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- I had been well-warned against the ever-present rain and wind of Scotland, and was therefore pleasantly surprised by such a blue sky on our first day of sight-seeing.
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- The Edinburgh Castle is surrounded by a lovely park called the Princes Street Gardens, which is surrounded by busy city streets. I think St. Paul could benefit from a castle downtown.
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- Our excellent B&B, Adria House, was on Royal Terrace in Edinburgh. We observed that there appear to be fewer parking laws in Scotland than in the US.
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- Merchiston Castle School: the snow made me feel right at home but the daffodils made me jealous.
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- St. Giles’ Cathedral has a BLUE ceiling. I want one. Don’t you think the light fixtures look like dragon heads?
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- I loved this beautiful Celtic cross at St. Giles’.
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- St. Giles’ Cathedral: those Gothic arches!
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- All the Scottish sandwiches I consumed on the trip had something sweet in them. I think this one contained rhubarb relish? But I liked it.
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- We ate lunch twice at The Deacon’s House on High Street, because it was affordable, cute, and easy to find a second time.
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- I didn’t know this was a thing…
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- Jane Austen on the 10 GBP bill: “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading.” Also, their money is transparent.
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- The Queen Mary harp, in the Scottish National Museum: isn’t it amazing?
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- The Lamont harp, in the Scottish National Museum: I think this one looks ready for battle.
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- We took the train to Stirling Castle and walked a mile up through the cute town. The weather was cold, windy and perfectly atmospheric.
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- Stirling Castle, the Queen’s bedchamber: Apparently the bed is just for show.
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- The costumed staff members were amazing! Very interesting, and always in character.
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- We wandered through the nearby cemetery after seeing the castle. There were bunny rabbits!
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- The following day we enjoyed church in the morning and then meandered up to the top of Arthur’s Seat. I liked the view out to sea best. A crow tried to steal my afternoon scone, which I ate atop the hill, but I guarded it well. I saw him swoop in afterwards to look for crumbs.
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- One of these is not like the other. Somehow the swans didn’t seem to mind that he was trying to herd them…
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- Waverley Train Station has both a gorgeous ceiling and a piano. I thought of my friend Emily and how much she would like that piano.
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- We stumbled across the Robert Burns monument around sunset.
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- We climbed Calton Hill and found various projects underway. Is any city complete without an array of cranes?
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- The pipers were, of course, ubiquitous. I actually loved it, but mostly they’d play pieces that I recognized and I had to try figure out the name of the tune. Or suddenly I’d start humming a tune without remembering why I was humming it: I blame the pipers.
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- A Scottish tree is a tree with character. There’s something very Narnia-esque about this particular specimen.
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- The breakfast was one of the best parts of the day.
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- According to the nice customs agent, it’s pronounced Edinbur-uh, not Edinbur-o. He wouldn’t let me through until I said it right (…and could prove that I had money, housing, and didn’t plan to get paid while in the country.)
All told, we had a lovely time in Edinburgh.
To see more of my Scotland pictures, read Traveling Scotland: The Highlands.
Stephanie Claussen is a professional harpist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She performs on her harp throughout Minnesota in various concerts, recitals, and collaborations with other musicians. Sign up for her e-mail newsletter receive important announcements and notifications of upcoming performances.
3 comments
Edinburgh International Harp Festival 2018 |
[…] To see more of my Scotland pictures, read Traveling Scotland: Edinburgh and Stirling. […]
Tom Claussen
Great post, thanks! Your comments make it a very fun read. Scones, just made for the first time twice in last 3 weeks; have not taken any outside to test as crow bait but thanks for the heads up. A friend of mine in Scotland swears by porridge: “my breakfast every second day” – so was looking for it (we call it oatmeal) in the breakfast pic. Thanks again and keep smiling!
Stephanie Claussen
I love scones! Anne makes them all the time at home (I make them sometimes) but it was fun to experience the Scottish variety. Theirs were much heartier than what I’m used to. Great for walking.