It has taken me twenty-three years to cross the border north into Scotland. Twenty-three. Given that it only takes about three hours on a train, this astounds me.
And yet, I will happily jet off to New Zealand or Canada, basically as far away from home as possible. There’s something wrong there.
At least now I can finally say I have explored more of my own country (kind of country. There this big word “BREXIT” looming over the time I’m writing this, but we shall ignore). One of the benefits to travelling to far-flung places: the meeting of new people.
For example, in Edinburgh (the first stop on my Scotland trip), I stayed with two friends I met in Canada.
The story of how we met? They were camping in the Rockies the same time I was, in the plot next to ours. We spoke only a few times and in the end I sold them our tent, as we no longer needed it.
A year and a half later, I am staying in their house for a few days, and having a fantastic guided tour of the city.
A note on the weather: somehow, by the grace of the Scottish Gods (?), I have travelled with sunshine. Naturally there has been rain, but for the most part during the days – when most of the tourism has occurred – it has stayed remarkably dry, even with a few spots of sunshine!
I was greeted by this view as soon as I stepped out of the train station in Edinburgh. It is now my favourite building in the world.
Scott’s Monument – built in 1844 to honour the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott – it stands out amongst even the historic old buildings of a place like Edinburgh. The Gothic style is just stunning. Not only that, the views from the top are spectacular.
I will admit, quite a lot of the rest of my time in Edinburgh was spent day-drinking.
This isn’t to say that we didn’t do plenty of sightseeing, too. In fact, being a tourist is a great way of sobering up in between pubs.
Google has kindly calculated that I walked about twenty-five miles during my three days there. Interspersed with the pubs, of course.
It is very much my kind of city. Old and beautiful, small enough you can walk everywhere (if you’re willing and the weather is kind). Lots and lots to do, too, not just as a tourist.
The castle is, of course, worth mentioning.
It is as spectacular and as overrun with tourists as expected. I did not go inside, seeing as the swarms of tourists is often enough to dissuade me, not to mention the price seeming extortionate when I can happily admire it from the outside.
What I did do, though, seeing as I had to do at least one extremely touristy activity, was descend into Mary King’s Close.
Sadly pictures weren’t allowed but I can, at least, provide a small history lesson based off what I can remember being told (with a generous amount of help from Google).
The city of Edinburgh we now know (and love) is in fact built on top of another city, or at least more streets. Access to Mary King’s Close was closed off in 1645 when the Great Plague hit. Probably didn’t help that all the residents were living in disease and squalor already…
There is also a lovely viewpoint called Calton Hill, just outside the city centre.
Featured on this hill, is the “National Monument of Scotland”. It is also known as “Edinburgh’s Disgrace”. Modelled upon the Pathenon in Athens, It is Scotland’s attempt at a memorial to honour those who died during the Napoleonic Wars. Sadly, the Scots run out of funding and it was never finished… Hence the entertaining name.
I’m sure there’s plenty more I did in Edinburgh (I could, for instance, try to list all the pubs I went to. Not sure this would make for very interesting reading, though), but these are the things that have lingered as favourites on my mind.
Besides, the Scotland trip is not over yet…
A Weary Traveller 