July 1, 2007
We missed our connection in London due to a thunderstorm and 6-hour delay at JFK. So after being awake for 36 hours, when we finally arrived in Edinburgh Scotland, we were very tired. We had a good night’s sleep in the comfortable McDonald Hotel and were ready to explore the capital city.
One highlight of our walking tour of Edinburgh was a leisurely walk down the Royal Mile to look at the medieval architecture and modern shops and pubs.
St. Giles Cathedral is known for its crown-shaped steeple. The building dates from the 14th century and is the main place of worship for the Church of Scotland.
There were many shops to buy kilts, woolens, bagpipes, whisky, and other Scottish products.
Edinburgh Castle dominates the the city skyline. The historic fortress was built on Castle Rock in 1103 and was home to Scottish and English monarchs.
Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature and the most famous writer was Sir Walter Scott. A significant monument honors Scott’s life and works and is located on the edge of Princes Street Gardens
One day we found an outdoor market which was fun to explore.
On another day, there was a lively parade:
Edinburgh was a lovely city. We had fun exploring the old and new sections and enjoyed our introduction to real Scottish food. A Scottish piper near the park:
We walked all over Edinburgh for three days then we picked up a car to drive around Scotland to see the countryside.
