I Heart Edinburgh, Part II - More Pics Added

The day started with breakfast at the hotel restaurant and then we headed out straight to Edinburgh Castle. But then a funny thing happened on the way out. We noticed a room on our floor that had a plaque reading “The JK Rowling Suite.” The story is that J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter novel in cafes all around Edinburgh as a single mother on benefits. She wrote the final one under vastly different circumstances, specifically, in a suite at the Balmoral Hotel. She purportedly celebrated by graffitting “J.K. Rowling wrote the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series in this room” on the walls of the suite. It appears that we found the room, and I wonder if we can get a glimpse into the room before we leave?

Some things we saw along the Royal Mile:

High Kirk of St. Giles.

Some Roman dude on a horse.

Heart of Midlothian.

Another weird thing happened on the way to the Castle. We saw people randomly gathering on the pavement alongside the Royal Mile west of the North/South Bridge, and the street was closed to traffic. We asked a local policeman what was going on, and he informed us that they were welcoming back soldiers from Afghanistan. We hung around waiting for the parade, and it was well worth it. Everyone started clapping to the music as the honor guard marched past, and the crowd burst into cheers when the soldiers went by. It was really great to see everyone supporting the soldiers, and the authentic bagpipe music was really cool.

Cutest mascot ever.

Honor Guard.

Honor Guard musicians.

Soldiers returning home.

We finally got to the Castle, and it was every bit as amazing as the guidebooks said it would be. It’s all inclines and declines everywhere, the ground is cobbled, and there’s a special path everywhere meant for horses carrying provisions. I saw some girls wearing stiletto heels on the Royal Mile, and I prayed for their sakes that they weren’t headed to the Castle. The Castle itself is a combination of well-formed stones and craggy rocks. The views were beyond amazing, and you could see all the way to the Firth of Forth. It’s the kind of place you just have to visit to do it justice.

The Castle Gate.

View of the Castle from the Gardens.

View from the Castle.

Sculpture of a baby clinging onto a soldier.

Yep, I think we're just about ready to fire

Can I live here?

After roaming about for 3 hours or so, we finally left, but we made sure to stop by the Scotch Whisky Heritage Center where J picked up a couple of small bottle of scotches. Lush. We then headed to Victoria Street where J was excited to visit Iain Mellis Cheesemonger. And they let you sample whatever you want! J settled on a hunk of aged Gouda.

Victoria Street as seen from the Terrace.

Iain Mellis, Cheesemonger.

We made a quick foray down Cockburn Street. The schoolgirl in me is still giggling. It’s a little seedy looking, and I saw a store named “Whiplash Trash.” Gotta love it. J noticed that there were potato shops everywhere, and the smell was delicious even if a bit incongruous. Then it got even better when we hit up Fleshmarket Close. What kind of perv named these streets?

J didn't want to walk down this street for some reason.

No objection to this one though. Strange.

 J finally tired out, and we headed back to the hotel to figure out our dinner plans. Be forewarned, make your dinner bookings well in advance. We had walked into the Witchery by the Castle earlier in the day, and the only slot open was a seating at 11pm. We had our hotel concierge check everywhere, and there were no bookings to be had. I think J was pretty happy about it since we got to change into lounging clothes and order room service. We both ate too much steak and fries, and now we’re fat and happy watching X Factor. All in all, a great Saturday.