On the way to Edinburgh, the tour stopped at St. Andrews, the home of golf (considered to have the finest golf courses in the world). Prince William also went to university there, and you can visit the café him and Kate had their first date at. The tour let us spend a few hours there in the town. There are ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral and castle that you can visit. I took a stroll along the main streets, stopping at the small shops. It’s a nice town on the coast that’s worth checking out.
Our tour ended in Edinburgh, and we decided to stay an extra day since there is so much to see there, so I was excited to spend a couple of days exploring. I am grateful to a friend for letting me crash at his place so I didn’t have to pay for a hotel for my extra night. We got into Edinburgh late so we were only able to see a show and have dinner; at least I got to try haggis (not a fan). I did enjoy the bagpiper that serenaded us as we came in. We also got a tour of the city on the bus, which gave us some ideas on where to go when we were on our own.
The next day the tour took us up to Arthur’s Seat, the main peak in Holyrood Park. It was beautiful up there in the morning. It is a popular place to go for a walk, and the panoramic views of the city at the top are amazing! Then we were off to Edinburgh Castle! We got a guided tour, and then we were free to roam the rest of the day.
Where Edinburgh Castle is located, there has been a castle since the 12th century. This was the residence of the kings of Scotland until 1633. St. Margaret’s Chapel is considered the oldest building in the city. David I built it, and dedicated it to his mother, Saint Margaret. At the castle, you can also visit the War Memorial and War Museum, along with the great hall and Royal Palace. I enjoyed seeing some of the tapestries Mary Queen of Scots embroidered, and of course there are unicorns on them (I love Scotland’s national animal). Take a look at the Scottish crown jewels as well. The castle is one of the most visited sites in Scotland so there are always tons of people there. The castle sits at the top of the city so the views are amazing! Walk around and enjoy!
After the castle we walked down the Royal Mile…there are so many sites just to see walking along this magnificent street. I had to stop at St. Giles Cathedral, especially to see the ceiling at Thistle Chapel (amazing). The cathedral is the main place of worship for Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. St. Giles is the patron saint of the city, and it has been a place of worship for 900 years. Thistle Chapel was built in 1911 by the Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s Order of Chivalry. This is great stop since it is free, and full of beautiful things to look at.
As we walked to the opposite end of the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace, my friend wanted to stop by at the Scottish Parliament. Anyone can come watch the government in action, which I think is great. After watching them debate, it was on to the palace. The building is controversial since it was built in a modern style that is unpopular in this old, historic city. You must judge for yourself…
Holyrood is Queen Elizabeth’s royal residence when she is in the city, and has been for the British monarchs since the 17th century. Your admission includes a headset that helps you with your tour, and gives a brief synopsis about each room. I really enjoyed this palace since there is much on Mary Queen of Scots there. Her apartments are open to the public with her rooms preserved, and you can view some of her personal effects. I know she was a terrible queen but her story intrigues me just as much as her famous cousin’s, Queen Elizabeth I. Mary’s is a tale of everything gone wrong.
The royal portraits are pretty spectacular. There was also a display of photos at the end of the tour that was great. I really like the show the Queen, so I really enjoyed seeing Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh’s personal photos…it really brought the show to life for me. The grounds are beautiful so take a stroll through the gardens, and visit the ruins of the Abbey. Holyrood Palace is s must see site, in my opinion.
I recommend walking down the Royal Mile from the castle to the palace. There are plenty of cute shops, and great places to stop at. I love the independent artists selling trinkets (I couldn’t resist a Harry Potter necklace). You cannot see everything along the mile in a day, but we tried our best. We still decided to come back for a couple of things the next day.
After such a busy day of sightseeing we went out to eat, and then headed out for a ghost tour of underground Edinburgh from Mercat Tours. This was a creepy, fun thing to do. The people that were on the tour with us had great reactions. The guide used some of them to reenact stories, and they were good sports. They were some younger kids that were scared. However, the older children were making fun of their dad since his shoe got untied after the guide told us one of the ghosts is known for doing that. The ghost tour took us to Kirk of the Canongate, where Adam Smith is buried. You can also see his statue on the Royal Mile. So ended an amazing, full day in this city. I did so much I have to write a part two, which will conclude my series on Scotland.
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