Day 7 Edinburgh

 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 and our hikers ascended to Arthur's Seat Summit.  It was worth the climb to see all of Edinburgh spread out before us!  I was also happy to see that my favorite travel bloggers, Two Wandering Soles , had something to say about their Arthur's Seat Experience.  Usually whenever I am traveling in the US, I like to see what Two Wandering Soles has to say about the city I am visiting, but I didn't think about looking for their thoughts on  international travel.  

    

    

    

The Royal Mile 

Our first official stop of the day in Edinburgh was a guided tour up the Royal Mile.   We started with our tour guide, Venzi, at the Scottish Parliament and walked all the way up to Edinburgh Castle.   Along the way, we learned about the history of the stretch through out the centuries.   On our way into town, we also found out the King & Queen (Charles & Camilla) are coming into to town for King Charles III's Scottish Coronation!  Did you know that Scotland was not an independent country but is part of the United Kingdom?  More on that later after I return....but the King is already in town & Edinburgh is crazy busy with preparations (especially security) prior to the July 5 events!  We even got to see the King's Guard.
    

    

    

 Edinburgh Castle
At the top of the Royal Mile sets Edinburgh Castle, an official royal residence.   The castle is stunning & preparations for the Royal visit are well underway.  We were actually fortunate enough to see a practice run of the 21 Gun Salute & all the other pomp of the formal reception/process required to discharge those 3 cannons.

    

     

    


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