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Calton Hill

From many places around Edinburgh, you can see monuments on Calton Hill. Here is what you see from the Old Town. It’s a very romantic view. There is a tower, a dome or two, and even some Grecian columns, a failed effort to duplicate the Parthenon in Edinburgh. During the ScottishContinue reading “Calton Hill”

So many castles,

In the Edinburgh area, there are so many castles and palaces that are on the “must-see” list that it would take a solid week to see them all. Over the past month, we’ve visited Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, Linlithgow Castle and Rosslyn Chapel, and have passed up visiting the others. I’ve already mentioned Edinburgh Castle,Continue reading “So many castles,”

One Spectacular Day

The weather was absolutely perfect. The sky was clear and bright blue and the sun shone. We walked on a path along the Water of Leith, a stream really, to get to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. The entrance was inviting. Can you believe we’re in the middle of the city? The exhibitContinue reading “One Spectacular Day”

Edinburgh: Men on plinths

Yes, there is a statue of Queen Victoria that dominates all of Princes Street from its perch on top of the Scottish National Academy. However, the rest of Edinburgh hosts an unusual number of life-size or larger statues of men. Some of the figures are more recognizable than others. August 16, 2016 It turns outContinue reading “Edinburgh: Men on plinths”

Become your favorite character for a day in Edinburgh

As readers of Alexander McCall Smith and Ian Rankin, each of whom set their stories in and around Edinburgh, it was easy to find landmarks that relate to the work of both authors. In the background of the photo you see here is the street sign for Scotland Street. (There is no number 44). TheContinue reading “Become your favorite character for a day in Edinburgh”

Museums and more museums

The good weather having deserted us, we headed indoors to check out some of the museums of Edinburgh. We started at the Scottish National Gallery, where we admired art from the Renaissance to 1900. It’s a traditional art museum and we enjoyed the broad range of work. (The Scottish National Academy is nearby, but weContinue reading “Museums and more museums”

Plants and Animals, the Royal Botanical Garden and the Edinburgh Zoo

Two days of sunny weather let us take advantage of the natural world in Edinburgh, the Royal Botanical Garden, and the Edinburgh zoo. Both have their high points. The Botanical Garden is very large and has many different gardens, though I misread Scottish Heath Garden as Scottish Heather Garden, and was mildly disappointed until IContinue reading “Plants and Animals, the Royal Botanical Garden and the Edinburgh Zoo”

The hike to Arthur’s Seat

A good park takes planning and Holyrood Park began as a hunting preserve long before 1541 when James V enclosed the area with a wall. Though adjacent to Holyrood Palace at the east end of the Royal Mile (where the Queen was recently in residence), the former hunting grounds are now a world-class park thatContinue reading “The hike to Arthur’s Seat”

Our Castle Experience–round 2.

Getting to Edinburgh Castle was an adventure all its own, because we had to find a route that was short enough that Jonathan’s ankle would still function after we arrived. We pored over the street map and ended up taking a bus to the center and walking up “the mound” to the castle. It wasContinue reading “Our Castle Experience–round 2.”

First impressions of Edinburgh

Edinburgh is as green as anywhere you can imagine. Yes, it has been raining, sometimes heavily, but the payoff is that the gardens are beautiful and the flowers in perfect bloom. We’ve arrived in Scotland at an unusual time. The Brexit vote was just over a week ago, and like many others, we were unpreparedContinue reading “First impressions of Edinburgh”