Today’s post is 1650 words, 38 photos, an 7 minute read. Enjoy!
Hi everyone,
Last week, I detailed the day (and overnight) of travel to Edinburgh, Scotland. Click here to review how we spent the day getting reacquainted with the city before checking into our AirBnb lodging. We were dog-tired but needed to get a few groceries before flopping into bed. I grumbled the whole walk to and from the nearest Tesco Supermarket. Upon our return, we made some dinner then hit the hay. I slept 12 hours! And had to be waken by my Traveling Partner so we could take advantage of the beautiful Edinburgh day.
Central Edinburgh was about a 20 minutes walk from our lodging, we would make this roundtrip trek at least once a day, sometimes twice. This walking helped build stamina for our coming long-distance walk in the Yorkshire Dales. Usually, the walk was routine but on our first day this photo would be the omen for our whole trip, a surprise waiting just around the corner. Somebody left behind their hat with a crown. I wonder what they will do?
Everyday we walked past this building and statue. The Royal Society of Edinburgh was founded in 1783 as an outgrowth of the Royal Medical Society. These entities plus others were products of the Scottish Enlightenment in the late 1700s and early 1800s. During this time there was a steady stream of intellectual and scientific achievements in philosophy, literature, economics, engineering, education, architecture, law, agriculture, medicine, and many other disciplines. These advances were not limited in Scotland, they spread throughout the world including to the founders of the United States such as Benjamin Franklin. There’s a lot to learn from the history of Scotland and this organization.
King George IV, 1820-1830, visited Edinburgh 1822, the first British monarch to come to Scotland in over 200 years. The Scots and English fought wars for years, with the Scots finally losing and becoming part of the United Kingdom in 1707. For some Scots, the war still continues. Upon viewing the condition of King George’s tarnished statue with his head covered in pigeon dung, I think that’s true. 
Princes Street Gardens
Princes Street is one of the prominent streets in the city of Edinburgh. The wide sidewalks (on the left of the photo below) are filled with locals heading to work at the many nearby office buildings, or shopping at Marks and Spencers and the many other stores in the area. Visitors make their way to the nearby museums, galleries, historical sites, shops, and restaurants. The streets are busy with buses and trams going every direction plus taxis and a few private vehicles.
On the other side of the street, there is significant foot traffic that overlooks the Princes Street Gardens, one of my favorite places in Edinburgh. Even though the temperature was 51° F (10.5 C), the beautiful spring day brought out the crowds to enjoy the park. Office workers were enjoying their lunch, while others visited with friends in the warm sun, or walked their dogs along the promenade. 
These construction workers relaxed while having their lunch. For some reason, even with my small camera, I caught their attention. They waved and went back to work.
The trees were blossoming, the early flowers blooming at the Gardener’s Cottage, and the Ross Fountain was flowing after its winter hiatus. The Gardener’s Cottage was built in the 1870s for the head gardener of the Princes Gardens. The ornate Ross Fountain is made of cast iron and installed in the 1870s and restored in 2018.
Of all the statues and monuments in Princes Gardens, this is my favorite. “The Call 1914” commemorates Scots that served in World War I. It was paid for and presented to Scotland by the Scottish-American War Memorial Committee. The frieze behind the statue shows queues of men volunteering for duty.
The monument to Sir Walter Scott overlooks Princes Gardens. Scott, a long-time president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and leader of the Scottish Enlightenment, was poet, novelist, and historian who had a major impact on English and American literature. He contracted polio as a child that left him with a life-long limp. This led him to study the classics at the University of Edinburgh and later to study philosophy and law. He went on to write many novels such as Rob Roy and Ivanhoe. To some, Scott is considered the father of the historical novel genre. A fitting monument to a prolific author and famous Scot.
As we walked along, I couldn’t help but notice that the seagulls liked perching and crapping on the heads of famous men. 
This square is often filled with protest posters. This time it was the Israeli/Hamas War.
Edinburgh Castle
We had a 2 PM timed entry for Edinburgh Castle. Along with our entry tickets [19.50£ (~ $25 USD) regular admission, 15.50£ (~ $20 USD for seniors] I also pre-ordered the audio tour (3.50£, ~ $4.50 USD) that I highly recommend. This allowed us to hear from an expert when we stopped at the 26 locations on the tour.
The Edinburgh Castle is the distinguishing feature in the city of Edinburgh and has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland. It was built on Castle Rock that stands over 400 feet above the surrounding area. Beginning in the 11 century, there was a royal residence on Castle Rock until the 17th century when it transformed into a military facility. Recent research has identified at least 26 sieges in it’s history allowing it to claim that it was one of the most attacked places in the world. With some of the bombardments, the Castle was nearly destroyed but survived to be rebuilt again and again. Today Edinburgh Castle is the headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Every year, on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, the famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place in front of huge crowds during the Edinburgh Festival. 
The views from Edinburgh Castle are spectacular especially on clear spring days. In the photo below, the view towards Arthur’s Seat, the highest point in Edinburgh. 
This view looks north towards the Firth (a derivative of fjord) of Forth that connects to the North Sea. 
The Scots and Brits are known for their love of dogs. This cemetery is the resting place for the faithful hounds that accompanied soldiers in times of war.
St. Margaret’s Chapel is believed to be the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. Built in 1130 by King David I as a dedication to his mother, Queen Margaret, later canonized as a saint.
The Mons Meg weighs over 6 British tonnes (~ 6.6 US tons) and fires a heavy, huge cannon ball up to 2 miles. It’s said to be the largest gun ever fired in anger in Britain. It was last fired in 1681 to mark the birthday of King James VII. That salute damaged the barrel. It’s now an outdoor museum piece at Edinburgh Castle.
As we were making our way up the hill, a Rolls Royce driven by a chauffeur passed us with what looked like a wedding couple. The Edinburgh Castle does serve as a wedding venue from September through May. During the summer months, the Castle is filled with visitors so weddings and other events are not permitted.
In Hospital Square stands the statue of World War I of Field Marshall Douglas Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) on the Western Front during WWI. Initially, he was lauded for his leadership that led to the November 11, 1918 Armistice. Later, historians questioned his favorable reputation due to the high number casualties that occurred under his command. He apparently was unaware or ignored using modern tactics to fight the enemy. At any rate, he still merits a statue in Edinburgh Castle, a place revered in Scotland.
Here’s the viewpoint of a canon overlooking the city of Edinburgh and the Scott Monument.
This is my second visit to Edinburgh Castle, the first was in 2016. I looked forward to my favorite part of the Castle, The Scottish National War Memorial that was created in the 1920s to honor those who died in World War I. Later, this memorial also commemorated those lost in World War II and other conflicts.
No photos are allowed inside the Memorial where the Hall of Honor records the contributions of Scotland’s 12 regiments. It’s like all the war memorials in Washington, DC wrapped up in one building. In my opinion, it’s not to be missed when visiting Edinburgh Castle. 
Outside the War Memorial, this fellow was resting beside the lion guarding the entrance. It looks like he’s having a good conversation with the lion!
Across the plaza from the War Memorial stands the Great Hall. This building was completed in 1512 as a place for royal ceremonies. At one time, it served as a military barracks where the soldiers slept and stored their arms. Please note that short line to access this building. It was late afternoon, most of the tourists had left for the day. We were able walk right in without a wait. A lesson for another time, go closer to closing time.
Since the lines were short, we took a look at the crown jewels of Scotland. We saw the Scepter, the Sword of State, the Crown, and other jewels that belonged to the royals of Scotland.
At the end of the day, a photo looking towards the west. It was a beautiful and fun-filled day. Now the long walk back to our lodging.
On that walk, I noticed this sign. I looked in vain for the Citizens Advice Bureau both to get some advice and maybe volunteer some of my own. I looked it up , this is a real thing that helps people deal with housing issues, benefits, laws and courts, health, and immigration. I’m sure they provide good service if only I could find it!
That does it for this week. Join me next week for more stories and photos from Edinburgh
Until then, happy travels!
Tom
PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM