A Perfect Day in Edinburgh

I arrived in Edinburgh early yesterday evening after having flown through the night from Vancouver to Glasgow, with a brief layover in Reykjavik.  The transport from Glasgow to Edinburgh went smoothly, and then I found my way to my accommodation at lovely Dunstan House, about a kilometer outside of the city center.

 

 

I was tempted to take a walk in the pretty residential neighbourhood, but was feeling whoozy from lack of sleep so I just relaxed and stayed awake as long as I could (which was not very long!). Of course, I woke up for several hours in the middle of the night, but then managed to fall asleep again in order to to wake up refreshed and ready for a beautiful, warm and breezy morning of light cloud and blue sky.  Perfect for a day of sightseeing.

I adore google earth (yes, adore!), and thanks to google earth I already knew that I could make my way from my accommodation to my first destination of Holyrood Palace by way of nearby trails through Holyrood Park.  What a spectacular walk!

The walk was so inspiring with views of the city, happy walkers and joggers passing by, magpies and gulls flying overhead, and lovely golden grasses, dotted with purple thistle, some of which was turning to seed.

 

 

My walk ended by crossing Queen’s Drive to arrive at the very modern new buildings of the Scottish Parliament which is across the street from Holyrood Palace.

 

 

And here is Holyrood Palace, which has been at the center of Royal life in Scotland for over 900 years.

After viewing the quadrangle, the excellent audio tour guided me into the palace where photography is unfortunately not allowed.  What a wealth of stories and treasures this palace holds!  I spent several hours viewing magnificent rooms decorated with elaborate plaster ceilings, beautifully tiled fireplaces, carved woodwork and furnishings, medieval tapestries, historic portraits, and objects that belonged to the likes of Mary Queen of Scots, James the First, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Queen Victoria, and other monarchs up to and including the present Royal Family.  The palace is a must-do when visiting Edinburgh!

Upon exiting the palace, the tour continues to the interior of the ruins of Holyrood Abbey.

And then out to the gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After viewing the palace, I decided to wander up the Royal Mile towards Edinburgh Castle.  Now, Edinburgh is massively busy this weekend as the hugely poplar Edinburgh Fringe Festival is on. I overhead one couple say that there are over 3500 shows, plays, concerts, and other events to choose from all over the city during the run of the Festival from August 2nd to 26th.  Typically I avoid crowds, but luckily for me, my dose of morning nature in Holyrood Park gave me the fortitude to brave the masses, and it was so much fun!

I walked up the Royal Mile, enjoying the historic buildings and the multitude of bars, cafes, restaurants, and also shops offering quality goods of whiskey,  woolens, and Celtic-inspired silver jewellery, as well as inexpensive kilts (for the whole family!) and Scottish-themed momentos and kitsch.

 

 

I took a moment for a brief respite when I saw the sign for Dunbar Close Garden and felt compelled to go in.

 

 

Then I continued up the Royal Mile, part of which was closed to traffic and was crowded with tourists, locals, buskers, and lots of enthusiastic young people handing out flyers to advertise Festival shows.

I took another brief respite from the crowds by stepping into the quiet and calm of St. Giles Cathedral, pictured above.  I had never visited this Cathedral, and plan to spend more time and take a guided tour of it the next time I am in Edinburgh. Here are a few quick shots from the beautiful interior.

 

I finished my tour of the Royal Mile just before the entrance to Edinburgh Castle where I stopped for a good while to listen to a wonderful quintet of young and talented musicians from the Netherlands (Ragazzi Quintet) who played a fun and diverse repertoire that included their own arrangements of “Chim Chim Cheree” from Mary Poppins, Will Ferrell’s “Happy”, a tune from the Buena Vista Social Club, and Irish folk tunes, among others.  They have a tiny presence on Youtube (I became their sixth subscriber!)

Another fabulous busker from the day was this rather impressive looking piper who most definitely twinkled his eyes at me!

I descended from the Royal Mile, down Ramsay Street to the Princes Street Gardens, enroute to the Parish Church of St. Cuthbert, taking pictures along the way.

I was warmly welcomed here by a volunteer with the “Friends of St. Cuthbert” who has previously walked St. Cuthbert’s Way.  It is a very community-oriented church and they help house the homeless during the coldest months of winter.  The interior is beautiful.

Now, it was late afternoon and I had been on my feet all day.  I was finally starting to feel hungry and tired so I jumped on a bus on Princes Street to take me to the Pollock Halls residences area of the University of Edinburgh, which is very near Arthur’s Seat.  I had a light dinner at the campus conference center, and then headed back out to climb Arthur’s Seat which is an extinct volcano that dominates Holyrood Park.  The beautiful views started early and just got better and better.

It was beautiful and windy and invigorating at the top of Arthur’s seat, and I greatly enjoyed the late afternoon light and the happy atmosphere that was created by everyone who had made the climb on such a glorious afternoon.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect Edinburgh day!