Edinburgh - the Royal Mile and the Tattoo

Royal Mile * Arthur's Seat * Tattoo

When we first planned out our trip we knew we wanted to see the Edinburgh Tattoo.  We even joined the "Friends of the Tattoo" so we could purchase tickets early and insure great seats.  Today is the day!

We started out our day with a 2 hour, very historical walking tour of the Royal Mile in the old city of Edinburgh (from the Castle to the Palace).  I wish I could remember all the history I've been taught on this trip.  I've really enjoyed learning about all the rulers, Kings, etc. etc, but I feel I forget it as soon as I've been told.  Perhaps just too much info or my brain is tired.  Ann, a former teacher, did a great job giving the tour and I do remember seeing the graves of Adam Smith (famous economist), sea shells in the bricks on the sides of homes to guard against witches (apparently a problem in Edinburgh), the really new, really modern Parliament building built to house the Scottish Parliament just recently allowed to return to Scotland), a lot of tiny streets called "close" leading off the mile, a possible home of John Knox, and a really good bakery.

The weather changed from rain, to sun, to clouds, to wind, and then back again for the tour.  We lucked out and had enough sun to picnic outside by the new parliament building and climb Arthur's Seat - a rocky outcropping that over looks the ocean and the city.  Because we knew we'd be up late, we returned to our apartment early for a nap and dinner.

We arrived at our seats for the tattoo just as a rain storm hit - the worst we've seen yet in Scotland.  Lucky for us we had bought 2 over priced plastic ponchos that we ripped along the seams and put over our legs - the rain jackets we have were enough to keep the rest of us dry - kind of.  We hunkered together and gratefully right at 9:00 the tattoo started and the rain stopped.  The kids were troopers and no one complained even though we sat through the show with wet shoes and bodies.  It wasn't too cool though.

The tattoo was amazing - I didn't know what to expect and I loved every minute of it.  Charlie said it was the best thing we'd done yet.  One of many highlights of course were the bagpipe bands - but there was also a military band for the Canadain Mounties that involved motorcycle stunts and scenes right from the book Bears on Wheels.  Part of the motorcycle driving was even done by children - Charlie's age, all while the band played music from Star Wars and space battles were projected onto the castle wall.  Another favorite part was the American military band playing and singing swing and jazz music.  Another favorite was the New Zealand band who played contemporary songs and did the now famous war chant.  We were continually surprised by fireworks, gun fire, cannon fire, and dances, music with many marching formations.  We loved ever minute of it and soon forgot we were wet, until we stood up at the end and sang God Save the Queen and had to walk back to the bus stop 

view from Arthur's seat

Edinburgh - Castle, Museum, Harry Potter tour

Edinburgh

We were briefly encouraged that the sun might come out this morning - but that lasted for all of 15 minutes and then it was quit cold for a bit and I wished that I had my sweater and jacket.  There were people walking around today in full on winter coats, but they say this is normal for August in Scotland.

We visited the Edinburgh Castle first which is more of a castle complex.  It has been used continually since the 1100s and even today has military offices and officer housing on the complex.  One of the highlights of the visit was seeing the crown jewels and the coronation stone which was just returned to Scotland in 1999 after spending 700 years in London under the royal thrown.  The guard made a joke that the English royalty need a soft seat over the coronation stone to sit on and the Scots only needed the stone because they are tough.  It's fun to see the Scots constantly make fun of the English and assert their independence.  Another highlight was seeing the cannon fire at 1:00 precise as it has done every day (except 2 holidays) for hundreds of years so the ships out in the Firth of Forth could set their clocks each day.  We also visited the Scottish military museum, war memorial, great hall at the castle complex.

We found an alley protected from the wind where we could sit down and eat our sandwiches.  This city is packed with visitors because there is a festival going on right now.  It's something like a Sundance Film Festival + music festival + alternative arts festival.  It's a bit of a zoo - I think I'll have to add Edinburgh to the list of cities to return to on the off season when it's not so crowded.

After lunch we enjoyed the very kid friendly National Scottish Museum for a bit.  It was very hands on and the kids loved it.  We saw everything from the skeleton of a whale that was stranded in the Firth of Forth recently to Victorian dresses with the huge hip extensions, to Dolly the cloned sheep to displays on physics, chemistry, technology, etc.  We could have spent more time here.   The kids were happy it wasn't art and the girls were happy it wasn't weaponry and military stuff.

Our finally stop of the day was a tribute to JK Rowling and Harry Potter walking tour.  The kids loved it (and so did I - Eric wasn't sold, he hasn't read the books, so his loss). We wandered the graveyard near the cafes where she wrote the books.  We saw gravestone of Thomas Riddel and a McGonagall who's names inspired her characters.  We visited the school were her children attended and learned about the different "houses" in the school (4 like Hogwarts).  We also saw areas of Edinburgh that inspired some of her fictional locations like Diagonal Alley.

Dinner was out on the town tonight at a great grilled chicken restaurant with yummy sides and sauces. 

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh - Highland Games

Killin Highland Games

We debated if we really wanted to travel the 2 hours to Killin to see the Highland Games both because of the long drive and the weather reported 100% of rain all day long.  I'm so glad we didn't let either of those excuses get in our way.  It will be one of the highlights of our trip.  I feel like we're living a Phineas and Ferb summer and each day just gets more amazing and unbelievable.

We spent all day at the games, 10:30 - 4:00 and it only rained about 60% of the time (mostly drizzle); the sun poked out a few times and it was just fine.  The kids don't mind the drives because we've been listening to the entire series of the Chronicles of Narnia - we are now on the 7th book and have loved them all.

Everything about the games was quintessential Scottish.  Men (& a few women) in kilts, constant bagpipe music - either from the piping competition or the bagpipe band, girls dancing the highland fling and other traditional dances, and burley men showing off their strength through big heavy objects from metal balls, to weighted hammers, to long telephone poles (cabers - my favorite).  We watched the bagpipe band lead a parade down Main Street with the chairman of the games and then followed in behind marching with the rest of the city.  Stewart, Maren, & Emma even joined in the Hill Run (after receiving a small bribe) - a 1/2 mile (Maren and Emma) or 1 Mile (Stewart)  run straight up a mountain and then back down.  Stewart came back down the mountain looking like he had fallen in a pond and rolled in mud.  Apparently it was very steep and running down most everyone fell over at some point.

This post deserves some video attachments, but I'll have to do that when I get home - I just don't have that powerful of Internet right now.

Conwy to Edinburgh - Temple, Stone Cirlce, Hedge Maze

Preston Temple * Castlerigg Stone Circle * Traquair Manor Hedge Maze

Today was a travel day (we're going to put a lot of miles on this car in Britain) from Conwy to Edinburgh.  Once again we picked out a couple of stops just because, the first was the Preston Temple - closed for cleaning but we were able to walk around the grounds.  Stewart had a companion whose father is in charge of the temple grounds, we tried to find him, but he wasn't working today.

Our next stop was Castlerigg Stone circle via the Kirkstone Pass in the Lake District of England.  The pass was a beautiful drive with dramatic stoney green hills (mountains) lined with stone fences everywhere. Sheep dotted the green hills and every once in a while ended up on the side of the "highway" (I use that term loosely as no US official would allow for such narrow roads with blind corners - every time a car approaches Eric has about 1 second to slam his brakes and swerve left into the hedge).  We liked Castlerigg.  It wasn't crowded and the kids could run around the stones weaving in and out of them.  It was good stop to stretch our legs.

We had another amazing scenic drive for about the last hour into to Edinburgh.  It looked very different from the one in Wales.  More green, less rocks, just as many sheep, and a road that if going fast enough felt like a roller coaster - lots of ups and downs.  As we crested one hill, we were shocked to be buzzed by a fighter jet.  It was flying so low that we didn't see it until we came up the small rise and I thought it was going to crash it was so low as it sped down the small canyon.  It tipped it's wings as if saying "hi" as it zoomed past.

Our final stop was the Traquair Manor House Hedge Maze - the largest in Scotland.  From the start to the center it's a 1/4 mile of pathway and the only way to reach the center is to find the center of each of the 4 quadrants of the square first.  It was not easy.  It took Charlie over 30 minutes to reach the center and finally Maren had to head back to help him.  The hedge was tall enough hat you couldn't see over.  There was another family in the maze as well that we could hear but never see and that also never made it to the center until on our way out we directed them the right way.  It was an hours worth of great entertainment. We can now see why a hedge maze was included in the Tri Wizard Tournament.

We arrived in Edinburgh just after 6:00.  Our apartment is in a converted whisky warehouse right at the water's edge.  It's a cool area that's been reclaimed and turned into housing.  We're about a 20 minute bus ride from the old center of town.  We're glad that this apartment has 2 bathrooms and only Stewart has to sleep on the couch this time, and at least it's a couch that pulls out to a bed.  I made homemade Mac-n-cheese tonight which was perfect comfort food for a rainy day (as it has been all day).  Stewart now has a pasta aversion because of all the bad pasta that his mission companions made him throughout his mission - the other kids devoured it though.

PrestonTemple

Lake District Drive

Castelrigg Stone Circle

Traquier Manor Maze