The Big City

I'll split our holiday photos over a few posts as there are quite a number of them.

Our main destination was Edinburgh because this was where Adam's graduation would be taking place. With expert navigation (mine!) we managed to find Adam's new flat easily, much to LSH's relief as he's never too keen on negotiating unfamiliar city traffic. Biking clobber was changed for something a little more suitable for walking and we headed into the city centre to check out the sights.

Edinburgh is just full of amazing buildings, monuments and statues, all within fairly close proximity. Stand in Princes Street and you are surrounded by so much history. You are also surrounded by a sea of tourists but we were doing the tourist thing too......and we loved it! Cue much oohing, wowing and taking of photos.

I was actually born in Edinburgh (historical fact surely worthy of note) but wasn't there for very long and, apart from a day trip some years ago, have never really done the whole sight-seeing bit. We didn't manage to fit in everything that we wanted to see or do (there's just so much!) so we'll just have to make a return trip.

In Princes Street Gardens looking up to the castle

Edinburgh Castle

The weather was warm but there was a bit of a mist about, not unknown in Edinburgh on summer days. We had planned a walk along Princes Street Gardens and just as well really because Princes Street itself has been dug up as part of ongoing laying of tramlines. It did look a mess, I have to say, and it seems that it will be a couple of years before the trams are up and running.

The Scott monument.
Looking very like Thunderbird 3.

The Museum of Scotland.

I was busy taking a photo of this building, because sandstone from here in Hopeman was used in its construction, and I almost missed...........

.........Greyfriar's Bobby.

His statue was much smaller than I expected and not where I thought it was going to be.

Sir Walter Scott's statue underneath his monument

Wellington

I liked the horse and thought it was worth a photo. You might notice Wellington has highlights in his hair, courtesy of the local bird population, something of a hazard for the many statues.

After a look around the Gallery at some impressive (and huge!) paintings, we came out onto the Mound and found these guys performing. This combination of bagpipes and drums might not be a conventional set up but they went really well together.

I was very impressed with these muscles. Drumming alone is surely not enough to create them, maybe he does a bit of weight lifting with the drums?



Pipes and drums.