FUN-travel: Scotland – Edinburgh – Day 3 & 4
October 11, 2011 by Susan Clarke
Day 22 – Wednesday, October 5 – Edinburgh – thick clouds, bursts of rain followed by big, long bursts of sunshine, much warmer, high 60’s
St. Giles Cathedral
WRTC (What R The Chances) – blue skies overnight (I saw stars) awake to thick clouds & sporadic rainDepart 10:30 for Park & Ride
- Arrive 11:00 – walk to Waverly Bridge for Big Red Hop On, Hop Off Bus
- 1st stop – Edinburgh Castle – 11th century fort sits high on top of solid rock – see Crown Jewels
- Walk down Royal Mile – series of 4 different streets runs from castle to Holyroodhouse Palace – filled w/shops & pubs & St. Giles Cathedral – the Westminster Abbey of Scotland
- 2nd stop – Holyroodhouse Palace – 14th Century Palace (originally 12th-century Augustinian monastery) – Scotland’s royalty preferred it to blustery castle – home to Mary Queen of Scots – currently the Queen spends one week each summer – lavishly furnished rooms
- Walk back up Royal Mile
- 3rd stop – Gladstone’s Land – typical 16th – 17th century restored merchant’s house – multi storied bldg had shop on ground floor & rented out the other floors
- 4th stop – Starbucks for cappuccino & Lemon Drizzle Cake
- 5th stop – Elephant House – allegedly where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter books
- 6th stop – back to Deacon Brodie’s Pub – Guinness, Tennent’s Lager & shot of Jura Scotch
- 7th stop – Mary Kings Cross – 1 hr underground “ghost” tour – recently renovated underground network of hidden alleys & rooms where people lived & worked
- Walk to New Town for dinner
- FUN-food– Mussel Inn (suggested by guys we met at Deacon Brodies) – 1/2 kilo Moroccan Mussels – chilies, garlic, ginger,
St. Andrews Cathedral
coriander & cumin – 1/2 kilo w/ shallots, white wine, garlic, cream (we have a tie for best ones we’ve had so far – these from Loch Laxford, Sutherland) – grilled sea bass on rocket, feta, warm new potatoes & roasted red pepper sauce drizzled w/balsamic vinaigrette
FF – (FUN-fact) – see Mr. Fox on side of road on way back into Dalmahoy
Day 23 – Thursday, October 6 – Day trip St. Andrews – wake to blazing sunshine – very windy & much colder, low 50’s – sprinkles turn to pouring rain in afternoon
- Depart 10:45 -arrive noon – 50 mile drive
- 1st stop – cappucinno/latte
- 2nd stop – TI for map
- 3rd stop – St Andrew’s Cathedral – built 1160 – ruins consist of walls & spires – able to see the gigantic footprint & bases of columns
- 4th stop – Castle – overlooking sea – built 12th century by bishop for entertaining
- 5th stop – The Old Course – (they claim founding the sport of golf here) home of the British Open every 5 yrs
- 6th stop – The Old Course Golf Shop
- 7th stop – Starbucks
- Takes 2 hrs to drive back w/pouring rain & traffic
FF– Roads in Scotland better than Ireland – still narrow but no thick bushes/branches next to road