I went to the UK with a friend.. why? Well, I have never considered myself a traveler, I don’t like to leave home at all really, but I have never travelled at all so I decided that I had to test that attitude. After a lot of saving (and scraping and borrowing), we eventually had enough for a budget trip around the UK.
We flew out of Brisbane to Doha and raced across the airport to make our next flight to Edinburgh. The less said about the flight the better. Sitting still for about 24 hours, in a single seat with no knitting available is torturous.
We landed in Edinburgh in the afternoon (there) and went to a hotel for a couple of days. In those days we went on a ghost tour and rode the buses around the city. We stopped and looked at anything vaguely interesting. The tour buses have a stop and ride system, you buy a ticket for a day or two days and you can get on and off as you please. Following are some of my photos from those days.
The ghost tour on the first night was so much fun! We toured Greyfriar’s Kirkyard and the statue of Greyfriar’s Bobby (The goodest dog in all the world). Edinburgh at night is very old and stately. Of course we mostly stuck to the Royal Mile.
The tour buses ticket also included a trip on a small boat around the Firth of Forth. We looked at the bridges over the firth and bobbed around a few of the islands. Excitingly, we found some seals or sea lions on one of the islands!
Edinburgh Castle was really a monument to war. Wandering around inside the castle and grounds included little historical stories on boards and tour guides. I found it interesting, but the most interesting part was St Margaret’s Chapel, a tiny building with lovely stained glass windows and a little bench or two to sit on.
We travelled around on the buses, from Holyrood House to Edinburgh Castle, including the Witches Well. The Well was a tiny, hidden and unsigned (largely) monument to all the women (mostly) hanged and buried in the area of Edinburgh Castle. That visit made me feel sad and angry at the attitudes that lead to these actions (which are still going on today).
At the end of the second day, we went and picked up our mobile home for the next three and a bit weeks. Next post I will cover some of our travels around Scotland.
Your photos look amazing! I was born in Edinburgh but left at four years of age and barely know it as a city. You’ve probably seen more of it than I have! 😊
🤣🤣 It is a beautiful city. I was particularly taken by the cobblestones and rock walls.
You are a true Scot, then?
I know I don’t have the accent due to many years abroad, but yes, I am! Waves saltire 🏴
🤣🤣🤣
Isn’t it strange what childhood memories you retain. I remember the smell of the coal fires that everyone had in Edinburgh in the early sixties. And walking through a city garden in the rain. And my granny’s tenement flat, which contained a coal Shute, something that fascinated me as a young child.
Moments of grace in a lifetime. Childhood seems to hold a lot.
Thank you for sharing with me.