Edinburgh

We have heard from many, many people that Edinburgh is a breathtaking city, so we were excited when we had a four day weekend in May that we could spend there.  Edinburgh is not known for its good weather, so we didn't have high expectations, but were actually pleasantly surprised!

Edinburgh is an inspiring city - with it's rich history of philosophical thinking, its uniquely beautiful architecture, the large castle overlooking the city, and its unbelievable surrounding scenery. In the four days we spent there, we were able to take in each of those things.

We took a walking tour of the city, during which we learned so many new things about the history of Scotland, and the country today. We thought it was especially fascinating that Scotland has such a "dark" history, with many tales of ghosts and hauntings. However, we were not brave enough to do a night tour to learn more about this side of the city specifically.

Midlothian Heart - the one place in the city that it is legal to spit on the ground! A prison stood on this site, where executions used to take place.

"Bobby" was the dog that spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, and now is an icon of loyalty in Edinburgh. People from all over the world have left things at the dog's gravesite, including sticks, chew toys, and plane tickets!

The Last Drop is one of the pubs in which people would take their last drop of whiskey before being executed in the square just outside.

This old beautiful church is actually now a restaurant.

Museum of literature

The huge castle, which we did not go in, but enjoyed the view of it all weekend!

Springtime beauty

We took a bus tour from Edinburgh through the Highlands and Glencoe to Loch Ness. We were fortunate that this took place on a rare SUNNY day, making it impossible for us to take our eyes off of the scenery. We covered a lot of ground in about 8 hours of driving, and were able to take a boat ride on Loch Ness. We learned that the Loch (lake) is the largest fresh body of water in Europe, and has more fresh water than ALL the fresh water in England and Wales combined. They informed us that if it never rained again in Scotland, there would be enough water in that lake alone for everyone in the country to survive for 60 years!

The Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness.

The next day we were back in Edinburgh, and were able to really explore the city. We began to notice how familiar things felt and how much of a difference it made to have just a few things similar to our own country. Being able to communicate in English and understand those around us felt very different to us and kept taking us by surprise! We also appreciated the free tap water at restaurants, the large amount of thrift stores and used book stores (Rachel may or may not have purchased 8 new English books...), the variety of food, and some other small aspects that made it feel comfortable to us.

Up on Calton Hill,, this was originally called the "National Monument". It began in 1816, and was meant to replicate the Parthenon in Athens as a memorial to those who died in the Napoleonic Wars. However, funds were cut a few years later, and it was never completed. 

View of the city from Calton Hill

In the middle of the city, there is a large park called Holyrood park, which is a combination of a few different hills, the highest of which is called, "Arthur's Seat". We spent an afternoon hiking around the hills and up to Arthur's Seat. This was a highlight for us, as it provided 360 degree views of the city, and what felt like an "escape" from the city, while still being in it!

Part of Holyrood Park

View of the city from Arthur's Seat