We have reached our final stop in our 10 day Scotland adventure - the lovely Edinburgh! Apart from being the most beautiful city I've ever been to, Edinburgh oozes with culture and history. We arrived last night and decided to grab a quick bite at a local pub. It was Friday night and let's just say people were bringing in the weekend with a vengence! Rowan and Walker couldn't hear a word I said if I was not shouting across the table, and they watched with facination as the volume got louder and louder and more "festive"!
The next morning over breakfast, I heard a familiar sound...a CANADIAN! We met a young man from Fredericton, New Brunswick who was very friendly and gave us his take on what to see in Edinburgh. The castle was a must, however, he claimed he almost went crazy-mad at being surrounded by so many tourists at the castle. So, we got started right away!
One of the most unique things about Edinburgh Castle is its location. It is perched up on a massive stony mound overlooking the "Royal Mile" of downtown. When you are standing street level it looks rather imposing, as did the dozens of tourist coaches driving up into the car park.
Despite the crowds (which shouldn't put anyone off as this is a must-see), the castle and its history are amazing. The highlight for me were the crown jewels - the crown, the sword and the sceptre all from the 14th century and are priced at "priceless". They were hidden in 1707 (I believe) and rediscovered in 1818.
We then walked down the Royal Mile (the mile-long street that goes from Edinburgh castle to Palace of Holyroodhouse) taking in bagpipers, human knight statues, and lots and lots of tourist shops! When we ask our children what their favorite part of the day was, they both say "The man who swallowed the sword and then ball of fire!" Scottish buskers really take it to a whole different level. This guy not only did those tricks, he also had this very tall and burly man stand on him on a bed of nails which were pointing down into the performer. It was all fun until he abruptly ordered the man to get off and then had to pry (yes, I said pry) the bed of nails off and out of himself. The most puzzling was that there wasn't any blood, so the nails did not go in deep enough. But for a moment I thought to myself "Oh dear, this is going to be awkward explaining this to the children". But it was all good and his spirits lifted once people started tossing money in his hat!
Next stop was Mary King's Close, the hub of Edinburgh back in the 1600's but was buried underneath the new city buildings. Now, it is an underground city which still has streets, houses, and buildings. A little spooky but well worth it!
I think my favourite site in Edinburgh was the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of Queen Elizabeth whilst in Scotland. Apart from having free parking and way less tourists pushing about I think it was my favorite because of the link to Mary Queen of Scots, for it was here that she gave birth King James the 1st and also where her husband murdered her italian assistant in a jealous rage by stabbing him some ridiculous number of times. Alot of attractions now have a seperate audio tour for children, this one included. I wondered what the children's description was of that gruesome event and hoped they didn't notice the, what I hope was a staged, bloodstained oak floor...
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| Rowan and Walker in a guard hut at Holyroodhouse. |
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