A Day In Edinburgh

---

Today we spent a day in Edinburgh. We woke up on our own time, got ready and departed for the Edinburgh Castle. This giant castle on a hill in the middle of the city is one of the things that makes Edinburgh really unique. We spent a good amount of time at the castle on my first trip out here in High School, including watching a Tattoo with multitudes of piping bands.

We made our way up the Royal Mile towards the castle, and stopped at a neat Turkish place called Truva's, which means Troy in Turkish. We enjoyed a nice breakfast served by Eastern European servers. So far, we have not had a single meal served by a local. I'm wondering if it seems to be a class issue, where only immigrants wait tables, or maybe it is just a coincidence.

The Edinburgh Castle is wonderful. It is a must-see for anyone who is planning a trip to Scotland, particularly near Edinburgh. They have found archaeological evidence that there was human settlement on the area as early as 900 BC and the earliest reference to the castle itself is found in 600 AD. The castle was frequently fought over between the English and the Scots in their constant power struggle in the times of Edward I, Robert the Bruce and David II. It was under David II that the castle was rebuilt and found some stability in the political world. It is also famous for being the birthplace of James VI of Scotland and I of England, son of Mary Queen of Scots. The castle continued to be invaded by others, including Oliver Cromwell. With each invasion a new addition would be added to the castle to help with its reinforcement. The last siege was in 1745 in the last Jacobite Rising. It then became a place for prisoners of war to be housed from the Seven Years War, War for American Independence, French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. There are doors on display in the prisons where prisoners carved their name and the date. The earliest date we could find was 1773.

Some highlights of the castle include the Honours of Scotland, The One O'Clock Gun, The Great Hall, War and Regimental Museums, the Prisons of War, The Royal Palace, St. Margaret's Chapel, and The Scottish National War Memorial.

The castle houses the Honours of Scotland, which are the crown, sword, sceptre and other jewels that have been used in coronations of Scottish kings and queens possibly dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. These are absolutely stunning, but pictures cannot be taken so you will have to go to the website to see them.

The One O'Clock Gun began to be fired at 1:00 pm daily from the castle to indicate time to ships in the nearby port. The firing began in 1861.

The Margaret of St. Margaret's Chapel was English Royalty who married Scottish Royalty. The Chapel was built by her son, David I, and, according to the guidebook, is the oldest surviving structure in Edinburgh today.

The Scottish National War Memorial was absolutely beautiful. It was built in 1927 as a memorial to those killed in WWI. It is full of colours from many of the regiments that fought in the war, and is generally indescribable. It was a very nicely done memorial to the wars in which Scotland has been involved in for the past hundred years.

The Great Hall, Royal Palace, War and Regimental Museums and Prisons sound exactly as they are named. You can see my pictures and look up the history for yourself if you are curious. The Castle is a wonderful way to spend a day in Scotland. We spent 5 hours there before heading back down the Mile. We had planned on visiting Holyroodhouse, but ended up running out of time. I came here when I was in High School and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is considering a visit.

We ate a wonderful dinner at the Stac Polly, a restaurant just off the Mile. We had our first local waiter and it was a wonderful dinner. We had our first taste of haggis, made from sheep's offal (internal organs), spices and cooked in a stomach. While I wouldn't want an entire meal of haggis, it was actually quite good.

Then, tired from a long day, we retired early.

---