Excellent Edinburgh

A restful sleep in the castle, I awoke eager for a hearty Scottish breakfast, and apparently, it seemed I awoke with quite the appetite. After loading up my plate with eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, sausages, and yes, even haggis (when in Rome, er, Scotland), I had a craving for something a little sweet, so I gobbled down a tiny chocolate croissant as well. I washed it all down with some juice and tea and rubbed my tummy with delight, amazed and a little impressed at the fact I was actually able to intake so much food at one sitting. It was hands down the best breakfast I had since I started my trip. The haggis alone was enough to earn my praises. It was a good thing I had loaded up on such a fine breakfast, as the day was to be spent exploring the excellent city of Edinburgh.

The Balmoral Hotel

We began our morning sightseeing with a bus tour around the city. As we entered Edinburgh over the North Bridge, we were greeted by the striking Victorian styled Balmoral Hotel, located in the heart of the city at the east end of Princes Street. We then passed Holyrood Palace, where I quickly, and rather unsuccessfully, tried to snap a few photos whilst driving by, and then on through to Holyrood Park, where we climbed the Salisbury Crags, a series of towering 150 foot cliffs, and disembarked for a moment to gaze out upon the city. It was a wonderfully scenic drive up a steep and rocky hill that culminated in a spectacular panoramic view of Edinburgh in all its splendour and far beyond to the North Sea. Morning joggers and dog-walkers were already out and about stretching their legs for an invigorating hike up the hills and I thought how amazing it would be to have this landscape as your backyard and romping ground.

View of Edinburgh from the Salisbury Crags

From the top of the crags I looked out over St. Margaret’s Loch where I could see St. Anthony’s Chapel in the distance. I admired the spires of churches and monuments rising above the buildings in the city, and could even make out Edinburgh Castle, sitting majestically upon Castle Rock.

Panoramic View of Edinburgh

Driving back into Edinburgh, we passed a most interesting and unique building, which I later learned was the Scottish Parliament Building. A modern and contemporary structure with massive windows, sheathed by oak lattices and “trigger panels” and a “Bamboo Garden”, the building is a stark contrast to the Gothic, Renaissance, Neoclassical, and Victorian architecture of other famous edifices and landmarks in the city.

Scottish Parliament Building

Another outstanding feature was the grand Governor’s House and Obelisk that sat upon Calton Hill, which also offers impressive panoramic views of the city.

Governor's House & Obelisk on Calton HIll

Ending our bus tour, we were dropped off on the South Bridge for some time to enjoy Edinburgh independently. Having spotted a small church that was holding a book fair during our city tour, I immediately made my way over there. Blissfully lost in old book heaven, I spent ages rifling through rows and rows of books for some treasures to take home. I could have spent the whole day there alone, as there were so many wonderful books for sale. Sadly, I knew my luggage would be well over the allowed weight limit if I purchased all the books I wanted, so I settled on a perfect Scottish souvenir, an old Ward & Lock guide book of Scotland from the 1950s, which came complete with maps and surveys, along with a 1910 (?) edition of Charles Dickens’, A Tale of Two Cities, illustrated by A. A. Dixon and complete with plastic wrapping and slip cover (looked like it hadn’t even been read yet!). Finally, tearing myself away from the books, I continued on to the main shopping district of the city to hunt for some woollen tartan scarves and was happy to find one in soft lambswool that matched my trench coat perfectly, and I needed it too as it was frightfully cold in Scotland, even in May. Breaking for lunch I popped into Jenners, Scotland’s oldest independently owned department store until it was bought out by House of Fraser in 2005. The remarkable Victorian building with its ornate stone facade and brass detailing is akin to the Harrods of London and is a cherished local landmark.

Jenners Department Store

After lunch and more browsing in the fine shops of Edinburgh, I visited the National Gallery of Scotland, and while not as impressive as the National Gallery in London, it was a wonderful place to sit and rest my feet and admire the stunning portraits and works of art.

National Gallery of Scotland

Tired and sore from walking all day, I returned to the bus pick up point back on the South Bridge for our return to the Melville Castle Hotel for the evening. I wish we’d had another day to explore Edinburgh as I very much enjoyed the city. It was surprisingly quiet for a major city, no hustle and bustle at all, and even when work let out and everyone began to hit the streets to make their way home, it was still not as crowded as I would have expected. I would certainly return there again to spend more time visiting the landmarks and attractions, as we really didn’t have enough time to see much. Another city to add to my “re-run” list for sure.

Scotland, Aye!

Hadrian’s Wall

An early start to the day, we made our first stop in Heddon on the Wall in the north of England to view the World Heritage site of Hadrian’s Wall, which I might add, was a bit anti-climactic for me. I had envisioned this great wall, an impenetrable Roman fortress, but after almost 2000 years, it’s surprising that any section of the wall remains at all. I was honestly more amused and entertained by the horses in the neighbouring farm that were nuzzling and biting at each other’s necks than the wall itself, but I could at least appreciate this ancient legacy that has survived the ages.

Welcome to Scotland!

After our stop at the wall, we continued on to Scotland (Aye!) where my obsession for all things tweed and tartan immediately rekindled. Along the way we passed lush fields painted in an endless array of emerald shades, dotted with countless fluffy sheep, and the occasional golden sheet of wild mustard blooms. Crossing the border was like something out of a picture book. A large stone marked with England on one side and Scotland on the other, welcomed us into the country. Standing before it was your typical Scotsman, all decked out in his kilt and clan colours, and of course, playing the bagpipes. It was quite magical. Dark clouds loomed overhead while the strong wind tossed me about (definitely not a good hair day for me), and excitement filled the air. It was everything I thought Scotland would be – rugged, raw, strong, and spirited. It’s no wonder its people have been described similarly, having been moulded and influenced by this spectacular terrain.

Scottish Countryside

Our next stop was the little town of Jedburgh, where we got out to stretch our legs. I strolled down to the river to admire the wildflowers and watch the ducks idling in the water and then walked over the bridge and up to the abbey to peer through the iron gates.

Jedburgh

Finally, having reached Edinburgh, we checked into our hotel, Melville Castle, an old Gothic castellated mansion on the outskirts of the city. I was looking forward to staying at the Airth Castle Hotel as previously outlined in the brochure, but there was a last minute switch, of which we were only notified that morning, and so we were moved to this sister property. Although not as grand as Airth Castle, Melville was still quite delightful. My room was large, the beds were super comfortable, and the view of the grounds and fountain from my bedroom window was much more inspiring than the hideous brewery the night before. So, after enjoying a tranquil evening stroll about the property and a picnic dinner in my room, I was eager to fall asleep in my comfy bed and look forward to my day in Edinburgh the next day.

Melville Castle