Edinburgh: the Adventure Begins!
After traveling for almost 24 hours (we left Charleston around 3:30 PM, and finally got to Scotland 8:30 local time), we FINALLY got to our hotel in Old Town Edinburgh on our second day in the UK (we spent the first day traveling).
The traveling wouldn't have been so bad if our flight hadn't been delayed from Atlanta to London, which shrunk the time we had to get from Heathrow Airport to Euston Station in London. (I also couldn't get to sleep on the transatlantic flight, so I was HURTING by the time we finally went to sleep on Saturday.) And to make the airport to train station transition even worse, the Tube station in Heathrow was closed, so we were re-routed via bus to a Tube station about 15 stops from Euston. Eek! We made it with about 30 minutes to spare--just enough time to grab some lunch in the train station and get onto the train.
Our train from London to Edinburgh took another 4 hours; luckily, our hotel in Edinburgh was about 500 feet from the train station. I have never been so happy to see a bed in my life!
the view from our hotel. That's Arthur's Seat in the left hand corner of the photo.
We spent all day Sunday sightseeing in Old Town Edinburgh. The Old Town was first grew up around 1200. The New Town was created in the 1700s after the gentry decided they needed a cleaner place to live. I think it's really funny that the New Town is older than 99% of the buildings/ settlements in the U.S.!
Just outside of the hotel. The buildings in the background are part of the New Town. The bridge is right over the train station.
We had breakfast at the Elephant Cafe, which was an adorable cafe on George IV Bridge. J.K. Rowling finished writing the first Harry Potter book here!
Landon at Holyroodhouse, the Queen's residence in Edinburgh (during the summer months).
Holyroodhouse: the interior courtyard
Holyroodhouse Abbey. It is the oldest part of the palace, and was built by David I after he saw a stag with a cross (or "rood") between its antlers while he was out hunting.
Holyroodhouse Abbey
Landon on the Royal Mile, which is actually over a mile, and is filled with cafes and shops. It's touristy, but fun.
Edinburgh Castle, at the other end of the Royal Mile
The view from Edinburgh Castle towards the New Town and the Firth of Forth
What we learned in Edinburgh: Kilts are alive and well in Scotland! We saw several men walking, driving or riding their bikes with their kilts on. Here's to hoping they they do wear something under them. I didn't volunteer to check!
Stay tuned for our Scotland driving adventures!