It’s another beautiful, warm, sunny day in Scotland. We began our day with a panoramic coach tour to see the sites of the city , from the Georgian New Town to the romantic Old Town. We walked to the top of Calton Hill to take in the panoramic view of the city.
Traffic was backed up on the Royal Mile so we decided to leave the coach and walk., It’s much easier to see the city this way. We stopped in the courtyard of the University and took a quick look inside the National Museum. Surprising all of the museums and galleries are free in Scotland. The museum is in a stunning building and houses a great variety of exhibits such as an interesting astrological clock and Dolly the cloned sheep. The perfect place to explore on a rainy day.
We travelled back in time on a walking tour through the atmospheric cobbled streets around the Royal Mile, where Claire and Jamie reunited after 20 years. Stopped at the statue of Greyfriar’s Bobbie, a sky terrier and one of Edinburgh’s honorary citizens. We strolled through the cemetery where JK Rawlings got names off the tomb stones for characters in her books and saw the Elephant House tea room where she would sit and write her books.
Continuing on we passed the Grass market square, a popular dining area with great pubs and restaurants. Some have very interesting names such as The Last Drop which is located in an area where they used to hang people. We walked up the winding streets that are lined with colourful buildings housing charming shops and cafes. The buskers are out on the Royal Mile entertaining the tourists.
Later we visited Edinburgh Castle, a mighty fortress sitting on top of Castle Hill and overlooking the entire city and still operates a military from here. The history dates back to the 1100’s and is the most attached castle in Scotland, changing hands many times over the centuries.
Within the castle, we visited the Royal Apartments and National War Museum and saw the Crown Jewels and Stone of Destiny. The stone is used when crowning a king or queen. One day Prince Charles will sit on this stone when they crown him as King.
We stopped for lunch at a charming pub at the Grass Market Square. Delicious! Then enjoyed a free afternoon exploring the city and shopping along the Royal Mile. Continuing down the bottom of the Royal Mile to the royal Hollyrood Palace which is still visited by the Queen every year. After a long day we decided to take a taxi back to our hotel. Dinner this evening was a short walk from our hotel at Amarone’s restaurant. Excellent food, great service.
Overnight: Mercure Hotel Princess Street, Edinburgh