The Balmoral Hotel in the Distance
Edinburgh's plush 5 star hotel lies at the end of Princes Street next to the Waverly Train Station. While we were shopping in this part of town over the next few days I often found myslef checking the time on the hotel's huge Big Ben type clock. According to Wikipedia: "For travellers arriving by train, the hotel provided comfortable and elegant lodgings, before they continued their journeys. To assist passengers in reaching their train on time, the hotel tower's clock, visible from a considerable distance away, is traditionally set to be two minutes fast. The building’s architecture is Victorian, influenced by the traditional Scottish baronial style." This was also the finishing line for a Top Gear race from London to Edinburgh where May drove a Jaguar, Hammond used a motorcycle and Jeremy travelled by train.
Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the ear... ... read more 
