Scottish Retreat Part 2: Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh Castle

As “Artie” loyalists, unlike some others we know, the first order of business was to check out the Duke’s statue in Edinburgh. No, this is not the famous one we shall see in a future post, but it is a wonderful Wellington equestrian statue nonetheless. Unfortunately, the Duke and Copenhagen are a bit splattered with pigeon poop. Also, did the Scots misspell “Wellington” as “Wellincton?” Just wondering. No–the font on the pedestal was very mod (odd).

On the way to Holyrood Palace, we ran into (walked by) a few more animals . . .

And darn, we missed the Fringe Festival by one day. Now that would have been an experience!

Heading towards and walking down the Royal Mile (to Holyrood Palace), we crossed a bridge over the railroad tracks just before the central train station in the capital. One of the buildings was very old (1573). All down the road were these passageways called “closes” that were little alleyways mostly leading to gardens.

We followed through one close and found this lovely garden:

Back on the Royal Mile, I snapped this corner below because it reminded me of a spot on King’s Road in Chelsea called “World’s End.” The mod-looking building is the Scottish Parliament. I would love to visit the interior and gardens there someday. The Royal McGregor reminded me of one of my colleagues, and the bas-relief was a tribute to Scottish veterans.

The bas-relief plaque was on a platform that was overlooking this pretty veterans’ cemetery:

Walking on the high street before many stores were open; it was early and very nice to walk without hordes of people.

We reached the palace but were not allowed to take pictures inside:

The outside of this small palace was beautiful. The Queen comes to visit at least once a year as Holyrood is still the official residence of the Queen in Scotland. Below is the Holyrood Abbey, just next to the palace. I am sure it was magnificent in its day.

From just outside Holyrood Palace, you can see people walking up Arthur’s Seat (as in King Arthur). The gardens of the palace were closed and we missed seeing them.

We walked back up the high street towards the castle. Many of the shops were now open. We went to a fudge shop, as well as a curiosity shop full of fairy and witch tchatchkes and acoutrements. Finally, we reached the end of the Royal Mile and entered the castle grounds. Edinburgh Castle was huge and spectacular. The castle also offered panoramic views of the city.

Oh, look. There’s Calton Hill that I climbed the day before. I see the Parthenon-like ruin, as well as the resident monument to Admiral Nelson. The North Bridge and the train station we crossed and passed can also be seen.

On the castle grounds are some small museums. The warhorse exhibit was one that stood out. Also, the chapel was guarded by a modernistic lion. We also were looking out over the city directly above a pet cemetery.

A small diorama about World War II was also in one of the small museums at the castle:

Dinner at The Witchery, a restaurant next to a Boswell site. The beautiful table settings and the fast-melting, drippy candles added to the ambiance of the building and restaurant.

When we arrived back at No. 11 Brunswick, I remembered to take a picture of the beautiful tile that the proprietor never wants to cover. The building was an officer’s barracks and the beer kegs dented in the floors and they look a little saggy. Very unusual and I was so happy to get to see the tile and hear the story.

The next morning we were waiting for the train heading north towards Inverness. However, we would be alighting at Blair Atholl. Our train platform was the only one that was not posted until about 10 minutes before we departed. Platform Dash. While waiting, I took a picture of an old building through the glass/ceiling of the station.

Next post, Blair Atholl and Blair Castle located just before the Highlands . . .