Hello and Welcome to my Atlantic Adventure in Scotland😊
(*Warning, this post contains lots and lots of pics, and is best seen on the blog website)
Today, I'm taking you on a special trip (a little longer than usual)......to the beautiful and historic city of Edinburgh.
Map of Edinburgh city
Map of Scotland (Ayr and Edinburgh highlighted)
Map of the United Kingdom (Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales)
As Mom was doing really well in her recovery from surgery and Dad was looking after her so well, we decided I could go to Edinburgh for the day. Edinburgh is one of my most favorite cities in the whole world, with its many, meandering cobbled lanes, incredible architecture with towering spires and imposing castle, I just love wandering around this ancient city.
The easiest way for me to travel the 66 miles was by bus - public transport in Scotland is absolutely fantastic! Dad dropped me off at the bus station and I boarded an exceptionally clean bus, that had super comfy seats, free wifi, wireless charging, and power available at the seats. It was altogether a great experience.
Comfy seat, wifi, wireless charging and power what more could you ask for.....Spectacular scenery, Highland water and a bread roll with Lorne Sausage 😋
Harnessing wind power is super popular in Scotland - there are windmills everywhere!
On arrival in Edinburgh, my first stop was the castle, a place I have visited on many occasions and one that never fails to take my breath away - Perched atop the Old town's "Castle Rock" a plug of black basalt sealing the vent of an extinct volcano, it stands 250 feet above the valley floor, and is crowned by the famous Edinburgh Castle, which, subtly floodlit every night, stirs even the locals.
Glacial ice once flowed from the west and around the Castle Rock’s flanks, depositing the accumulated debris of a lateral moraine east of the rock to create a crag and tail formation. Along the crest of this tail, and down its steep sides, the Old Town was built from the 12th century onward.
Apologies, I love taking pics of the castle!!!
Edinburgh Castle, 443 feet above sea level, dominates the city. Archaeological excavations have shown that the Castle Rock, previously thought to have first been fortified as a stronghold of the Gododdin in the 6th century, originated in the Bronze Age and has been occupied for some 3,000 years. Its first documented use as a royal castle dates from the reign of Malcolm III Canmore (1058–93), but successive phases of damage and reconstruction have been so extensive that little of substance before the reign of James IV (1488–1513) has survived. The small chapel of St. Margaret, queen of Malcolm Canmore, on the highest point of the rock, probably dates from the reign of her youngest son, David I (1124–53), and is the oldest surviving building.
As I was leaving the castle, I came across a piper...😊 If you click play, you can hear him too!
It was a rather steep walk back down to Princess Street (the main road through the center of Edinburgh)....down past the Edinburgh University School of Divinity ...
Theology has been taught at Edinburgh since the foundation of the University in 1583. Now housed in the historic New College building near Edinburgh Castle, the School of Divinity occupies a commanding city-center site on the Mound, overlooking Princes Street Gardens, the Scottish National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy.
Edinburgh University School of Divinity
...and the next stop was to be The National Galleries of Scotland - which like most galleries and museums in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales are Free to enter!!!!!!
The Scottish National Gallery is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on "The Mound" in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by William Henry Playfair, and first opened to the public in 1859. What an incredible place to wander around or, just sit and take in the magnificence of artists like Cezanne, Degas, Stubbs, Monet et al
The Scottish National Galleries with castle in the background
Simply spectacular!!
Edgar Degas 1834-1917
"A Group of Dancers" Painted approx. 1898
Paul Cezanne 1839-1906
"Montagne Sainte Victoire" Painted between 1880-95
Claude Monet 1840-1926
"Poplars on the River Epta" Painted 1891
Vincent Van Gogh 1853-1890
"Orchard in Blossom" (Apricot Trees) Painted 1888
George Stubbs 1724-1806
"The Marquess of Rockingham's Arabian Stallion led by a groom at Cresswell Crags"
Painted approx. 1765
(Of course, I had to include a horsey pic 😁)
There were just so many....
And one of my most favorite....
Sir Edwin Landseer 1802-1873 "Monarch of the Glen" Painted approx. 1851
You can tell I love the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist era - I find them super calming
There was also a wonderful restaurant and gift shop located under the galleries, if you're in need of some tasty Scottish cuisine or some retail therapy (I can't resist either of them😉)
One of the awesome things about Edinburgh is that many of its incredible sights are within walking distance of each other (although you have to remember that Edinburgh is built on hilly terrain, so comfortable footwear is a must unless you want to use the open top tour buses that are plentiful). So on leaving the art galleries, I strolled along Princess Street Gardens, and it wasn't long before I came to the Scott Monument.
Princess Street Gardens with Scott Monument in the background
Scott Monument
The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument that was built in honor of the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It is the second largest monument to a writer in the world after the José Martí monument in Havana, and if you have a head for heights, you can climb to the top of the monument and look out over Edinburgh (I didn't have enough time to climb, nor wanted to, as the steps are a tad claustrophobic!).
I realize there are a lot of pics in this post, but Edinburgh is one city that I have always felt drawn to, and I always manage to get a tad carried away....so, here are just a few more 😁
The Midlothian Snowsports Centre, formerly the Hillend Ski Centre, is the second longest dry ski slope in Europe, situated near Hillend near Edinburgh.....and also the place I could go to when there was no snow....yes I did ski before I went to the "darkside" and learned to snowboard, which is soooooo much better! 🏂
The "Firth of Forth" in the Distance
The hill in the background is called "Arthur's Seat" another extinct ancient volcano - 350 million years old!
The Usher Hall
I had an absolutely fantastic day in Edinburgh, but with tired feet, and darkness beginning to descend, it was time for a comfy and relaxing bus ride back to Ayr....and that's where I'll leave you now💕
Take care, Stay Safe and....I hope you enjoyed strolling around Edinburgh with me
Love and Hugs,
Pam
PS. As my adventure continues, I'll post when I can 😊
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