Accommodation – Dunedin House, Edinburgh
Weather – overcast
Temperature – mid teens
It was a big day today playing tourists in Edinburgh. We took the ‘hop on hop off bus’ which
included entry to the three major attractions – The Royal Yacht,
Britannia; Edinburgh Castle; and Holyrood House.
The day was clear so we sat up on top of the bus taking in
this lovely city…..the birthplace of Robert Louis Stevenson, home of Sean
Connery and the formal Scottish residence of the Queen. At the moment it is very busy with all the
festivals and the queue was a long one when we arrived at the Britannia. Fortunately, with a two day pass it gives you
priority entry to the attraction so we were soon on board.
The Royal Yacht was a very interesting visit and it
certainly gives you an idea of times gone by.
The Britannia was commissioned in 1953 and is the last yacht of
eighty-three since 1660. It was formally
decommissioned in 1997.
The Admiral....with the Firth of Forth and the Kingdom of Fife in the background.
Built in 1953 - like someone else I know!
The Queen's bedroom....a single bed adjoining Prince Phillip's bedroom by a doorway. The Queen assisted in the design of the yacht.
The plush dining area where many famous dignitaries have been entertained.
The sitting room....this was my favourite.
We couldn’t let a visit to the yacht go by without lunch on
the top deck. Coronation sandwiches,
scones and a cup of tea were enjoyed with views over the Firth of Forth and the
Kingdom of Fife in the distance.
Back on the bus we headed to Holyrood House. This was our history lesson for the day and
in particular the Scottish kings, James I of Scotland and Mary, Queen of
Scots. It really was a special moment
standing in the bed chamber of the late queen.
The furnishings are intact and the intricate detail on the bedding and
poster bed is exquisitely done with peacock coloured threads on silk. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed and the
gift shop had very few photographs of the interior to take home as a
memento.
The old abbey at Holyrood has been in ruins for many
centuries. It was first built in 1158 by
King David I and constructed in three stages. In 1688 it was badly damaged by fire and by
the end of the 17th century the roof had collapsed. The abbey is very large with many old
engraved stones in the floor.
A rainy afternoon was spent walking through Holyrood House, the abbey and the gardens where Queen Elizabeth holds her annual garden party.
When we had set out in the morning we knew we wouldn’t be
back until very late as we were going to the Edinburgh Tattoo. After Holyrood House we put in our time
walking the streets and popping in and out of shops….Edinburgh is a tartan
explosion at the moment and with tourists everywhere! Grassmarket, part of the old city, was as
busy as the Royal Mile. The street
performers were in full swing and large crowds gathered around the most popular
up the Royal Mile – the street that joins Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood House.
I would hate to estimate how many pamphlets have been produced to advertise the productions here. This is one of many on the Royal Mile.
The organisation of the Tattoo is an impeccable production -
from gaining entry to the smoothness of
the performance changeovers. For two
hours we were mesmerised with the massed piped band, Scottish dancers, zulu
warriors, maori haka group and the precision marching from Singapore. Of course, it would not be a Tattoo without Scotland
the Brave and Auld Lang Syne. The
Belgium lady next to me was unsure what to do with her arms during the singing
but after a quick lesson she was in full swing.
It was a magical night.
A night that won't be forgotten! With our fantastic seats we could see the performers entering the area from the castle.
Just as we were leaving it started to sprinkle with
rain. Fortunately, it held off until it
poured down when we put the key into the door at the guest house – the buses
had stopped so we had to walk two miles home.
We need the exercise anyway…..too much food, wine and good cheer and I’m
developing a holiday bulge!
The timing of our trip to Edinburgh couldn’t have been more
perfect as it’s such a happy time to be here.
No comments:
Post a Comment