Edinburgh – February 10-12, 2022

#1 The Real Mary King’s Close Tour

The Real Mary King’s Close Tour is about an hour long walking tour under the streets of the city through long buried tunnels and chambers underground. A close was a narrow street off the main street and people would live along the close as well as having shops located there. These narrow streets had a fairly steep gradient and, since they were within the walled city, there was little room to expand so the structures went upwards and could be up to 11 stories high. I won’t give away all the secrets but it was fascinating to see how common people lived at the time and to actually stand in the old rooms, picture the living conditions at the time, walk on the old streets, listen to the stories of people’s lives, and learn about the devastation of the Black Plague. I greatly enjoyed this tour and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting.

#2 St Giles Cathedral

St. Giles Cathedral was founded in 1124 and has existed for almost 900 years. It is considered by many to be the original church of Presbyterianism and is home to the Order of the Thistle which has it’s own smaller chapel within the cathedral.

The Thistle is the national flower of Scotland and the Order of the Thistle is the highest order of chivalry in Scotland, consisting of the Sovereign and sixteen Knights and Ladies. The Cathedral as well as the chapels within it are beautiful and mesmerizing in their detail as well as in their variability.

#3 Sunrise on Calton Hill

In the morning on February 11th, I went for a 2.65 Mile run from our Airbnb up to the top of Calton Hill at sunrise. The views of Edinburgh from this spot are excellent. As the sun comes up the sky floods with pink and blue hues. The dark silhouette of the old monuments helps to frame light while the backdrop of the city and Edinburgh Castle fill the horizon. Each of the monuments is interesting but probably the most picturesque is the Dugald Stewart Monument which is a memorial to the Scottish philosopher by the same name and is a circular monument with nine Corinthian columns whose design was heavily influenced by ancient Greek architecture. The Nelson Monument commemorates the naval victory of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson who won the Battle of Trafalgar over the French and Spanish fleets in 1805. The shape of the monument reflects that of a telescope typically used by naval officers of the time. There is also a very well travelled brass cannon embossed with the Royal Arms of Spain that sits atop Calton Hill. This cannon was cast in the 15th century, shipped to Portuguese colonies in southeast Asia, somehow fell into the hands of the King of Arakan in Burma, was captured by the British during their invasion of Burma in 1885, and was eventually brought here to this hill in Edinburgh in 1886. What an interesting story for a cannon!

#4 The Scott Monument

The Scott Monument is a monument to the historical novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott. It is Victorian and Gothic in design and an imposing site in Prince Street Gardens. Entrance to the monument was barred when we visited but there is usually a tour available that allows visitors to enter the monument and take the stairs to the viewing platform on the third level.

A couple Quotes from Sir Walter Scott that I favor:

“One hour of life crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances of paltry decorum, in which men steal through existence, like sluggish waters through a marsh, without either honour or observation.”

“Revenge, the sweetest morsel to the mouth that ever was cooked in hell.”