First Full Day in Edinburgh

What a GREAT day!! We got over the jet laq.

The Great Porridge Hunt was a failure. The Hotel wanted 16 pounds each for a breakfast - yikes!! We tried several places but none had oatmeal or porridge. Eventually we ate a cereal (meg: and bacon!!) breakfast at the TravelLodge but on our travels we have now found one, count them, one place with porridge on the breakfast menu for tommorrow.

Here is our hotel, the Radisson on the Royal Mile:


(note - we can't seem to upload anything -- here or on Facebook. Maybe the wireless signal not strong enough? will try again later)


We then walked up the ridge (west from our hotel) towards the Edinburgh Castle. On the way we walked past the St. Giles Cathedral and went in. It was a fantastic find! Wonderful artwork. Carved wooden ceilings with various crests on them. The walls were lined with memorials to fallen Scottish soldiers from every war from the Indian Mutiny in the 1840's to WWII. Tombs with sarcophogi of the good guy (Duke of Argyll) and the bad guy (Marquis of Montrose) from the movie Rob Roy. The Thistle Chapel has to be seen to be believed - ornate wood work on all but the floor with various family and clan crests added from 1911 to the present. Truely awesome.

The Castle was grand - large and with lots to see. This included the National War Museum and the Scottish War Memorial - an entire building with stain glass windows and the walls covered with memorials to various Scottish units, army, navy, air corps, Royal Marines and Royal Naval Air Service for WWI. It also had a palace with the Scottish Crown Jewels (saved from destruction by Cromwell) and the Stone of Destiny. Yes, the real Stone. Margaret's Chapel, a beautiful little building with nice stained glass, is the oldest remaining building in Edinburgh. Also, right next to it the monster medieval cannon Mons Meg. A real "meggy" place. Hallowed ground. Had a wonderful lunch (Haggis with turnip and potatoes, called Neeps, Tatties and Haggis as an appetizer.

After lunch we took a cab to the port of Leith on the Firth of Forth to Kinlock Anderson, master kiltmakers. Great stuff acquired for Clan Donald (Meg's family) and Clan Russell (my family) to be custom made and delivered to Canada in a few weeks.

We then, on a whim, did a tour of HMY Britannica, the now-retired Royal Yacht. It was fascinating. Naval stuff and neat info about the Royals, including china, silver, crystal, entertainment protocols, etc. which Meg was more familiar with.

Went to see No. 7 Jane Street where a Donald ancestor was married in Leith in the 1800's. It's a car dealership now. And a great Scottish dinner (steak and ale pie) to round it all off.