Edinburgh, Scotland
Marc and I visited Scotland as part of the Cost Saver Trafalgar tour we took to the United Kingdom and Ireland last 1997. We had a day to ourselves and we opted to visit the city's historic Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile. The whole city of Edinburgh was absolutely stunning! It comes as no surprise the whole city had been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. We were there in June. Although the summer season had already begun it was extremely cold then in Edinburgh. So cold it felt like we were in the middle of winter. The constant rain didn't help much either.
Rain or no rain though, we were determined to sightsee. We wanted to see what there was in Edinburgh and the city's attractions most certainly did not let us down.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
In front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse
This palace continues to be the residence of the British Royal family every time they come to Edinburgh.
Frankly I would love to return to this city and stay for several days. I would love to explore its streets, visit its museums, eat and drink in its local pubs and enjoy the beauty of the city.
"The Castle on a loftie Rocke is so strongly grounded, and founded, that by force of man it can never be confounded; the Foundation and Walls are impenetrable, the Rampiers impregnable, the Bulwarkes invincible, no way but one to it is or can be possible to be made passable."
John Taylor, 1618
The Edinburgh Castle esplanade, leading to the gatehouse entrance with the statues of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace standing on each side
Inside the Edinburgh Castle
Although it was possible to just roam around the castle grounds by ourselves, we decided to join a guided tour of the premises. After all, it came with the admission we paid. Luckily for us, the Scottish guide didn't have such a thick accent, al least it wasn't as thick as the accent of some of the people we met since arriving in Scotland. A day prior, we went to buy a roasted chicken to go in a local restaurant and gee did I have a hard time understanding the female waitress. She was friendly, kind, and all but for a moment I wondered what she said.
Standing next to a wooden statue of a Royal Guard
Now here I am next to a real live Royal Scottish Guard of the castle
Leaving the castle a few hours after touring it top to bottom and side to side
In downtown Edinburgh with St. Giles Cathedral in the background
St. Giles Cathedral, of the Presbyterian faith, was consecrated by the Bishop of St. Andrews in 1243 and it was elevated to the status of a cathedral by King Charles II.
A view of the historic St. Giles Cathedral along the Royal Mile
The monument built in honor of the Scottish author and poet Sir Water Scott, 1771-1832 along Princes Street.
On Princes Street checking the retail establishments. That's the monument of Sir Walter Scott on the right.
A view of some Edinburgh monuments from Princess Street
Marc and I took many pictures of the places we visited here in this city. Unfortunately, I did not include them all in my photo albums for lack of space. Now I have to look for them and hopefully be able to scan and upload them all into this entry soon.
The Abbey Ruins in Jedburgh
In front of the Abbey Ruins in Jedburgh