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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.