Scotland - Edinburgh - Wed 11 Nov 2015

The day was supposed to be wet but when we finished our breakfast and stepped out on the street, it was wet, but no rain!
That is good news since today, we walk the Royal Mile between the Castle Hill and HolyRood (Holy Cross) Castle at the other end.

They like their tourists and realize that no one else in America or Europe drives on the left side, so they do their best to keep us Yanks alive!

The Royal Scots Grey Memorial with the Castle in the background

The Royal Sottish Academy - on "The Mound" (see yesterday's blog)

This stuffed long haired beef was in a store window. We will see plenty in the Orkneys!

The Sir Walter Scott Monument

It was Remembrance Day in Europe when all paused to reflect on the sacrifice of our veterans. This piper added to the solemnity of the occasion

Sir Walter Scott

The Veterans were out decorating crosses at the Scott Monument

David Livingstone, explorer. Discovered and named Victoria Falls. Died searching for the source of the Nile

The Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street

Just across from the Balmoral is the National Archives with a statue of The Duke of Wellington in front

Yes, that Wellington who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo

Across the North Bridge to "Old Town" and the Royal Mile

The space between the Old & New Cities in Edinburgh is very low and now is a city under a city, with light rail and many structures and businesses

This statue is in a niche just across the bridge and caught our eye! No idea who or what - just pretty 

The John Knox house where the fiery reformer lived

The Calton Hill is visible through a gap in the houses. Here is the Memorial to Lord Horatio Nelson, credited with leading the British Navy to victory over both the French and Spanish at Trafalgar. He perished during the battle.  The ball on top of the monument drops at precisely 1 PM to supplement the One O'clock Cannon from the Castle to help ships in the harbor set their chronometers

The Old Calton Hill Jail Governor's House and the monument to the Political Martyrs on Calton Hill

This area of Edinburgh is strictly controlled as to what kind of architecture is allowed. There are companies who specialize in gutting the shell and building a new structure within 

The Toll Booth Tavern

The Conongate Kirk (Church)

The Monument to Robert Ferguson, Scott's Poet

Robert and Robert

We needed a WC, so we popped into the Edinburgh Museum. It sprawls over several floors and into the surrounding buildings. 

Edinburgh, like most old cities in Europe has had devastating fires. This case tells the story of the Fire Brigades

They didn't have sirens, so they spun this "Rattle" to alert people the fire wagon was coming. Not sure when the bell was introduced.

This case tells the story of Greyfriars Bobby, the Terrier that refused to leave his master's grave, memorialized in books and Hollywood films. Much is myth, but its a good story. We'll visit Bobby's grave later 

The Mercat Cross is a symbol of a place where gatherings are permitted.  The most famous one is near St Giles (which we will visit) but this one is nearer Holyrood Castle

A Public School

Holyrood (Holy Cross) Castle is the end of the Royal Mile and is significantly below the Castle where winds whip

To the left, you can see the ruins of the Abbey that stood here for years.

The old gate house now serves as a gallery for art lent by the Queen

The doors are decorated with the Scottish Unicorn . . .

. . . and the British Lion

The old Gate House and Stables form the Queen's Gallery

The Scottish Parliament, just across from Holyrood, is apparently exempt from the "looking old" rule.

The Scottish Parliament from near Holyrood Park

The Dynamic Earth pavilion is nearby

The Holyrood Park is huge but undulating

The Dynamic Earth pavilion

The Dynamic Earth Pavilion incorporates some of the old city walls

As we walk up the hill again Rock Star North (aka The Barclay House) caught our eye

The Unversity of Edinburgh occupies several buildings in this end of town.  If you walk through the arched doors . . .

. . . you enter this courtyard with some cool looking buildings!

This more modern building just up the hill is also Univ of Edinburgh

As we continue to climb the hill, we encounter some cool buildings - note the cows!

 It's not the size of the nail, it's the size of the hammer

We timed our trip to mesh with daily mass at St Patrick's - here the front court

But we had to enter by the side door for daily mass

This side niche held several statues pictured below

The nave looking from the transept

The main altar looking from the transept

This side altar features the Holy Family

St Terese of Lisieux

St Patrick

The baptismal is in the narthex with the paschal candle

The left side altar is dedicated to Blessed Margaret Sinclair, a nun who is in the process of canonization

On up the hill is Tron Kirk - a repurposed church

The Tron Kirk from the rear

Tron Kirk is complete with stained glass . . .

. . .  and shops

This Tron shop sits just behind Tron Kirk

Back on the Royal Mile, we arrive at St Giles

This Mercat Cross stands just next to St Giles

The stained glass is beautiful

This window depicts John Knox during one of his fiery sermons

This plaque memorializes Robert Louis Stevenson

The "Covenentors" rejected the Anglican Church and signed this oath with their own blood. Unfortunately for them, more of their blood was spilled.

John Knox

This statue is Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations

King Charles II

Walter Monatgue Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch

The Parliament Hall behind St Giles

A "Close" is a small street for foot traffic only. We wandered down Mary Close . . .

. . . until we found out it went all the way down to the lower city!

This Cigar Store Indian greeted us as we exited at the next close

Just next door sits city hall and this statue of

Alexander Taming Bucephalus

The Seat of Justice - the High Court

The Deacon Brodie Tavern where we peeled off yesterday. So we peel off here to go to Grassmarket

This winding street takes us down to the lower city level

At one time, the grassmarket was a major place of trade - and of public execution!

The Bow Well is the one remaining well. At one time, wells such as this were scattered throughout the city

This monument memorializes the Covenantors mentioned above. this si where they were executed.

we didn't go in but wanted to!

The Last Drop Pub had a more macabre sense when you realize that the upper floors were rented for those who wanted to watch the public executions!

The view of the Castle Hill from the bottom of Grassmarket

Just a short distance from Grassmarket is Greyfriars Bobby

The legend has it that this little dog refused to leave his master's grave

The local economy capitalizes on the legend

The local church preserves the dog's resting place

There are a few other notables buried here

including Bobby's Master - some say the local merchants put food on John Cray's grave to make sure Bobby came back but I think I like the legend better.

Back on the trail, we saw St John's and stopped in.

The church is pretty - Church of Scotland

The path led us to the Princes Street Gardens - a park well below street level, so we decided to walk through

The Ross Fountain has four figures representing
Science, Arts, Poetry, and Industry, surmounted by a female holding a cornucopia. The Castle Mount is in the background.

The commuter trains run between the park and the Castle Mount

The National Gallery is just across from the Garden on "The Mound" - landfill from when they built the New City

They have some fabulous art - here the Blessed Virgin Mary watches Jesus and his cousin John the Baptist play

"The Cook" was among my favorites

The  story of Jesus dining with the Pharisees and the woman washing his feet with her tears

The  beheading of John the Baptist

This self portrait by Rembrandt

This sculpture of Cain killing Able

This one was fascinating - called "cabinet art" a painting of many other paintings!

This view up the hill from the National Gallery

The back of the building shown earlier as the Royal Scottish Academy - my map software says it is the Clydesdale Bank.

These giraffes are back down by the Cathedral - light was failing and I was surprised I got the photo!

This statue of Sherlock Holmes honors Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Tomorrow - Good bye to Edinburgh! 
We fly up to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands to meet a local tour guide and our Son David!