Edinburgh

Thursday, 17 June

The sun was shining when we set out this morning, promising one of the best days since arriving in Europe; we strolled along Princes Street past the Scott Monument and turned off to Charlotte Square a square lined with a series of Georgian Houses around a park. In 1766 a young architect James Craig won a competition to design the street plan for the New Town. The building of New Town took over fifty years to complete and Charlotte Square was one of the best addresses in Edinburgh when completed. Number 7 is a National Trust property and open to the public, the interior has been restored and furnished as it would have been when the original owner, John Lamont, moved in to the house in 1796.

At the start of our visit we watched a fifteen minute video of a re-enactment of life in the late 1700s, filmed in the house and the square and made our visit to each room more interesting as we could visualise the family living there.

From the house we walked back to the Princes Street gardens and sat in the sun surrounded by green lawns, trees and gardens and near the Ross fountain, watched over by the Castle, many other people also had the same idea.

It was only a short walk to the National Gallery of Scotland to view the large collection of paintings, sculptures, clocks and other art works. The collection included amongst others, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Constable, Van Gough and other impressionists, and many early Italian, Flemish, English and Dutch Masters and as would be expected a large collection of Scottish artists. The gallery is very people friendly with large rooms, carpeted floors and seats for the visitors to contemplate an art work or just rest.

After spending time in relatively flat European countries for five weeks we have been reminded how hilly Edinburgh is and we have seemed to be walking up and down hills since arriving. From the Gallery to the Castle was no exception walking up The Mound, an aptly named street and into Lawnmarket, we looked at the front of the Castle, or would have if all the grand stands for the Tattoo in August hadn’t been erected. It takes three months to put them up and another three to dismantle them but after we walked under the set of stands at the end of the square we could see the main gate leading into the Castle from which all the participants in the Tattoo emerge. As we have visited the Castle before we just walked through the main gate to view the town from the ramparts.

Along Lawnmarket from the Castle is another National Trust Property, Gladstone’s Land, the home of a prosperous merchant in the 17^th Century, who after purchasing the building added two shops to the front and built extra floors on top which he rented out. The old part of the building is furnished as it would have been when Gladstone purchased it and the additions are furnished in the style of the day, quite a difference and no where near as grand as Charlotte Square.

Yesterday when we visited Mary King’s Close, in the book shop was a book about Dr Who’s visit to the close. Walking down the Royal Mile to return to the hostel we noticed that he was back in town, for just below St Gile’s Cathedral the Tardus was parked on the footpath but we couldn’t spot the good Doctor in the crowd at the top of Northbridge which was blocked off with police tapes right across the street and also at the Princes St end, obviously he was on official duties.

Tomorrow we collect a car to continue our travels in Scotland and today is probably the last of our seven to eight hour walking tours.