her family.
She made the link and discovered she was descended from Margaret’s daughter, Matilda, who became queen of England.
She said: “I decided then that visiting St Margaret’s Cave would be on my bucket list if I ever made it to Scotland.”
Desperate to see the places linked with her royal lineage, Jan immediately chose a trip to Scotland when husband Michael, 67, asked her how she would like to celebrate her 65th birthday.
The couple were taken on a specially-designed tour by Jack Pryde, of Discover Dunfermline Tours, which also included Dunfermline Abbey, where St Margaret’s remains were interred after her canonisation in 1250, and Abbot House, where there is a recreation of her lost head shrine.
The highlight was stepping down into the underground cavern where St Margaret retreated to worship in private in the 11th Century.
Jan said: “It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments when you feel a real connection with your past. This is like a pilgrimage for me.
“I’m very happy to be in this town it feels very much like home even though it doesn’t look a bit like Texas. When I went into a room at the Abbot House I got the shivers even though I didn’t know it was the St Margaret Room.
“It was just a feeling I was in the right place.”
The couple are staying in Edinburgh and also intend to visit the Orkney Islands, Skye, Glasgow and Northern Ireland.