Jen and I spent most of our time wandering up and down the Royal Mile. As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long and runs from the Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle Rock down to Holyrood Abbey. Kilts and tartan (Scottish plaid) brightly decorate the streets, bagpipe music pours out of nearby shops, Whiskey and Scotch stores offer tastings, double-decker buses rush by, lunch specials feature Haggis, neeps and tatties (Haggis, turnips and potatoes), the streets are bustling, the air is icy.
To learn a bit more about the history of Edinburgh, Jen and I woke early one morning to join a walking tour of the city. We visited the Cathedral and Parliament, cut through graveyards, and walked through the Old and New Town. For lunch, we enjoyed sandwiches at a local cafe where J.K. Rowlings found inspiration for Harry Potter!
We also spent time visiting Edinburgh Castle, a castle fortress that dominates the skyline as it sits atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site dates back as far as the 9th century BC! Jen and I visited old castle apartments, explored the numerous museums, viewed the beautiful Crown Jewels and plugged our ears as local military fired the daily one o'clock cannon.
