A Day In Edinburgh

Monday July 15, 2019

After a bit of a slower start to the day, our first stop was to see the “world’s best golf resort” - Gleneagles. Rooms start at 800 pounds per night and go up to 10,000. It’s a golfer’s dream to play there. We only saw the hotel and a driving range of this sprawling complex.

We decided to take the train into Edinburgh so Dave didn’t have to drive in the crazy, busy city nor deal with parking. Tickets were purchased the night before so we just had to pick them up at the station. Except, the credit card used to buy the tickets (needed to claim them) was back in the B&B. No worries. Just buy more tickets. The trip took just over an hour. I don’t know where the train started from in the north, but it goes all the way to London. A five hour trip from where we’re staying.

The Edinburgh train station was busy and an experience. After getting the info on which train to take back, we headed out. The weather was fantastic! Not one drop of rain, but at times it was a bit too hot. The busyness was overwhelming at first. We’ve spent most of our time in quiet, rural settings. The masses of people and the traffic were definitely an adjustment. There was a double decker bus roaring past almost every 30 seconds.

We walked up a steep hill to Edinburgh Castle. This was, by far, the largest castle/grounds that we’ve seen so far - and the busiest. You could see literally 100s of people in some spots. On this, our 12th day of sightseeing, we were on “information overload”. That point when you just can’t take in any more info - no matter how amazingly interesting it is.

After walking around a bit, we sat on a bench and I had a 10 minute cat nap. Sleeping has been a bit of a challenge. At 11:30 pm it’s still not dark and by 4 am, it’s fully light. It doesn’t ever get fully dark at night which means waking up multiple times wondering if it’s time to get up since it’s light outside.

There were a few things that we really wanted to see on the castle grounds. The room where James V was born (1566) and St. Margaret’s chapel (1130 - oldest building in Edinburgh). Both were terrific. What was especially great was to see a copy of “Mary’s gospel book”. I had just read about it in the book I finished earlier in the week. History coming to life! We also saw the Scottish Crown Jewels which weren’t nearly as impressive as the English Crown Jewels, but still good to see.

The Royal Mile is the road that leads from the castle down into the city. (The castle is at the top of a very high hill.) The road is filled with shops and tourists. We walked around a bit, explored a couple of closes (small alleys leading to another street), went in a shop or two, and enjoyed street musicians playing guitars/bagpipes. Book stores are always a pleasant stop. We wandered around in a four story one for a bit and may have bought a book or two.

The train was leaving at 8 pm so we only had time for a quick bite to eat. We got sandwiches and ate them in the park across from the train station. A plain, old sandwich was a nice change from all the “heavier” food we’ve been eating.

The trip back to the B&B took about 90 minutes. We got back to our room by 9:30. A very full day.

One thing I learned today: You can teach a dog to beg for money. We passed a few people with cups in front on them asking for money. Unlike in the States, the people don’t make eye contact with anyone and don’t say anything. They just stare straight ahead or look at the ground and have a cup in front on them. One women had her dog holding a plastic container in its mouth for money. It was sad all the way around, but it must be difficult for the dog to hold that container the way he did.

One new thing I experienced today: A lawnmower that operates all on its own - much like the iRobot vacuums. It was cutting grass on a very steep hill that no person or machine could ever cut. Could it cut grass? Yes. Was it doing a good job? No. The lawn was a mess with cut tracks going all over the place. It was however, a great tourist attraction. Lots of people laughing about it and taking pictures.

Most powerful moment of the day: Standing in the tiny room in which Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James V. Loving history and being in the places were events took place is the best.

One pleasurable experience: Sitting outside of a pub having a drink, people watching as busses go by. It was so delightful. And, the barkeeper let me take the glass I was drinking out of. A great reminder of this day.