After a good night’s sleep, we met up for breakfast at about 7:45 in the hotel dining room. The hotel is neat in that it only has 18 rooms, and they are all unique. The owners do breakfast and lunch only, but you can do a complimentary breakfast or order from the menu. I got a full Scottish breakfast without the haggis and black pudding, and it was great! Michelle ordered the same but did include the haggis and black pudding and I did take a small taste of each. I did not care about either, but I can say I tried it, lol! John got poached eggs with bacon, and he said it was delicious.
After breakfast we headed up all bundled up as it started raining. We caught the bus to take us downtown to the meeting spot for our tour to familiarize ourselves with the buses and location. The rain picked up, so I went into a store and got an umbrella and John needed a coat that was more rainproof than what he had, so that helped us a lot. As we were walking and the rain picked up even more, we decided to find a place for a coffee (The Castle Rock Café) and hoped the rain would slow down some. I got a wonderful cappuccino, the boys got espresso and Michelle had some tea. One of the guys that worked there was from New York and the other one used to date a girl from Raleigh. What a small world! The rain slowed a little, so we headed out again. We found the meeting spot for our tour and then decided to grab some lunch at Milnes Bar, where we split a potted crab dip and fish and chips.
Since we had some time to kill before the tour, we decided to come back to the hotel to drop off some things and then headed back out again. We are already pros with the bus (lol!) so we had no problems getting to our meeting spot where we met, Alec, our guide. Alec was born and raised in Edinburgh, but has lived all over, even lived in Wake Forest and is a Tarheel fan!
He gave us some great information about the area near the castle as well as in the castle and gave us points about what buildings and things to see. Our tour was only about 2 hours, but he was very informative and had a great sense of humor. Unfortunately, most of the places we went to within the castle don’t allow cameras so there were not many pictures. After parting with Alec, we did a little more walking around and decided it was time for a drink and a bite to eat.
We came across a place called Tiles, and we all grabbed a beer, and I saw soup on the menu and found out it was butternut squash and sweet potato, which was perfect for the damp chilly day we had. John and I split that and then ordered Steak and Guinness pie as well. The food was great!
John had some work to do so him and I headed back to the hotel while Vance and Michelle walked around a little longer. We went downstairs to the bar and had a nightcap and called it a night.
Tomorrow we will be doing the Royal Mile Walking Tour at 9 am so it will be an early start. The boys will then head out at some point to get the rental car as we will be heading to Nairn on Friday. A great rainy chilly day in Scotland, so totally different than Italy, but still, lots of fun!
Doesn’t that look delicious???Yummers!Taken on the Royal Mile – he was a Scottish philosopher and economistSt. Giles Cathedral with the Mercat Cross in the foreground.A rainy day while walking down the Royal Mile.The wonderful place we found to get out of the rain!Cute space for outside sitting, if it wasn’t raining……Always time for a cappuccino!And an espresso for JohnYes, this is a picture of their toilet – notice how the sink is behind it! Never seen anything like it, but nice use of the space, lol!The tall, gothic looking spire is the Scott Monument, dedicated to Sir Walter Scott. The wooded area in front of the monument is part of Princes Street Gardens, which separates the Old Town (behind me) and the New Town (in front of me). On the far right is the Balmoral Hotel Clock Tower and is one of Edinburgh’s most luxurious hotels. The clock is traditionally kept a few minutes fast to help people catch their trains at nearby Waverley Station.Milnes Bar, where we grabbed a quick bite for lunch!First time trying Innis & Guns and it was good!Potted crab dip, which I was not a fan of…..Fish and chips, with peas of course!Near Princes Street Gardens looking up toward the ridge of the Royal Mile. The tall spire on the left is The Hub (aka Highland Tolbooth Kirk) and it’s the tallest spire in Edinburgh. The metal scaffold-like structure is the temporary stadium seating used for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. A street view of Edinburgh Castle. The cliff beneath it is Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano that the castle was built on.The Mercat Cross, an octagonal structure in Edinburgh’s historic market cross, originally a medieval symbol of the city’s right to hold a market (mercat = market).One of the castle guards at Edinburgh Castle.A stone gateway in the castle wall and the shield is the Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland.A picture of the skyline from the castle, love it!!!!!The modern building with the curving top is part of the St. James Quarter redevelopment. You can spot the Scott Monument (dark Gothic spire), the Princes Street Gardens (green belt in the middle), the Balmoral Hotel (the clock tower), and Waverly Station (big gray/white roof).Part of the carved door associated with the prisoners of war held in Edinburgh Castle in the late 1700s. Edinburgh Castle was used as a military garrison and POW holding site.Tells about the carvings in the previous picture.Another carved door.The Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. The chapel dates back to the early 12th century, around 1130, and was built by King David I in memory of his mother, Queen Margaret of Scotland.Mons Meg, one of the largest surviving siege cannons in Europe and dates back from the mid-15th century. The barrel is about 13 ft long and it fired stone cannonballs roughly 20 inches wide and weighing well over 200-300 lbs. Apparently it burst during a salute in the 1680s so it was retired.A stained-glass window dedicated to Queen Margaret of Scotland inside St. Margaret’s Chapel. Saint Columba – a 6th century Irish monk who sailed to Scotland and was a key figure in spreading Christianity in Scotland.Interior of St. Margaret’s Chapel with the tiny altar.Loved the colors of the flowers with the building.Dinner time! (former Prudential building)If you look closely, you start to notice all of the tiles, hence the name! Steak and Guinness pie and some yummy veggies!Straight-on view of the Scott Monument on Princes Street. The monument has a spiral staircase to a series of viewing platforms and from the top you get one of the best 360 views in town. We did not climb this.
