Tour of Edinburgh

Edinburgh: “Located in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast of Scotland’s Central Belt, along the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea. Owing to its rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian architecture, including numerous stone tenements, it is often considered one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. ” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh

My friend Jean’s former husband, Bill, is a tour guide and he offered to take us around for the day. I’d met them both while I was touring Egypt last December. (Bill’s contact info: http://www.edinburghtourguide.co.uk/)

On this particular day, we met Bill at a designated spot and there he was in full Scottish regalia which added to the charm of the tour. Many tourists along the way asked to have photographs of him or with him and he was delighted to do so.

His knowledge of the history and historic buildings in Edinburgh was astounding and he was full of interesting stories and quips. The experience was totally enjoyable. I only wished I’d written down everywhere I went or at the very least sat down immediately afterwards to record some of the day so I could remember all the places we went. http://www.touristpublications.co.uk/images/edinburgh_street_plan.gif

Of course I saw Edinburgh Castle and King’s Road. “Edinburgh’s Castle rock has been a

stronghold for over 3000 years.” http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/

The castle is so large and impressive that you could see it from several vantage points, but I ‘borrowed’ some photographs through Google Images (the small ones) as they are much better than those I took.
“Edinburgh History and Edinburgh Castle history begins on the rock on which Edinburgh Castle stands. The rock was formed 70 million years ago. Recent archaeological excavations in Edinburgh Castle have uncovered evidence that Bronze-Age man was living on the rock as long ago as 850 BC. Two thousand years ago, during the Iron Age, the rock had a hill-fort settlement on its summit.” http://www.edinburghcastle.biz/history.html

We also attended a concert put on by the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland at the Canongate Kirk—the Kirk of the Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle. Jean’s ‘niece’ plays flute in it.


We walked the Royal Mile…. Probably Edinburgh’s oldest street, The Royal Mile connects Edinburgh Castle (photograph above) with the Palace of Holyrood House. Visitors will find a lot to explore on either side of this historic roadhttp://www.aboutscotland.co.uk/edin/royal.html

I had no idea of how many famous people came from Scotland or lived in Edinburgh at one time or another: John Knox, Daniel Defoe, Gladstone, James Boswell (writer) and David Hume (philosopher) lived here, Gladstone’s Land, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, and William Brodie, a respectable member of 18th C society by day, but a burglar by night.

We saw Nelson’s Monument (left) and the Dugald Stuart Monument on top of Calton Hill (right).

We saw old-fashioned ‘doorbells’ – a ring of metal was pulled up and down on the twist piece…and one of the first kinds of ‘burglar alarms’—steps built so that every third one was higher and thieves would trip and be heard going up them.
As well there was a small wall memorial to all the witches who were burned at the stake or drowned while proving their innocence over the centuries.







The Heart of Midlothian – A heart set into the street cobble stones and marking the site of an ancient tollbooth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Midlothian_(Royal_Mile)

When Jean and I headed to our bus stop, she showed me a clock made out of flowers. Though it wasn’t entirely finished, the inner works were there, along with the flower outline.