Edinburgh

On 24 Aug we ventured south to Edinburgh.  We had purchased our bus tickets a week in advance to take advantage of the Super Saver price, which was £18 for two return tickets.  The ride took about 2 hours because we went west to Perth before turning south but we had left at 8AM so we arrived in Edinburgh just in time for breakfast.

We found the Royal Mile, the path between the castle and the palace, almost immediately and just started walking.  We were hoping to head towards the castle first but we found ourselves at Holyrood Palace instead.  We took a short tour of the new parliament building, enjoying a photography exhibition installed on the main floor, before heading over to the gates of the palace.  After just a few minutes of pictures we turned back around and headed the other direction on the Mile.

Before too long we found ourselves at the Fringe Festival, a month long arts festival and one of the main reasons we wanted to head to Edinburgh before the end of August.  Not really knowing what to expect beyond just free entertainment we found that it wasn't very crowded and basically consisted of a whole lot of street performers, some simply performing for the crowds and others trying to entice you to their show at a proper venue later in the day.  It was all very interesting and exciting.  

Fringe Festival

We resolved that next year we would spend at least a few nights in Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival so we could attend some of the proper venue events.  One of the main events we want to attend is the Military Tattoo, which seems to be a bit like the opening ceremonies of the Olympics but occurs every night right outside the castle.  Tickets sell out months in advance and go on sale in December.  Not having TV or Internet at this time yet, our only exposure to this event was in print media so again we don't really know what to expect but can almost guarantee it will be a good time.

After walking through the Fringe we arrived at the castle, which is even more awesome in person than we had expected.  We were able to cross the moat and enter the castle walls for free but the tour of the castle interior cost money so we're saving that for another time.  The castle on top of a hill in the centre of the city makes Edinburgh one of the most beautiful cities we have ever seen.  It was amazing!

Edinburgh Castle

After the castle we went to explore the rest of the city.  We were drawn to a tall structure on the New Town side.  We were expecting a church but it turned out to be a memorial for Sir Walter Scott.  It was quite something.  

Sir Walter Scott memorial

After a bit more exploration we decided it was time to rest.  We wandered back towards the Fringe and found the Prince's Street stage, situated just under the castle.  What better venue could there be?  The stage was showcasing local talent and the first act we heard was Kat Healy, which we really enjoyed.  We also heard a middle school orchestra from the Highlands before leaving the comfort of our venue.

view of the castle from Prince's Street

We headed back towards the bus station, stopping to grab dinner before boarding our 8:45PM bus back home.  Overall, our introduction to Edinburgh was wonderful.  It would've been nice to have been able to call this beautiful city our home for the next four years but we've said that about every place we've seen in Scotland thus far.  There is no doubt, we love our new home.