Day 7, 8, 9 | Edinburgh, Scotland (11/2, 11/3, 11/4 2022)

Lila and I heading just one block away to enjoy a yummy Scottish breakfast before jumping into our day. Laura's Kitchen is a tiny place but big on good food. 

 

After our breakfast, Lila headed back to the apartment and I ventured out to explore one of the modern art museums in the city, Modern One. Since it was a weekday, it wasn't too busy and I got to see some amazing art.

I got home just as the rain started - perfect timing to just chill for the rest of the afternoon although there was a small leak in the roof at my AirBnb.  I just put a cup underneath it and reported it to the property owner. It was just one of the several minor issues I encountered with the property and the owner was responsive, thankfully, to all of them.

The next day, Lila headed back to school and I checked out the special Impressionist exhibit at the Scottish National Gallery.  I love that all museums offer free admission! Each gallery was painted a different color but there was something about the yellow room that caught my heart. It isn't a color I typically respond to but it was downright cheery.

Later, I decided to go check out the Royal Mile as the weather was perfect: sunny and a little cool:

The Royal Mile is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century (1901), describing the city "with its Castle and Palace and the royal mile between", and was further popularized as the title of a guidebook by R. T. Skinner published in 1920, "The Royal Mile (Edinburgh) Castle to Holyrood(house)".

The Royal Mile runs between two significant locations in the royal history of Scotland: Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. The name derives from it being the traditional processional route of monarchs,[3] with a total length of approximately one Scots mile, a now obsolete measurement measuring 1.81km.[4] The streets which make up the Royal Mile are (west to east) Castlehill, the Lawnmarket, the High Street, the Canongate and Abbey Strand. The Royal Mile is the busiest tourist street in the Old Town, rivaled only by Princes Street in the New Town.

Source: Wikipedia 

It is where St. Giles' (hard G) Cathedral is located.  The late Queen of England coffin was brought to the church for a day. I also took a peek at the castle but only from the outside.

Speaking of the Royal Family, the following day I walked to Hollyroodhouse, the King's residence in Edinburgh, which is located at the base of Arthur's Seat. 

Taking full advantage of the sunny weather, I returned to Dean Village and the Water of Leith walkway. So gorgeous.  Later that night, I had my meet up with a few ladies I met in the Facebook group, Solo In Style: Women Over 50 Traveling Solo & Loving It! We enjoyed a quick meal at a place across the street from my apartment, The Voyage of Buck and then a final drink at Teuchter's Pub. 

Another fantastic day in Scotland!

To see all my photos click on the day:  Day 7, Day 8, and Day 9 - enjoy!

Day 6 | Edinburgh, Scotland (11/1/2022)

We had sunshine on Tuesday, so I took full advantage of the nice weather to check out Calton Hill, a World Heritage spot.  I noticed it the other day when I was heading out on my tour of the Highlands. 'Edinburgh’s Acropolis' offers the most amazing views of the city and I was very happy to have done the 'Hume Walk', which is one of the first public walking routes created in Britain, to climb the hill. The walk was named after the philosopher, David Hume, who was born in Edinburgh. He and some other city residents urged the council to create it in order to 'encourage healthy pursuits and living'. It also includes several monuments and an art museum...and a great view of Holyrood Palace, the King's official residence in Scotland. I hope to tour that location this weekend!

After my stroll on the hill, I popped into the Old Calton Burial Ground where David Hume has been laid to rest. 

Because I was in the neighborhood, I returned to Rabbie's Cafe for another cup of the perfect cappuccino before heading out for lunch. Closer to home, I was able to enter St. Cuthbert's which is the oldest Christian site in Edinburgh, where Agatha Christie was married, and includes a Tiffany stained-glass window!

St. John's was also open to visitors, so I went inside to check it out as well.

Working up quite the appetite, I walked to The Palmerston which happens to be just a hop, skip, and a jump from my apartment.  I was so pleased with my three course meal - delicious! The bread was PERFECT: soft dough with a chewy crust. 

After a delicious meal, I headed back home to await the Darling Daughter's arrival later that evening. To check out all of my photos from the day's adventures, click here!

 

Day 4 & 5 | St. Andrews + Edinburgh + The Highlands Scotland (10/30 & 10/31 2022)

Day 4 - St. Andrews & Edinburgh

I am totally lucking out with the weather during my stay.  Other than a few short-lived sprinkles, it has been clear and lovely in Scotland. I enjoyed a DELICIOUS breakfast at the hotel in St. Andrews before taking a final walk around town to pick up a few treasures.

I headed back to Edinburgh with just enough time to unpack in my apartment before heading out for a walking tour of the city. My friend, Jilly, connected me with Bryan, who took me on out to explore some parts of the city I had not visited yet but were on my list.  It included Dean Village  which included a stroll along the Water of Leith. The area reminded me a bit of Rhode Island with its former mills that are now homes and art galleries.  It was a stunning walk in late October and suspect it is breathtaking in the summer months with blooming flowers.

Bryan is an excellent guide, so if you are ever here, let either me or Jilly know and one of us will connect you with him.  I learned so much on the walk....things like why there is often black stains on the buildings.  That was from back in the days when everyone used coal to burn for heat, etc. There used to be a window tax - the more windows you had implied you were wealthy, so many residents would fill in windows and have 'fake ones' painted over top of them to minimize their tax burden. We even rode one of those double decker buses! We popped into an ancient cemetery and the botanical gardens. Our day's adventures wrapped up with a delicious meal at a place called Nobles and a final whisky at one of Bryan's local favorites, The Shore. 

I had to take public transportation (!) back to my apartment all by myself (eek!) because it was just too far of a walk for that time of night.  I have a bit of a phobia when it comes to buses (LOL) but I managed to get home without issue. I am feeling dang proud of myself, thank you very much.

Day 5 - The Highlands & Loch Ness

When I travel, I rarely sign up for tours but many folks urged me to go see The Highlands.  Well, I certainly was NOT going to rent a car and drive myself up yonder and risk harming someone in the process, so I signed up for a small group tour courtesy of Rabbie's Tours. Jim was our guide and he was fantastic - I highly recommend him and the service.  I don't know how he pulled it off, but at each stop, the rain ceased so we could get out and take glorious photos. I also felt very grateful for another woman traveling solo (but not part of our group) who offered to share her table with me so I could eat my steak pie I was so looking forward to enjoying.  I also discovered that there were a few New Englanders in the group as well, including a family visiting from Massachusetts.

It was a long but marvelous day of exploring and I am so happy that I went forward with booking the tour.  Learning about this country has been like drinking from a fire hose - so much history, so many stories!