Days 11-13: Edinburgh
St. AndrewsDay 11 was our last day with Mark and on the bus! We departed from Dunkeld and headed to St. Andrews for a long morning and afternoon of exploring. Aside from being famous for hosting a couple of royals for a few years, St. Andrews has an historic university that was a lot of fun to explore along with the rest of the town. I didn't play any golf, but Alasdair organized a round for a few of our tour members. Instead of golf, a few of us again followed the Rick Steves' walk through town, although I think we had to start halfway through based on our location and we cut out the golf courses.
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From St. Andrews, Mark and Alasdair took us to Forth Bridge for a quick snack (caramel-filled donuts from a shop in St. Andrews - yum!).
We ended the day (and said goodbye to Mark!) in Edinburgh. Alasdair led us on a quick orientation walk of New Town before we had dinner on our own. After dinner, I took a quick detour from our hotel to explore Dean Village a bit, which was beautiful in the late evening sun! (To view the full photo from the gallery below, just click on any image.) |
Another Interesting HotelOur group stayed in B+B Edinburgh on this tour. The hotel was lovely, but beware that even though Edinburgh has a "New Town" it dates back to the Georgian era (those pesky Georges coming up once again!). This means that the city has taken pains to preserve the historic nature of the area, including our hotel. The hotel has an historic elevator (maybe not so old as the Georgians!) and sadly the elevator needs a part that is hard to come by, so our group was without the use of an elevator... in a hotel with 5 floors. I was on the top floor, again - phew! Packing light is definitely essential when staying in historic places.
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Much like in Inverness, though, the climb to my room was well worth it! It wasn't a large room and in the May heatwave we were experiencing, I could definitely have done with a window to open (apparently other rooms had this pleasure, but I made due with a tiny fan and laying on my bed for a while - ha!). But the view was unbelievable! From my skylight, I could see Edinburgh Castle and I got to experience the sunset and evening lights at the castle without having to leave my bed. (Alternately, the skylight made sure I was awake at 4am, 5am, 6am, 7am, and 8am to start our next day in Edinburgh since it was directly over my bed and as I mentioned, the sun rises early in Scotland in the spring and summer!) The climb also meant I left that day with whatever I went down to breakfast with.
Historic Edinburgh
We mostly explored along the Royal Mile and did a wee bit of shopping, although I broke off and hiked up the Vennel steps for some great shots of the castle. Our hotel in New Town wasn't a terribly long walk from the Old Town, but I wanted to use the tram to save some energy for dinner. I usually have a great sense of direction (really!) and no trouble figuring out public transportation. But in Edinburgh, I took a little detour in the wrong direction. Thankfully, a few locals and a public transportation worker got me all sorted out and heading in the right place. I didn't want to be late for our last group dinner of the trip!
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The last full day of our tour started early with breakfast in the hotel and an extensive walking tour with local guide, Annie. Annie was a great guide and led us all over Edinburgh to show us some great sites and share a lot of interesting history. Our tour ended in Edinburgh Castle, where we had time to explore on our own - I saw the crown jewels (no pictures allowed!). Then, we had the afternoon free for lunch and touring on our own.
I really enjoyed Edinburgh and would LOVE to spend more time here in the future. I guess that just means I'll need to book another trip soon!
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The last day of the tour (Day 13) includes breakfast at the hotel, but there aren't any activities planned for the day. Alasdair helped those on the tour who would be staying to plan activities and transportation where needed, but most already had plans for the rest of their time in Scotland. My day started early with a train from Haymarket back to London, so I got my breakfast in a box (and breakfast on the train - splurging for first class comes with perks!). From Kings Cross Station in London, it was an easy ride on the Tube to Heathrow airport for my flight home.
This was a great Scottish adventure and I can't wait to return again one day soon to continue exploring more of this beautiful country! |
Laugh a Little!
In St. Giles Cathedral, we found a great story about the struggles between Scotland and England in regards to religion. Rather than recreate the story, I've posted a picture of the description, which I just love. It gave me a bit of a chuckle to think of Jenny Geddes hurling her stool - but I'm also a proud Presbyterian who wouldn't take kindly to these changes either! Go Jenny!
This concludes my wonderful Scotland adventure! If you'd like to check out many of the delicious meals I had in Scotland (yes, really!), use the button to explore the last page of this scrapbook. Or, if you're itching to see more pictures of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, check out the slideshow below.
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