I knew in advance that Edinburgh was going to be crowded. Stephen had mentioned to us that the two annual festivals that took place during the last three weeks of August drew a huge number of visitors to the city. First, there was the International Festival, which presents the best in classical music, dance, opera, and theater. Simultaneously, Edinburgh hosts the Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, where thousands of independent performers from across the globe appear in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues.
Despite Stephen’s warning, I wasn’t prepared for the constant crush of people when we reached Edinburgh late on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Imagine Times Square in New York on New Year’s Eve and you’ll get a rough idea of the what it was like. I just wanted to close my eyes and have all the people magically vanish into thin air.
Our hotel was extremely well-located, on a wide open space called the Grassmarket, right in the midst of all the action in the Old Town. Through large windows facing the street, I could look out at Edinburgh Castle atop Castle Rock and the Saturday market below with its sprawling array of stands selling food, clothing, crafts, etc. People were sitting out at tables in front of the many restaurants and bars and the atmosphere was quite festive.
We were also practically at the base of picturesque Victoria Street, the steep winding street lined with more restaurants, bars, shops of all kinds. It was just as crowded as, if not more crowded than, the Grassmarket.
Stephen led us to the top of Victoria Street, where we found ourselves at the Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare that extends from Edinburgh Castle all the way down through the Old Town to Holyrood House. As we worked our way through the crowds, he pointed out St. Giles Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh. I made a mental note to get back there at some point during our stay in the city.
It was a relief to briefly escape the crowds by stepping into the quiet of Roxburgh Court. The sculpture in the courtyard depicts Alexander the Great and his horse, Bucephalus.
Back out on the Royal Mile, we entered Luckenbooth’s restaurant for a group dinner. Since our trip would soon be ending, I decided to try Irn-bru, Scotland’s second national beverage, whisky being the first. It’s a carbonated, caffeinated, sugary, vaguely fruit flavored soft drink. One sip was enough for me. A fellow traveler described it as the Scottish equivalent of Mountain Dew.
The meal itself was excellent. The main course of seared monkfish over saffron infused quinoa, and the dessert of cranachan, which features whipped cream, oats, fresh raspberries, and whisky, were both delicious and reminded me how good Scottish cuisine can be.
When we walked back down Victoria Street after dinner, the crowds were still milling around – not surprising, since it was Saturday night. Before I went to bed, I vowed to wake up early the next morning so I could get out and take some photos without random people.
Fortunately, the revelers seemed to sleep in on Sunday morning and I was able to take some photos of the neighborhood in the early morning light.
On the façades of a few buildings on Victoria Street, I noticed references to J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter.
A couple of hours later, when our group set out on a guided tour of the city, the area was just beginning to stir. We headed first to Edinburgh’s New Town. Our local guide, Allan, explained that the Old Town, where we were staying, was a walled city with narrow streets dating back to the 1400s. He reminded us that Scotland had undergone profound changes after the battle of Culloden (1746) brought an end to the Highland way of life. By the mid-1700s, Scotland was part of the British Union. More people, especially people with money, wanted to make their homes in the Scottish capital but the Old Town was crowded and lacked even basic sanitation. At the same time, there was a strong desire to modernize Edinburgh so that it reflected the growing power of the British Empire. Thus, during the reign of King George III and Queen Charlotte, the New Town was born.
We began our discoveries at Charlotte Square. The square is surrounded by a series of townhouses built in the distinctive architectural style of this period, which is not surprisingly called Georgian. If you’ve watched the Bridgerton series, which is set in the early 1800s, this Georgian architecture may look familiar.
There’s a gated private park in the center of Charlotte Square. Access is limited to residents of the surrounding townhouses that face the square. The equestrian statue in the park is the Albert Memorial, dedicated to Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. On a corner opposite the square, our guide pointed out the birthplace of Alexander Graham Bell.
The building with the columns and green copper dome is the oldest building on the square. Built in the early 1600s, it houses the National Records of Scotland.
Since no skyscrapers are allowed in the city center, New Town has retained much of its original character. From the square, we traveled down wide avenues where high-end shops and restaurants now occupy the golden sandstone buildings. Unfortunately, the sandstone has been stained by decades of soot from burning coal and other forms of pollution.
From the New Town, we drove up to Calton Hill, the top of the extinct volcano on which Edinburgh is built. Looping around the hill, we made our way to the lower end of the Royal Mile, where Holyrood House is located. However, we didn’t have time to explore the former hunting lodge which is now used as a 276-room royal residence. We made a slow ascent of the Royal Mile, passing the 73 closes (narrow lanes) that run off the thoroughfare, until we reached Edinburgh Castle at the very top.
Being a Sunday in August, there were large crowds waiting to enter the castle.
The statues on either side of the gate are of two Scottish heroes: William Wallace, on the right; and Robert Bruce, on the left.
The castle is actually a small walled village. After we entered through the main gateway, the Portcullis Gate, which dates back to 1574, we were on our own to explore.
I immediately headed to Crown Square, where I found the National War Memorial of the Scots in a building that resembled a church.
Also facing Crown Square is the Royal Palace. This was the residence of the Stewart kings and queens in the 1500s and 1600s. King James VI of Scotland (James I of Britain), daughter of Mary Queen of Scots, was born here in 1566. I can’t show you the lavishly decorated interior of the palace, or the jewel-encrusted Royal Crown of Scotland, because no photography was allowed.
Back outdoors, I took a close look at the Forewall Battery. The defensive wall was built by King James V in 1544 along the lines of an earlier medieval line of defense. The artillery currently in place dates back to the early 19th century.
There were great views of the city spread out below.
Not far from the battery, I noticed people gathered around a huge cannon. It was Mons Meg, a wrought iron gun made in Mons, Belgium in the 15th century. In 1449, it was sent to King James II of Scotland as a wedding gift from the Duke of Burgundy when James married his great-niece. With its 20-inch wide barrel, Mons Meg is the largest gun ever on British soil.
Also of note was St. Margaret’s Chapel, built by King David around 1130. It’s the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. King David dedicated it to his mother, St. Margaret. She was a Saxon princess who fled to Scotland soon after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Four years later, she married the king of Scotland, Malcolm Canmore.
There was a lot more to see within the castle walls but there was also a lot to see outside the castle walls. Exiting the castle, I waded through throngs of people on my way down the Royal Mile. I was planning to walk to the National Galleries of Scotland, where I hoped to see some paintings by Scottish artists, but when my route brought me past the National Museum of Scotland, I decided to save the art museum for the following day.
During the hour or so I spent in the museum, I learned a lot about Scottish history. I especially appreciated the map that showed the settlements of people speaking different languages in Scotland in the past. The languages were Norse, Pictish, Anglian, British, and Gaelic. You'll have to Zoom in to read it.
The exhibits showcased some very interesting artifacts. The Pictish stone carving below, from circa 800 CE, shows a female aristocrat hunting.
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The Irish style gold collar dates back to the period between the 3rd century BCE and 1st century CE while the Irish style gilt brooch from the island of Mull has been dated to the 8th century CE.
This is a portion of a very large 9th century defaced cross with a hunting scene and Pictish symbols on the back.
The Queen Mary clarsach is a wire-strung harp, one of the oldest known examples of the type of instrument used by Gaels of Scotland and Ireland. It was made in the Highlands around 1450.
The Bute mazer is a 14th century communal drinking cup, made of maplewood with a raised silver gilt disk on the inside. It was a symbol of power in medieval Scotland and the lion was a symbol of Scottish king Robert the Bruce.
I admired several oak carvings in Gothic and Scottish Renaissance style.
When I emerged from the museum, I headed back up the Royal Mile to St. Giles Cathedral. The interior was beautiful, but with all the people parading through, it was hard to feel like I was in a sacred space.
Before I went back to the hotel, I stopped for gelato at Mary’s Milk Bar on the Grassmarket where I waited in an outdoor queue for about 45 minutes before I could even step inside the shop – it’s that popular. The flavors change on a daily basis. Since I couldn’t limit myself to just one, I went ahead and spoiled my appetite for dinner by having two scoops. The first flavor was cherries and cream; the second was a combination of pistachios, walnuts, and baklava. The verdict? Definitely worth the wait, and a good prelude to my healthy dinner of salad with smoked salmon.
Only one more day of my Scottish adventure remained, and that will be the subject of my next post.
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