Edinburgh

Cheers from Edinburgh where we've been a little more than 48 hours.  Our 11 hour flight was relatively painless and we slept well enough to stumble our way through customs at Heathrow and make it to our connecting flight. 

Edinburgh (pronounced ed-in-burr-a) is the capital city of Scotland, situated on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth (try saying that last bit 5 times very quickly), with a population of just under 500,000.  Attracting over one million overseas visitors a year, Edinburgh is the second most popular tourist destination in the UK (after London, of course), but I might add infinitely more beautiful.  The city is surrounded by a ring of green belt to discourage urban growth, and the historic center of Edinburgh is divided in two by the broad green strip of Princes Street Gardens. To the south the view is dominated by Edinburgh Castle perched high and looming on volcanic rock.  The cobbled streets of Old Town along the medieval thoroughfare (known since the 1920s as the Royal Mile) descend downhill towards Holyrood Palace. To the north lies Princes Street and the New Town.  The Old Town has preserved most of its medieval street plan and some Reformation-era buildings.  Minor streets (called closes or wynds) lie on either side of the main artery which form a sort of herringbone pattern. The Royal Mile is home to several beautiful public buildings such as the church of St. Giles, the City Chambers, the Law Courts and Tron Church.  Other places of historical interest nearby are Greyfriars Kirkyard, the Grassmarket, Scot Monument, Mercat Cross and others.   In fact, there are so many awe-inspiring buildings in a small area, one wonders why Edinburgh is not THE leading tourist destination in the UK!  If any one of these buildings existed in where I live, people would flock to see it.

The Royal Mile

The Dugald Stewart Monument and view of Edinburgh from Calton Hill

Rooftops of Edinburgh from Camera Obscura

Inside the walls of Edinburgh Castle

Armor display at Edinburgh Castle

View of Edinburgh through cannon hole at Edinburgh Castle

But, Edinburgh wasn't always this picturesque.  If you lived here over 250 years ago, your home may well have been one of the seething, tottering tenements which lined the streets and closes of the Old Town. From the 1600s Edinburgh's rapid development saw the city expand.  Hemmed in on 3 sides by the city walls and on the fourth by the fetid and noxious N'or Loch (where sewage, rubbish and the odd dead body were deposited), the only way for the town to expand was upwards.  Only in Edinburgh in the 18th century might a countess live in the same tenement as a fishmonger.  In buildings reaching as high as 14 stories, the poor lived in the cellars and attics, while the wealthy were sandwiched in the floors between.  During the Industrial Revolution, numerous vaults below street level were inhabited to accommodate the influx of immigrants and to house illegal activities such as gambling, prostitution and whisky sales.  Many businesses in the city offer tours of these underground vaults, some based on historic fact, and others on myth and ghost-telling.  Since we had the kids with us, we opted out of the scary tour but thoroughly enjoyed wandering the vaults through Mercat Tours.

Underground vault

We've been in Edinburgh for a little more than 48 hours, but it feels like more than a week.  Not because it has been a slog, but because we have done and seen so much, but sadly, not long enough to see even a fraction of what this gorgeous city has to offer.  I don't even think a year would be long enough.  The city offers not only the tourist attractions listed above, but the numerous street artists and performers along the Royal Mile could entertain one for hours.  From bagpipe players to mimes, dancers and string quartets, there is always something to see. 

Piper along the Royal Mile

In addition there are any number of galleries and museums in Edinburgh.  Given our limited time, we chose to visit The National Museum of Scotland which houses one building that is purely Scotland's history and another building housing quality exhibits from around the globe.  Again, you could spend days in the museum alone.  I was particularly pleased to find an exhibit of the Lewis Chessmen on display here.  I had read about their history and discovery on the Isle of Lewis and had assumed that since we would not be visiting the Outer Hebrides, I would not have a chance to see them.  I was delighted to be wrong and we are now the proud owners of a replica set of the famous chessmen.


National Museum of Scotland

We of course took the opportunity to play tennis while in Edinburgh.  The Meadows Park was about a 30 minute walk from our hotel and offered 16 courts, all of which were full.  It was wonderful to see so many people - children, teens and adults - out playing tennis of a Sunday. 

Lastly, just off the Royal Mile you will find the main buildings of University of Edinburgh which has campuses throughout the city.  We encountered several Americans who were studying abroad for the semester and they all commented on the fabulous education they were receiving and how much they enjoyed the city of Edinburgh.

From here we will venture into the Highlands along the eastern coast with a stop at Dunnotar Castle.  If we survive the driving on the "wrong side of the road", we'll see you then!