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Monday 16 May, to Edinburgh

Scotland 2005 - part XIII

Elisabeth & Teije
2006-08-27 10:31:14

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At noon we have to return the car to the airport of Edinburgh, so we have some time this morning to drive around a bit. When we leave the hotel we realise that the fine weather is over, the thermometer in the car indicates that it is 8 degrees outside, instead of 21 as we had yesterday. It really feels cold and wintry, but we are happy it is at least dry. Near Falkirk and Grangemouth we drive through disconsolate industrial estates so we soon turn southwards to find nicer places but it is not as nice as in the mountains or on the west coast. So we just stray a bit through the villages, but the weather is not very inviting to get out and look around. After a couple of hours we arrive early at the airport to leave our car and take the bus to the city center.

We start looking for a hotel, comfortably from a pub where it is warm. We have some leaflets and start calling hotels, including the George hotel right in the center of town. Well, we skip the George when we hear it is 265 pounds for a night and later arrange a room in the Travel Inn. They have rooms for 60 pounds a night, still a lot of money, nut except for youth hostels, it is hard to find anything cheaper in Edinburgh. The walk from the center to the hotel is about 20 minutes.

Wecan already check in at two o'clock and then we return immediately to the center again, first to Castle Rock on which the vast Edinburgh Castle stands, dominating the city. Edinburgh has been build on a number of extinguished vulcanos.

We have seen the castle and the museums in it before, so this time we stay on the outside. The oldest part of the castle dates back to the 11th century and even in the 20th century some new constructions were added.

From the castle a road leads for almost a mile downwards to Holyrood palace through the old town. The old town was only 300 meters wide and in the late Middle Ages one of the most densely populated cities of Europe and without question the most dirty. Therefore Edinburgh has the nickname 'Auld Reekie', the Old Stinker. Nowadays the smell isn't so bad anymore, but the atmosphere of the Middle Ages is still present.

At the beginning of the Royal Mile as this road is called (the streets Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street and Canongate, going from the castle down for almost a mile) is a whisky museum (the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre) where we can follow the production of the Scottish whiskys. The entrance is not cheap, but worthwhile to learn more about this Scottish water of life. The bottle to the right on this photograph was waiting for a buyer, but we decided to leave it where it stands...

We walk a part of the busy Royal Mile where, except for a lot of pubs, many souvenir shops have been established in the old houses that once belonged to the rich and influential people of Edinburgh. We almost never go to these shops, but this time we visit a few and see a lot of nice and funny things. But we have already enough souvenirs, so except a couple of Scotland baby t-shirts we don't buy anything.

It is still very cold and not really pleasant walking outside too long, so after a meal in a restaurant near the castle, we walk back to the hotel at 7 o'clock where we turn on the heater. Would it be better tomorrow? The weather forecasts say it won't, with a maximum of 10 to 12 degrees. Well, we will be happy enough when it doesn't rain.