Adventure: Ireland & Scotland 15.0

On By sue m

Today was our final day in Edinburgh. We head back to Canada tomorrow. It’s bittersweet. It’s been a great adventure, but I need to see my dad in person. My sissy has been holding down the fort and I’m overdue. So today we max out!

We started the day with breakfast. The waitress took our orders. There was a great display of continental items and a self serve coffee brew station. Another waiter delivers the orders but it seems mine has been forgotten. Yikes! Rather annoying …

After breakfast Rudy and I head off for the hop on bus. I would like to attend church and Rudy has offered to accompany me! Yeah! I chose a church to attend just outside of the Old Town as I found a “Somerville” grave reference in line. As it happens, the same church was a stop on the bus tour. Perfect!

Canongate Kirk is a lovely ancient Scottish Anglican Church with a massive graveyard behind. It’s the church where Princess Ann remarried after the Church of England refused her due to divorcing.

Statue of poet Robert Fergusson
Graveyard – we didn’t locate any Somerville’s
After the service – red robe is the vicar

We were a bit disappointed not to find the Somervilles, but the service and experience were great. After the service we hop back on the bus. In a fluke, it’s the same driver who dropped us off. He asked if we’d prayed for him and we assured him we had.

It was another sunny day but I noticed the street was wet. Apparently it had rained while we attended the service. And looking around we could see a strange, ominous cloud pattern. Yuck. Our first time of nasty weather. Maybe.

Some cool scenes from the bus trip
Volcanic rock hill
Edinburgh Castle

In the past we have used “with locals” (it’s an app where you can hire a private local tour guide) and have a tour booked with Monica at 1:30 pm. Since we are early, we hop off the bus and find a pub. Of course!

Slainte
We chose the Beehive Pub but there were tons!

We hop back on and get to our meeting point at Waterloo Place. Our friends are meeting us there too.

Monica is there promptly at the meeting time and we set out on foot.

Set high above the harbour, this is the tower which guided boats and told the time. The Nelson Monument sits on Calden Hill and is named after its founder.
Federal building circa 1930’s
Panoramic view of Edinburgh with the castle in the distance off to the right
Robert Burns monument
Cemetery
Cemetery watchtower. These towers were constructed to prevent grave robbers who were snatching bodies to sell to the medical school at the university. They were desperately seeking cadavers so it became a lucrative business.
Holyrood abbey
Close up you can see the disrepair
Holyrood Palace is normally open to the public however it is still used to house visiting royal dignitaries and the flag flying at the palace shows there was someone in residence.
The public notice at the palace.
King James symbol The Unicorn

It was here that our guide Monica told us a funny story about the royals. She prefaced it by saying she from someone who heard from someone…. Queen Elizabeth was offered the keys to the palace of Holyrood as a gesture of friendship by the Scots and she politely declined saying how the Scots were taking such good care of it and she would always enjoy visiting as a guest. After her death, King Charles and Camilla came to visit and the same offer of the key was extended to them. Charles deferred to Camilla who accepted and opened her purse. Her purse was jammed full of gin and cigarettes leaving no room for the key so she was, regretfully (tongue in cheek) forced to decline the key.

When royals are in residence they are guarded by the navy.
Scottish parliament buildings modern
Scottish parliament old
Monica shows us the gardens in Dunbar Close (which we would call alley); beyond the alley is a lovely public garden
A quick rest on the bench while Monica tells us the history of the Scottish King James
Down another close (alley) is the building used as Jamie Fraser’s print shop in Outlander
The close
Another close – these are apartments
Long ago there was a wall around the castle. For left the castle grounds you needed to pay a toll to return inside. However, sometimes residents found themselves at World’s End The blue man depicts what they needed to do if they found themselves outside of the walls and couldn’t pay the toll. They climbed over!
Tollgate
Inside The Waverly Pub at the world’s end we enjoy a half pint and local musicians
Where’s the powder room?
Ancient water source for the public
Funky restaurant close
The closest I could get Rudy to a kilt
St Giles Cathedral
The Balmoral
Same view … the balmoral is where JK Rowling completed the last chapter of the Harry Potter series
Writers Museum
Après tour spoils at Bertie’s
Wizardry Shops in the Grass Market
My knight is shining armour

What a grand adventure! So long Scotland. It’s been a slice 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿♥️💋

One thought on “Adventure: Ireland & Scotland 15.0”

  1. Melinda Lowrey's avatar Melinda Lowrey

    I loved all these pictures. Balmoral, etc. The fun alleys. Oh and of course Rudy beer in hand smiling and omg “Ladies Shitter Upstairs.” Text me when you get back home safely. I’ll see yall next Sunday 🤪

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