From Calton Hill
8/3-4/2023: Pam, Jim, Marg and Rod land in Scotland on the 3rd. Tired but happy to be here. We have all day on the 4th to discover Edinburgh. On the 5th, we will meet up with our National Geographic group and begin our hiking adventure in Scotland. But first, Edinburgh. I think Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful and peaceful cities I have ever visited. The history is amazing, and some of the buildings are older than our country. Just amazing!
The best writeups of the trip were Marg’s notes. I was lazy on the trip and relegated myself to being the photographer.
And here is the full itinerary from National Geographic.
Marg’s Notes:
Aug 2: Last minute chores & packing. Headed out to pick up Jim & Pam ~2:45. Took over an hour to get to the airport! British Airways had a software issue (?) and our seats got changed, but Rod got it sorted out at the counter, so we got the Exit Row! Took off ~7:30 pm or so.
Aug 3: We had a good flight! No issues 😊. Actually slept pretty well! In Heathrow we cleared immigration, then sat around a bit. Our flight was delayed quite a while as 2 people had checked in & not shown up! I fell asleep as we sat waiting in the plane. In Edinburgh no customs! Just got our bags & exited. Couldn’t get a signal for Uber, so took a taxi to Bruntsfield Hotel. Got all checked in!
Dinner at The Black Ivy. Beer, chicken bites, wings, fries.
Aug 4: Fell asleep pretty fast, but woke up in the middle of the night ☹. Set alarm for 6:45am so we could eat @7:00. Hard to wake up! (Showered las night) Great continental breakfast! Headed out to town ~9:15. Walked to get the Hop on, Hop off tour bus. Sat up top, outside. Weather was nice. Rode the bus around the loop ~ 1 hour. Great ride! Got off at Calton Hill, walked up to the Nelson Monument & other structures. Great views! Sat & rested awhile, then headed down & back to find lunch! Had Fish & Chips @ biblos. Huge meal & good! Took a rest back at the hotel. Then, Rod & I went on a scotch quest. ~2 mile walk all told. We did not have any luck @ Lidl store, but a great exploration. Walked down a lane called Coffin Lane next to a very old Graveyard. Also saw a pretty canal. No one was hungry after our huge lunch so Rod, Pam & I went out to find a grocery store. Rod got scotch at Sainsbury, girls got wine.
[Bought] Cheese, crackers & grapes @ the coop store. Nice dinner. I (Marg) took a bath!
Created: 2023