Day Fifteen - Edinburgh - the Castle & Holyrood House
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On Monday our breakfast at the Star & Garter was great, as expected. Soon after, we walked uphill for 30 seconds to the ScotRail station, and bought tickets to center city from a live person, and then climbed a flight of stairs to the train platform.
In the first photo you can see how close the Star & Garter Hotel is. The two windows at top left are where my wife & I stayed, and you can also see a trace of the Kirk & Palace at upper left.
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Star & Garter from ScotRail platform |
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Linlithgow station |
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local house seen from the platform |
Waverly Station, in the center of Edinburgh, was 25 minutes away. Once there we rode multi-story escalators up to Princes Street. A short distance north is the immense Scott Monument, Victorian architecture to the max, for this National hero. Today it is often referred to as a "gothic rocket ship."
Then we migrated uphill on foot with the general flow of tourists, ascending The Mound & aspiring to see the Castle.
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Edinburgh |
On the map look for the Castle, High Street, Palace of Holyrood, and Greyfriar's Kirk. High Street = the Royal Mile.
note - you can enlarge any part of a picture by left-clicking in and then out again.
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Scott monument, near Waverly Station |
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Sir Walter Scott & his favorite dog |
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a key person in Scottish history |
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Princes Street Gardens |
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The Mound |
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first view of Edinburgh Castle |
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expensive hotel close to the Castle | ||
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on the Royal Mile |
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the Athens of the north |
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impressive Edinburgh Castle |
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the Castle |
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looking south from Castle entry |
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the four of us | |||
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Portcullis |
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wide view of the City (looking east) |
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view of Calton Hill & beyond | |
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only patch of green in the Castle |
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Docent for a 30 minute walking tour |
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oldest part of the Castle | ||
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Castle view looking north-east |
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autumn light |
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Arthur's Seat from Castle |
We were in Edinburgh Castle only for about 90 minutes, and after a coffee break, were back on the Royal Mile, heading downhill, taking a side trip to St. Giles Cathedral. You could read books about the importance in Scottish history of firebrand preacher & Church of Scotland reformer John Knox (1514-72), Minister of St Giles, who lead the Protestant Reformation in Scotland. In 1560 St. Giles converted from being a Catholic Cathedral to a Presbyterian one.
Preaching fire & brimstone, Knox put the fear of hell into everyone, of high and low status, and he predicted that the odds were not good for anyone. "you are such sinners that God will never forgive you".
Locals relished the irony later in his life when there was a sudden drop-off of righteous proselytizing, due to his having married a much younger and very attractive woman & subsequently vanishing from the public arena !
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the Royal Mile is always crowded near the Castle |
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St. Giles Cathedral |
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great interiors |
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John Knox, a larger-than-life character |
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statue of Adam Smith | |||
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top of St. Giles |
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Royal Mile mid-afternoon, see note |
note - In Edinburgh, at nearly 60 degrees north, afternoon light (about 2 pm) looks more like evening light.
HOLYROOD PALACE & ABBEY
Once at the lower end of the Royal Mile, we toured Holyrood Palace & Abbey & gardens. I was here before and it's a stuffy old Palace, where photos are not allowed. On the other hand, if you wish to learn about the history of British Royalty, you could easily spend hours here reading the displays.
I walked quickly through the Palace, looking for the first exit. Once outside, it was a sunny mid-October afternoon and I walked through the old Abbey grounds.
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Scotland's Parliament buildings |
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above is a steady grade going to Arthur's Seat |
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people at Arthur's Seat | |
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old Abbey atmosphere |
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a door with character | ||
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celestial light |
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palm tree in the shadow | |||
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beautiful park |
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Once we escaped the Royal spell of Holyrood, we hopped into a cab for a 10 minute ride to the Greyfriar's Bobby Pub & Nicholson Pie House, with one of the best menus in the City, where we had an enjoyable & uncrowded 4 pm dinner, with great service.
Next to the restaurant is the atmospheric Greyfriar's Kirkyard, which we strolled through, around sunset.
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the Kirk yard |
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fall light | ||
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Castle at upper left |
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someplace in Edinburgh near dusk |
Late afternoon light may last for hours, but in time it rapidly becomes dark. We found our way back to the top of the Mound, and then took a familiar cobbled road downhill, past the National Gallery, and on to Waverly Station.
Once on the right track, the conductors waved to get us to run to the next train to Linlithgow. Twenty-five minutes later we were back at Linlithgow & two minutes later were in our Star & Garter rooms.
It seemed charming in an old-fashioned way, to stay in a small Hotel, next door to a train station.
go to next page - Edinburgh - Dean Village, Water of Leith & Royal Botanic Garden
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