Edinburgh, Scotland - Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle

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The choice to visit Scotland was kind of unique for us, as it was a destination that we chose because of some family history on Jessica's side. Because of this history, there were some key sites - mostly the highlands and Urquhart Castle, and so we tried to plan around these destinations (more on them in another post). Otherwise, it was 'How do we get there easily and cheap?'. Edinburgh was very convenient as we had enough MileagePlus miles, and United had just introduced a new non-stop from Chicago to Edinburgh that had a lot of award seats available. So, Edinburgh was our central base, and the rest of our planning and activities fell into place in time.


• Part 1: Edinburgh - Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle
• Part 2: Edinburgh - Calton Hill and Greyfriars Area
• Part 3: Scottish Highlands and Urquhart Castle/Loch Ness



Edinburgh is like many European cities in that a lot of the major sites are concentrated near the city center. So, once you find a way to the train station via bus, train, or trolley, it is pretty easy to stay for a few days without needing any kind of transportation (other than trekking up a few hills). From Edinburgh airport, we chose to take the Lothian Airlink bus that takes you straight to downtown Edinburgh for £7.00 (adults) and £3.00 (children) round trip, which is also a great option for getting acquainted with the geography of this city. From the top deck of the bus, we were able to catch our first glimpse of Edinburgh castle as well as the beautiful park near Ross Open Air Theatre and Sir Walter Scott monument before getting off at the train terminal.

A short walk away, the Royal Mile is pretty touristy with many identical shops selling identical merchandise, but if you look hard enough you can find some pretty cool cultural activities. The kids enjoyed watching the street performers (watch your wallets!) - and of course, there seems to be a bagpiper on every corner, which was inspiring for our son.

One of the first things we visited on the Royal Mile was the Scottish Whiskey Experience. Now, I know we just raised a few eyebrows since we have kids, but this really is a family friendly experience. It is set apart from the typical brewery or distillery that you might find elsewhere. The tour starts with an automated barrel ride led by a “spirit” (lol) where you learn the process of making whiskey. He keeps the kids entertained along the way. We opted for the family friendly silver experience which allowed us to sample a scotch from one region of Scotland while the kids had a sample of Irn-Bru, which is the Scottish national soda. The tour celebrates all kinds of Scotch whiskey, not just one specific type or brand, so it is more of a museum than a tour.

Across the street from the Scottish Whiskey Experience, just before entering Edinburgh Castle, was the Tartan Weaving Mill. This was a great hidden gem that we returned to many times as it has a wide variety of not just touristy stuff, but also a lot of more authentic Scottish tartan clothing and exhibits. A tartan is a patterned wool cloth that can be clan specific. They are made into everything from kilts to bagpipes and purses. Depending on the day, we were able to see different exhibit showing the entire process from sheep to final product including the working machines used to create the patterns. It was fun to walk around and see the different ways the designs are integrated into clothes and everyday items. They even have a bagpipe store with kid sized bagpipes and training cantors. Alex was so excited to pick out his own bagpipe that he kissed it. Many of the items we found at the Tartan Weaving Mill were resold at shops throughout the city but we found the prices here were very reasonable and in many cases lower than other stops.

Also along the Royal Mile, you will find different types of “Ghost Tours” which explore the city’s underground, grave yards, and more gruesome background stories. Some of these may not be appropriate for small children, but we had grandparents babysitting for the night, so we chose a walking graveyard and underground tour. We were led by a tour guide who was eccentric to say the least. Through his stories (whether true or exaggerated), we were able to learn about the off-beat history of many of the sites around the Royal Mile and Old Town. None of it was cause for nightmares, and there were not any kilt-clad zombies jumping out at us, so it was actually a pretty interesting cultural experience and may be enjoyed by older kids.

At the end of the Royal Mile is Edinburgh Castle. The castle is the corner stone sight to see in Edinburgh and is visible from pretty much everywhere in the city. It was a key teaching point for our Scottish history lessons on the conflicts with England throughout the centuries. Many important Scottish figures have ties to the castle including St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots. Plan to spend a few hours here at least. Some of the key sites for our kids were the One O’clock gun, which is fired every day at (you guessed it) one o'clock, and has ties to the history of Edinburgh as a major naval port in the 1800’s. Mons Meg, a super large cannon, is also quite a sight, as well as the prison cells, which left quite an impression on our son. Now he tells us that he never EVER wants to go to prison. And of course, there were the Scottish crown jewels which, though less extravagant then the British crown jewels, were still impressive.

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Links and Teaching Resources

1) Scotish Whiskey Experience
2) St. Margaret Queen of Scotland - Books for Mom and Dad to read
a. Biography: Life of St. Margaret Queen of Scotland by Bishop Turgot
b. Historical fiction: Lady MacBeth and Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King
3) Shakepeare’s MacBeth
a. Read excerpts from play
b. Discuss historical significance and connection to St Margaret Queen of Scotland
c.

Comments

[txeimon]

Amazing picture!!!
Nice picture in a nice city ;-)