Off to Scotland

For the past two weekends, I’ve begun exploring northern England and Scotland. One of my goals for this year is to explore the United Kingdom as much as possible, and I think I’ve made a good start towards that!

Last weekend, I took the train up to Edinburgh for an intense six hours of exploring the city. In my desire to be spontaneous, I didn’t spend much time planning my trip, so, without a firm itinerary, I just wandered around the city and soaked up the scenery. That was the upside of not planning. The downside: not realizing how hilly Edinburgh is. My legs were very tired at the end of the day!

Edinburgh’s city center (otherwise known as Edinburgh for tourists) is divided into the medieval Old Town, home to the imposing Edinburgh Castle and St. Giles’ Cathedral, and the newer – in a relative sense – New Town, home to the Scott Monument, Calton Hill, and wide boulevards.

Edinburgh’s Old Town (on the left) and New Town (on the right).

In the Old Town, the famous Royal Mile runs from Edinburgh Castle down (quite literally) to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The former is now a museum (although I didn’t visit it on my trip), while the latter is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. Along the Royal Mile, between the castle and the palace, are St. Giles’ Cathedral, the (very modern) Scottish Parliament Building, and many examples of Edinburgh’s signature stone buildings.

img_20191011_115423547_hdr — Views of the Royal Mile: lovely stone buildings, cobbled streets, and the Scottish Parliament.

Views of the Royal Mile: lovely stone buildings, cobbled streets, and the Scottish Parliament.

In the New Town, you can see the elaborate Scott Monument, which honors one of Scotland’s most famous writers, Sir Walter Scott; walk through the Princes Street Gardens, which offer an impressive view of the Old Town and Edinburgh Castle; and climb Calton Hill for amazing views of Edinburgh and out toward the Firth of Forth (as long as you don’t get blown away – literally – by the strong wind gusts).

From left to right: the Scott Monument; a view of Edinburgh Castle from the Princes Street Gardens; and a view toward the Firth of Forth from Calton Hill.

Edinburgh’s distinctive terrain – all of those hills! – is a product of volcanic activity and glaciation millions of years ago. As its name suggests, Castle Rock is a tall volcanic rock, an ideal natural strong point upon which Edinburgh Castle was built in the 12th century. Across town, Arthur’s Seat is the remains of an ancient volcano, while Calton Hill is a product of glacial erosion.

img_20191011_150810448_hdr — Arthur’s Seat, as seen from Calton Hill.

If you couldn’t tell from the picture to text ratio in this post, Edinburgh is a very photographic city, with a lot of charm. Since I spent this visit soaking up the scenery and wandering through the streets, my next visit – whenever it is – will be more history-focused. I’m already looking forward to visiting Edinburgh Castle and the National Museum of Scotland!