Saturday 10 June 2023

We caught the train back to Edinburgh where we bought tickets on the Hop On/Hop Off bus. Good way to see the sites. We got off at the Castle stop, bit early so had to kill time before we got into the castle.

Edinburgh Castle is one of the great castles of Britain. The oldest part of the castle dates from the Norman period. The Great Hall was built by James IV, and nearby are the Royal Apartments with pine panelling and gilded and painted plasterwork. The castle houses the Honours of Scotland, the Stone of Destiny and Mons Meg, a famous 15th-century cannon, plus several military museums.

After the Castle we continued on our hop on/hop off tour until we got back to the station. Then it was on the train, back to the car and we drove for about an hour and a half to Perth.

Friday 9 June 2023

Long day.

We caught the train into Edinburgh and walked through Princes Park to Scott Monument.

Then to the Royal Mile which we walked along to the Castle which we are coming back to tomorrow.

The Royal Mile runs through the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, connecting Edinburgh Castle, perched high on a base of volcanic rock, with the Palace of Holyroodhouse, resting in the shadow of Arthur's Seat. The Mile is overlooked by impressive, towering tenements, between which cobbled closes and narrow stairways interlock to create a secret underground world.

It's very impressive but tough going for us oldies. We also checked out Greyfriars Bobby commemorative statue. Bobby was a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh, Scotland, after reportedly spending fourteen years guarding his owner's grave, until his own death on 14 January 1872. The story continues to be well known in Scotland, through several books and films.

For Outlander fans (and me) we saw Bakehouse Close where part of the show was filmed. Bakehouse Close is the site of Carfax Close, home to Alexander Malcolm’s print shop. It is here that we see Claire reunited with Jamie after years of separation.

Then it was onto the Palace of Holyroodhouse which was a very enjoyable visit. The Palace is the official residence in Scotland of King Charles.

After this we were about a K from the train station but I got on the Uber app and we relaxed back to the station. Then the train and back to the hotel. Walked further today then we have for a very long time.