A Day On Our Own –
In order to allow a little extra time in Edinburgh, a free day was planned into our schedule, so the garden part of our tour doesn’t officially start until tomorrow. After a good night’s sleep, everyone headed out to explore the Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse Palace, the Royal Mile, Princes Street, and much more.
Most everyone visited the Edinburgh Castle, set high on the hill called Castle Rock. We could hardly believe that anyone would be foolish enough to attack such a forbidding fortress, but records exist of 26 sieges during its 2000 year history. Many well-known figures are associated with this renowned castle, including St. Margaret, Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots and her son James 1. We learned so much, here and at the many other sites we visited today! Plus, we saw some beautiful hanging baskets and small gardens.
Thousands of people, many of us tourists, thronged the streets (mainly the Royal Mile). According to one tour guide, it is estimated that ten and a half thousand visitors make their way to the Castle on a Saturday in the summer. Many accents could be heard besides the local Scottish…German, French, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, English, and even other Americans. This is a tourist city!
Flip was able to catch up with us. The group is complete and the journey into the highlands begins tomorrow.
