Edinburgh sites and Castle

What does downtown Edinburgh look like? It is the capital city of Scotland and is the second largest city in Scotland with 487,500 in 2013. It is the 7th larges city in the UK.

It's earliest beginnings were 8,500BC So the Bronze Age and Iron age had a presence here as well. King David 1, in the 12th century would leave his mark on Edinburgh.

Much of the architecture resembles the Greek and it has been called the Athens of the North.

This celebrates where the book Frankenstein was written 1860. Our guide used to attend nursery school here many hears later.

I wonder if we are related? Spoon/Ladle

Where JR Rowling wrote Harry Potter.

A cemetery here and there.

Edinburgh has the longest conitnuing film festival of anywhere in the world. They have been running since 1947. That was a very good year. This is their new performing center.

New and old right next to each other. The buildings had a basement and at least 3 floors. The owners would have their stores on the street level and then live above them.  James Bond (Sean Connery) left school at age 13 and delivered milk down this street. His birthday is today Oct. 29. He is 84. Where did the time go?

Edinburgh Castle sits on basalt as does much of the city of Edinburgh. This is the result of early volcanic activity and glacier formation.

In the 1990's the city decided to clean up the stone architecture, but found it did more damage so left the stones as they were. Some of the sand stone has oil embedded within the stone and it is seeping out causing the extra dark stones above.

The Royal Mile has one shop after another.

The bus lane is sacred during certain times and no car may drive there.

As always there is a red telephone booth.

Holyrood inside the fence. This is the official residence of the monarchy when in Scotland on official business.

Sir Walter Scott's Monument/

Sir Walter Scott

This used to be private parks for the residents of the flats around it. Now it is landscaped and open for all.

 A moat had been used to the right to dump human waste, bodies, animals ect. It took over 50 years to reclaim the area and make it inviting.

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The train tracks in the middle of the landscaped park.

In the distance is the old volaano.

View from Edinburgh Castle

At 1pm each day except Sunday the master gunner fires the gun.

These cannon balls could travel 2-3 miles.

Mons Meg- 15th Century fire cannon. This cannon was last fired in 1600 when the casing split open. It could only be moved 3 miles a day because of weight.

This is the earliest building in the castle:St. Margaret's Chapel 12th century.

On top of the castle mound.

Inside this tower are the Honours of Scotland. After winding around and around like a Disney World line, you come to the Crown, septre,  and sword of the monarch. These are the crown jewels of the 15th-16th century. and Stone of Destiny. The stone of destiny which has been fought over for over 700 years.

THE GIANTS CAUSEWAY

The Giant's Causeway--Shaped by Imagination

There are hexagonal stones carved by the mighty giant, Finn McCool, from Ireland. Local people here believe that between the hexagons, the mythical features carved out in the rocks and the tumbling sea, there’s a real magic.

A geological wonder with over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the Giant's Causeway is the result of intense volcanic and geological activity.

The Causeway provides a glimpse into the Earth's most ancient past. An epic 60 million year old legacy to the cooling and shrinking of successive lava flows.

 The myth says that there were once 2 giants, one from Ireland (Finn MacCool)and one from Scotland (Benandonner). The Scottish giant didn't want to get  his feet wet going to Ireland, so he threw down boulders so he could walk from Scotland to Ireland. The Irish giant went to see the Scottish giant and found him to be HUGE. So he ran back to his home and told his wife that he didn't want to fight him. His wife disguised him as a baby and put him in the cradle. When the Scottish giant (Benandonner) arrived he was invited in and saw the HUGE baby. He decided that he didn't want to fight the Irish giant who would be even larger than his baby and on his way home he broke up the walk way, which gave us the Giant's Causeway.

Can you see the giant's organ?

The giant's boot left behind.

We climbed to the very top and up 49 steps and then 95 steps to the top. We loved sitting on the beach on the hexagon slabs and watching the waves roll in