Edinburgh

First day in Edinburgh…and slept in until 9:30! ‘course we didn’t get to bed until the far side of midnight…

Edinburgh Castle was our first destination. This castle is located on the appropriately named, Castle Rock, a large volcanic crag that towers above the area with rocky cliffs and a long gently sloping tale that allows access to the top. These days a winding road called the Royal Mile wends its way up to the castle perched on top. Shops vending local souvenirs, sweets and treats, as well as tartans for every clan are available. Defensively it’s perfect because you could see for miles but unfortunately accessing water was quite problematic throughout the ages. That didn’t stop the Scots: they’ve had a royal castle on the rock since the 12^th century.

Details of Victorian woodworking

The castle did play a role in numerous historical conflicts, served as the Royal Palace at times as well as an armament factory and a prison during various wars (including the American Revolution). It was, of course, changed and built upon by various Kings and rulers over the years, including the addition of elaborate wood carvings, interesting lighting options, and extremely ornate ceilings.

Details of wall (reconstructed) painting

During the 19^th century, several schemes were proposed to rebuild the whole castle in a more “romantic” style. Others favored restoring the various parts of the castle.   Fortunately restoring and preserving won out, and while some modifications had already been implemented, other schemes were abandoned. They did bring a few rooms “back to new” by restoring paintings, and patching and fixing the ceiling sculptures. The rooms are actually still used today for special royal functions.