Day 18 - Edinburgh - 25 September 2024

After spending a night in luxury, we woke to enjoy a full Scottish break with the mandatory lack pudding and haggis. The breakfast room is also very elegant. Today we head into Edinburgh.  We were going to see St Cuthbert's Church which is where the great great grandparents of Narelle were married. Don and Julie headed to the castle. Not everything goes according to plan on a holiday. 

We headed to Eskbank train station because parking is quite difficult in the city.  The trains are very comfortable and fast.  They were not packed with people either.  Twenty minutes on the train and we were in the centre of Edinburgh.

 

After a short walk, we found Saint Cuthbert's and it is a beautiful church nestled at the foot of the hill on which stands the castle. However, it didn't open for viewing until midday. Oh well, off for a quiet cup of coffee and then back to the church.  It was constructed in the seventh century for the town of Edinburgh. The parish grew in size until the reformation when it converted to be protestant. 

during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the parish was reduced in size by the formation of other parishes and the construction of churches.  After the Restoration in 1660, the parish remained loyal to the protestant church.  It is still a very strong and active church.

The interior is ornate but in a subdued way. The stained-glass windows are certainly a highlight. 

The altar

Narelle on the path to St Cuthbert's

Looking down the aisle to the altar

St Cuthbert's Church

A carving on the pulpit

One of the windows

 

Then we walked through Princes Street Gardens and past the Ross Fountain which is quite a spectacular monument.  We were pleased to see so many people using the park for a stroll or to have lunch. Obviously there were a lot of tourists there as well.

Ross Fountain

A more laborious walk to Grassmarket which is an area close to the Golden Mile and includes interesting shops and restaurants, most of which are brightly painted.  The place was a hive of activity. We saw the Museum Context (Harry Potter Shop), Elephant House (magical cafe), souvenir shops and lots of colour.  It is a place where it would be very easy to spend a whole day quietly looking through each shop.

We ventured into the Museum Context and looked at the wands for sale.  The shop was so full of people (quite young) that we were jammed for some time. So, rather than battle our way through all four floors, we squirmed our way out, without a wand.

The Grassmarket area

The Museum Context

Wands for sale

The elephant

The Elephant House

We walked to the top of a set of stairs past the university.  It is a stunning building.  At the top of the stairs, there is a section of the old wall and the best views of the castle!

The Castle

There are lots of little alleys and side streets in Grassmarket as well and we just ran out of time to see it all.  Back to the train and the castle for another sumptuous meal. 

We met Don and Julie to find out that it is now necessary to buy tickets for Edinburgh Castle online.  There are no tickets available at the castle. Even with the help of staff, they could not get them.  That was sad. 

The train station is extra-ordinarily long and the train was at the end.  We probably walked well over 100 metres along the platform.  It was so strange to us.

Us waiting on the platform

It is a long drive to Aberdeen tomorrow and the weather is not looking too good at all.