Wanting to get the most out of our overnight in Edinburgh for the Tattoo, I booked an early flight from Heathrow. The car picked us up at 3.30am for a 7.00 am flight. Boy did I stuff up on that one.
Our hotel was right in the middle of the city and within walking distance to everything. We got a cab to the Castle but the driver had to park about 3 blocks away where it was cordoned off. there were police everywhere and souvenir shops on either side of the walk called the royal mile and as Edinburgh holds a Fringe Festival in conjunction with the Tattoo, the population grows each year from the approx 500,000 people living there to twice that for the month of August. it was shoulder to shoulder for the full width of the street for the entire length up to the Castle gates. I have never seen so many people in one place before.
The start of the Royal Mile which is the road way leading up to the gates of the Edinburgh Castle which is lined with tourist type shops and stalls.
Our seats were perfect. When booking them, I asked for the best seats and was informed that they were reserved for Her Maj. We had plenty of room and faced front on to everything. The program was very good and the light show off the walls of the castle was terrific.
The weather held off but as the sun went down it got very cold.
I was rugged up in scarf, gloves and huge coat but was still cold till I remembered the cashmere scarves I purchased earlier and wrapped them round me as well.
The show was amazing but we were thrilled with the light show that was displayed on the Castle wall with each performance.
The evening ended with a single piper playing a Scottish Hymn from the walls of the Castle.
Never have I heard a more emotional recital from one bagpipe.
A statue of Shirlock Holmes in the street near where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born
Next day we booked out of the hotel and went on the hop on and off bus to some of the highlights of the city, had lunch at the "Conan Doyle" Hotel which is very close to the birthplace of the author of the Sherlock Holmes series, Arthur Conan Doyle. Unfortunately, there is a roundabout on that spot now.
The hotel was oozing atmosphere with small levels only a few steps apart. The walls were covered with old wallpaper and very old photos and lined with bookcases with very old books. You could almost expect to see Sherlock Holmes on his hands and knees under one of the tables with his deer hat and magnifying glass calling to his trusty Watson.
Of course a visit to Scotland wouldn't be complete without a taste of the real thing.
Haggis, taties and neeps. (Turnips)
A little cafe we went into for morning tea had an original roof dating to the thirteenth century.
It was called the Deacon Brodie after a business man of the day who subsidised his gambling by being a house breaker by night and was eventually caught and hanged. It is said it inspired Robert Louis Stevensons book Dr Jeckle and Mr Hyde.
An interesting array of soups. The first two would have been ok but I think they must have got the recipe for the last one from Mr Heinz.
As we were leaving we spotted this sign above the door on the way out. Just as well neither of us wanted to go or we would have needed a ladder.
All too soon we had to get back to the airport for our flight back to London and then off to Budapest. But we will leave that for another time.
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