Today was our last official day of our Ireland/Scotland tour with Cosmos Tours. After our tradition breakfast buffet, we got on the tour bus and set our for Edinburgh Old Town and New Town. (Our hotel was out of the city center).
We had a local tour guide, Kenneth, join our group for an tour of the city of Edinburgh. Our regular guide, Will, made arrangements for our tour of Edinburgh Castle, where we would meet him at a later time.
As we drove around the city I didnt know which way to look first. There are so many churches, schools, monuments, building, etc. I just took pictures.lots of pictures. Sadly, today was a rainy day so some of the pictures arent the best. Many of them wont be identified because we didnt know what they were.
On our walk toward Edinburgh Castle we passed the sport where public executions were held. The most famous being that of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. William Brodie was often known by his title of Deacon Brodie. He was a Scottish cabinet maker, deacon of a trades guild, and Edinburgh city councillor, who maintained a secret life as a housebreaker
partly for the thrill, and partly to fund his gambling. He was finally caught and hanged in the public square.
Nearby is a heart shaped mosaic set into the cobbles near St Giles Cathedral. It was the site of the tollbooth, a prison and place of public executions. It is thought you should spit on it which may, or may not, be for luck. This is no longer practiced due to COVID.
We visited Edinburg Castle. It is an incredible structure on a hill created by a dormant volcano. In it is the oldest structure in Edinburgh, St Margarets Chapel, which dates back to the 12th century. The castle is also home to the Crown Jewels worn by Mary queen of Scots, the stone of destiny (a block of sandstone on which the monarchs of Scotland were crowned), the sword of state, and scepter, allot which date back to the 16 th century.
Once we left the castle we had free time fir shopping. Sightseeing, or lunch. We first picked lunch!! We went to Greyfriars Bobby Pub
One of the most endearing stories we heard today was the one about Greyfriars Bobby, which is the name
of a now famous pub, all because of a dog. Bobby, born in 1856, was a Skye Terrier who spent over 14 years guarding the grave of his beloved owner. When John, the owner, died Bobby (terrier) guarded his grave every day for 14 years. According to the story the Bishop would not allow Bobby to be buried with his master because the church cemetery was hallowed ground. However, some of Bobbys friends buried him there anyway. There is a statue outside the pub and a tribute wall inside. We had a great lunch there!
We did not get enough time to spend in Edinburgh. We just scratched the surface. There are Outlander tours, JK Rowling and Harry Potter tours, theres the Queens castle (Holyrood House), Robert Louis Stevensons home, the 12 sided street, and so much more to see and do. Id like back
Once we returned to the hotel we said our goodbyes and got ready fir dinner. We ate at Mamma Romas Italian restaurant and it was awesome!!
