Where in the World?

Our last day in Scotland was spent in Edinburgh. It was a day of fulfilling curiosities and exploring places we didn’t see on the first day there. After another bus ride we exited onto Princes St. near Edinburgh Castle. A short walk brought us to the The National Gallery of Scotland. We spent a couple of hours touring the gallery rooms. It was a wonderful time in an impressive museum.As we walked up to the Royal Mile again, we decided to explore one of the closes (alleyways). Once at the top of the steep set of steps, we happened upon the The Writer’s Museum. The museum has displays devoted to Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. It was quite interesting and I highly recommend it.

From Lady Stair’s Close, we walked onto the Royal Mile and turned east. We wanted to explore St. Giles Cathedral. Surprisingly, we found many hidden gems here. They have an enormous pipe organ that stands almost 40 feet high and cost 1M British Pounds (almost $2M U.S. at today’s exchange rates). It is shaped like a sailing boat with sails and a deck and was very impressive. Another curious artifact in the church was a document (one of seven) dated from 1638 that in summary discusses separation of church and state. It also makes it clear to the king at the time (King Charles I) that he didn’t have the right to tell the people how they should worship. Seven copies were signed and delivered to major cities all over Scotland. According to one of the guides, this document was used by Thomas Jefferson to craft the Declaration of Independence. Fascinating! I need to do some more research into this area.

After St. Giles, we viewed a 3D “documentary” in the Loch Ness Discovery Center. I was left wanting much more at the end, but at least we tried. Exploring is all about trying new things and seeing what you like.

We ate lunch at Deacon Brodie’s. Apparently Mr. Brodie led a double life in the 18th century; a skilled woodworker during the day and burglar at night. It is thought that he was Robert Louis Stevenson’s inspiration for the book, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. He was eventually caught, found guilty and executed in the late 1700’s. We ate in what was once his woodworking shop.

Next stop was the Brass Rubbing Center where we all took a break from walking and did a rubbing. It was fun to do, but much harder than it looks. The Center has many choices in a variety of sizes to choose from. It’s fun for the whole family.

Nearing the end of our day, we had our requisite latte and scone. Another short walk took us to the end of The Royal Mile and the Scottish Parliament building which was surprisingly modern in the midst of all the historical buildings located in the old town section of Edinburgh. A long walk back up the hill to Edinburgh Castle and a steep climb down to the bus stop ended our tour of Scotland.

I love to explore which is fueled by a hefty dose of curiosity. The best way for me is to pick a general direction and wander into things. That was our final day in Scotland and it was fitting end to a wonderful trip.

Michael