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Day 9-Goodbye Edinburgh-On the Way Home

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 Goodbye Scotland The trip home is about to begin!   We will be saying goodbye to Scotland to head back home!   Our layover at Heathrow will be longer this time, but still not quite enough time for us to explore London!  It would have been especially awesome if we would have had a chance to visit Wimbledon ! Hanging at Heathrow! We caught some of  the Kings Scottish coronation ceremony that we missed while eating at Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food restaurant!  A suggestion from our tour guide and a great way be!! Visiting London and the surrounding areas has always been on my bucket list.   Of course being a true crime fan, it is hard not to be fascinated by the Jack the Ripper.  There is so much content on Jack the Ripper, that it is hard to know what to examine & worse, what to believe.   There are sites that feature the history of his crimes  , coverage  from many media organizations like the History Channel , tours that walk you in Jacks's footsteps through the streets of Londo
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Day 8-Edinburgh

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 Day 8-Edinburgh Frommer's says Edinburgh is "Blessed with an outstanding array of scenery" and that certainly is true.  Even though the weather was dreary with rain all day, you still can't help but appreciate its beauty and storied past.     Scottish Storytelling Center Our last day on tour started off with a visit to the Scottish Storytelling Center .  This stop featured storyteller Dougie Mackay entertaining us with some Scottish lore & even challenged us with a few riddles!   Dougie informed us that he recently started a podcast called Tales for Our Times .  I will be downloading a few episodes for the flight home.  The Storytelling Center is located in the John Knox House .   " J ohn Knox House dates back to 1470, which makes it and Moubray House attached, the oldest, original medieval building surviving on the Royal Mile."   In case you haven't heard, King Charles III & his Queen are in Edinburgh and the town has gotten quite crowded.   
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Day 7 Edinburgh

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 Day 7-Edinburgh https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/00_5334_Edinburgh_Castle_-_Scotland.jpg Edinburgh "Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital and second most populous city. Sometimes referred to as the “Athens of the North” because of the cities’ similar topography and Edinburgh’s role in the Scottish Enlightenment, the city has long been a center for learning. The city “built on seven hills” is brimming with history and culture and can keep you busy for days. Edinburgh Castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scotland. The formidable fortress is perched atop Castle Rock, a volcanic plug with rocky cliffs, overlooking the city and dominating the skyline."    - CNN Travel   https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/places-to-visit-scotland/index.html  Hiking Up Arthur's Seat There was some free time this morning before our first excursion, so what did a group of us decide to do???  Hike up an extinct volcano, of course!  It was a crystal clear morning an
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Day 6-Inverness/Loch Ness/Edinburgh

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 Day 6-Inverness, Loch Ness & Edinburgh  Today we began our journey to the final stop on our Scotland Tour, Edinburgh.  But first we had a few other Scotland Bucket List items to check off.   The day started off by leaving the Highland Hotel where many people had  trouble getting a good nights rest because something had them feeling unsettled.  Did I mention the place reminded me a lot of the Shining's Overlook Hotel?   I walked down the drive to get a picture of the full building so you could appreciate it's age & resemblance to the Stephen King/Stanley Kubrik creation.  Maybe some of the eerie atmosphere came from the burnt out building or old church just down the street.           Inverness/Loch Ness Today's  first stop was Inverness for a boat ride on Loch Ness . Rosie, our Scotland Guide, filled us in on some of the lore about the Loch Ness Monster (or Nessie), the vastness of Loch Ness & geological conditions that make undetected life in these deep water
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