You're a pretty lucky girl if your husband says he will take you anywhere in the world for your birthday! Paris? London? Hmm...well, I thought since my ancestors are from Scotland, maybe we would see Edinburgh. We flew over the Alps, then arrived at the Waldorf Astoria Caledonian and this was the view! Across the street, a church and cemetery, behind it Edinburgh Castle.
Only problem? Holy crikey, it was cold!
St. Cuthbert's Church was built in 1894 and is located across from our hotel at the edge of Princes Street Gardens in the center of Edinburgh, Scotland. It's dedicated to Celtic missionary St.Cuthbert (634-87) who allegedly preached in the first of seven earlier churches on this site.
There is a graveyard next to it.
View from the window in our room at night. Our hotel.
First thing, we went across the street to a pub and had Haggis Balls. Yep.
Taking a walk around Edinburgh, we found a couple churches renovated - one into a bar/nightclub (Friday nights are hopping in town!) and the other into a craft sort of mall.
Scott Monument - dedicated to Sir Walter Scott.
A Scottish thistle.
The obligatory Scotty Dog, named Angus. Of course. SO cute!
You must stop at a very expensive cigar shop!
These were on the side of a building along the street.
A poem about the days of the week on each.
Interesting name for a pub!
Looking for somewhere to eat. Always in the shadow of the castle.
Cute pub where we stopped for dinner. The windows had circles in the glass of each pane.
Tim had a huge fish and chips meal. During the meal some blokes from Sweden came in and performed, singing and playing guitar quite loudly. Fun.
This pub is infamous - a place where Orson Welles drank at one time and where Dan Brown penned the last chapter of his novel The Davinci Code.
If you are a golf fanatic like Tim, a trip to Scotland would not be complete without a train trip to St. Andrews to see the famous golf courses. It was even colder!
After the train, we took a bus out to the golf course and had to walk a ways to get there.
Cool buildings. Are you seeing a theme? Everything in Scotland in April was very grey.
The stones and style has much more earth tones, greys, browns, etc. than in other places like Italy.
Back to Edinburgh in the rain.
A walk up the Royal Mile. Shops, etc. which leads you from Holyrood Palace
up to Edinburgh Castle.
This church is called the Hub. It's the home of the Edinburgh Festival. Entertainment, food etc.
Walking up to the castle.
The new Scottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Palace...see the white tips?
Scott Monument
A design competition was held for who would design a monument to Sir Walter Scott in 1837, George Meikle Kemp won and it was built on Princes St. Scott was popular for writing such novels as Ivanhoe and Rob Roy. After he died in 1832, 6000 pounds was raised to build a monument. The monument was completed in 1846, two years after Kemp's body was found in the Union Canal.
Statue of William Pitt
Royal Scottish Academy
Former Parliament Building
Statue of poet and writer Allen Ramsay near the Mound
Walking down from the castle.
Cemetery down the hill from the castle, next to the church across from the hotel.
The Edinburgh Castle at sunset. It stayed light there much longer than in Michigan. Very early sunrise, late sunset. Interesting.
Takeout box from the hotel.
