The people of Scotland are the warmest, most pleasant people I’ve ever met. We immediately felt at home and welcome. Although England was fun, there was certainly not the warmth and reception we’ve found in Scotland. I feel very at home here.
This was to be the longest of walking days for us. We started out of the hotel, taking a left and heading up the long walk to Edinburgh Castle.
The castle is incredible. Sitting up on the highest point in the city, it is well fortified and easy to defend. The walls are incredibly thick and show no signs of being under construction from 1100-1700’s. The main parking area in front of the castle was the parade ground for the nearly 600 troops that were housed in the castle grounds in the 1700’s. This area is also known for the death by burning of 300+ suspected witches during the 1500-1600’s…not a nice place to be during that time. In current times, this area is used for large concerts and events during the summer months.
We spent about 2 hours walking the grounds of the castle taking both self-guided and guided tours of the fortress. There is a tradition at the castle that each day at 1pm, a single cannon shot is fired towards the harbor to provide the ships with a means of setting their clocks. We were there when the cannon was fired and it echoed across the distance to the harbor. According to the tour guide, it takes the sound approximately 10 seconds to reach the ships.
Here are some of our pictures from Edinburgh Castle and the surrounding area.
We visited the Scottish War Memorial and Scottish Ware Museum that are found within the castle walls. In one of the exhibits in the Scottish War Museum was a preserved dog named Bob. Bob was a regiment dog and the troops were so fond of him that they preserved him after his death. For the other dogs that served faithfully within the castle walls, there is a small dog cemetery that overlooks the city.
One of my uncles did an extensive genealogy of the Findley side of the family. Over a 20 year period, he was able to trace the Findley lineage back to 1040 in Scotland, to a gentleman named MacBeth – one of the early kings of Scotland. As we toured not only Edinburgh Castle, but also Holyrood House, we discovered many references to MacBeth. We felt right at home! Unfortunately, no one offered special accommodations or recognition for the association to royalty. Oh well. At least we are in Scotland!
After our visit to the castle, we walked down the hill to one of the more famous graveyards (kirk as they are called in Scotland) – Greyfriars Kirk. This is yet another amazing place with constant reminders of how old this city is. Greyfriars, as one of the pictures shows, dates back to the 1500’s. One of the more well known memorials in Greyfriars is that of Greyfriars Bobby. Bobby was a small dog that stood watch over the grave of his master, an Edinburgh policeman, for 16 years. There is a memorial at the entrance of the kirk to Bobby. As we were walking through the kirk yard we over heard a tour guide sharing the story of Bobby and heard him mention to the group that Bobby is not buried in the kirk but is nearby. He told the group that it was required that all who are buried in the yard must be a declared Christian and because Bobby could not declare his belief in Christ, he could not be buried within Greyfriars, thus the memorial.
Here's a MacGregor family member in Greyfriars...
Our next stop for the day was to a small pub called Kay’s Bar. A friend of mine from my years at Janus went to school in Edinburgh to gain her Master’s degree. During her time in Edinburgh, she worked in this small pub. This was one of highlights of the trip. We entered this tiny pub that seats all of 15 people and were immediately welcomed. After telling the bar manager, Fraser (pronounced Fraz-er), that I knew a former employee, he lit up. He remembered my friend from 20 years ago and even tried to find her phone records in a listing of prior employees. He fondly told stories of her working in the pub (she was known as the English Girl). He even gave us directions to her old flat down the street and described it to the letter. We enjoyed a pint with Fraser (Kaylee had a pint of Sprite) and talked of fishing and golf. By the time we left the pub, Fraser had given me his email address and requested we come back to play golf with him. It was as though I had known him all my life. What a wonderful experience…and someday I’m coming back to play golf with him and catch a few fish. In the picture is the owner of the bar Dave, on the left, and Fraser Gillespie is on the right. If you’re ever in Edinburgh, you have to go see Fraser…he’s been the manager at the pub for 21 years! And all the beers are brewed at the pub…fabulous.
Here are some other pictures from our second day in Scotland; a wonderful day indeed.
