Celts in the City - Part 1
The Captain and I recently journeyed “across the pond” for a tour of Edinburgh, Belfast, and Dublin. With the exceptions of previous airport lay-overs, it was all new territory for us. Joining us on the trip were our son and daughter-in-law, a new aspect of traveling, as we hadn’t had any adventures with them since their nuptials a couple summers back.
The first leg of the undertaking was the red-eye flight from the American heartland to Scotland. The Captain and I flew from our local airport via Chicago O’hare, and the Kids flew from theirs via Boston Logan. Our lovely travel agent, Willa, worked diligently to ensure we’d arrive about the same time, and sure enough, we were within 20 minutes of each other. Bravo Zulu, Willa.
Landing to the west, we approached from over the Firth of Forth, and got a nice view of the city and its environs.
Once our party was assembled, we made our transfer connections and traveled into Edinburgh. We were greeted by the expected overcast skies, comparatively cool temperatures, and on the outskirts of town, the aroma of sheep. Yes, they really do have a lot of the fluffy white animals. The sheep were a constant reminder that the Celtic lands, while trying to step forward into the future, still have one well grounded foot in their agricultural past.
Our first day in the city wasn’t as productive as we’d hoped. A snafu in staffing at the hotel meant the turn-around on the rooms was delayed by several hours, and then the skies let loose rain showers that discouraged us from straying too far on foot. Unable to check in, and desiring to stay warm and dry, the afternoon was mostly in the hotel bar and restaurant. We did manage to wander around the Murrayfield neighborhood for an hour, topping off the snack and beverage supply while taking in the local parks along the Water of Leith.
Baggage stacking up in the entrance hall of the hotel as more and more guests are unable to check in.
The Water of Leith is a small river that flows from the southwest to the northeast through Edinburgh with a walking trail that runs next to it. In Murrayfield, it passes by a large public park and the local football stadium.
During the next two days in the city, the weather improved and we only dealt with rain for a short period of time. Our explorations took us to in to the heart of “old” and “new” Edinburgh. “Old” being the city that predates the 1767 Georgian style New Town built on a 100 acre plot north of the “old” section. And yes, the “new” is pretty darn old by American standards.
The area of low atmospheric pressure between Ireland and Iceland was our constant companion for the trip, bringing clouds and showers to northern Ireland and Scotland.
While in Edinburgh, we learned about whiskey distilling, and the Scottish Parliament and its hideous building. We shopped at a bazaar sponsored by the St. John Episcopal Church, explored the Edinburgh Castle, ate “Proper” fish and chips, visited some burial grounds, found the old city wall and attended the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Typical Georgian buildings in the New Town.
I'm not sure how I feel about a craft bazaar hosted in a burial ground. I purchased a wall calendar from one of the vendors. Will that come back to haunt me?
Looking north from Edinburgh Castle towards the Firth of Forth. This fortified rock has been the seat of the Scottish monarchy since forever. The first king to sit upon the hill was King Malcolm III during his reign from 1058-1093.
The parade ground for the Tattoo is built on the castle's esplanade, basically an open area outside the wall where there is nothing for an attacker to hide behind.
The sound of hundreds of bagpipes and drums is almost indescribable. Turn the sound way up and follow this link to get a taste.