Edinburgh

The city of wee roads and mighty mountains

Out of the ten days I spent in Scotland, only two were rainy, tapadh leibh (thank you in Gaelic) sunny blue skies! I loved this trip: getting to visit my childhood best friend Kiki, the beautiful Scottish landscapes, the medieval feel and immense stories of Edinburgh old and new town, the people and the accent! I really advise taking a free walking tour specially if you're travelling solo. I loved mine, my guide was an enthusiastic Scott with lots of stories to tell: Deacon Brodie locksmith by day, burglar by night; the first "anti burglar" system/alarms; the heart of Midlothian; the tale of Greyfriars Bobby, where JK Rowling got some of the Harry Potter names from.. and lots more. I also did the Edi underground historic tour at Mary King's Close, it was extremely cool.

Lovely Gorse covered hills, hello Spring!

We hiked through Holyrood Park towards the cliffs of Arthurs Seat, it's a beautiful walk plus super cool in terms of geology. It was spring at the time and the green hills were covered in meadows of yellow blooming flowers. It was a pretty hot day, but way up there the winds were blowing strongly. There are many paths to climb but we were feeling rather challenged and took the steepest and hardest one up. We reached the top, with its reddish sandstone, and had crows circling above us. There it was, the vast blue sea to the east, far away you could see the forth bridges too.

Holyrood palace

The Heart of Midlothian | A mosaic shaped heart in the middle of the street in Edinburgh, how cute.. except it used to be a tolbooth (prison) where executions took place and so there is a custom of spitting in the center of the heart which kind of looks stained.. eww.

Edinburgh castle

Scott's Monument for Scottish author Sir Walter Scott

Wee little Mr. Squirrel

Bobby belonged to a nightwatchman named John Gray and the pair were inseparable. After his owner passed away he spent 14 years by his grave in Greyfriars kirkyard. When Bobby passed away he was also buried in Greyfriars grounds. Sometimes people still leave sticks on his grave. A statue of this loyal pupper was put up and everyone rubs his nose for good luck making it shiny over the years. 

"Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all"

National Museum of Scotland - Dolly

Armstrong & Son Emporium

NEW TOWN EDI

Fettes College (boarding school)

As we walked through the gardens we could hear the sound of water running in the stream. On the stone walls were green mosses and lilac flowers.

Stockbridge