Scotland 2019 part 3 ~ A day in Edinburgh

No visit to Scotland would be complete without at least one day in Edinburgh, but if possible more actually be much better.

It was a day of with lots of walking in Scotland's compact, hilly capital with its medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town, beautiful gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny which was used centuries in the past for the coronation of Scottish Kings. Arthur’s Seat an imposing peak in Holyrood Park has sweeping views of Calton Hill topped with monuments and memorials. A beautiful city packed with traditional Scottish culture and lots of foreign tourists, who I am sure would be equally overwhelmed by all of Edinburgh’s splendour.

We started our day in picturesque Dean Village. Formerly known as the "Water of Leith Village", it was the centre of a successful grain milling area for more than 800 years. At one time there were no fewer than eleven working mills there, driven by the strong currents of the Water of Leith. Today it is quiet, tranquil with a feeling of being miles away from the normal bustle of Edinburgh, yet it lies just ten minutes from the end of the city’s main shopping district, Princes Street.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the Queen in Scotland.

The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It is the second largest monument to a writer in the world after the José Martí monument in Havana.

The Heart of Midlothian is a heart-shaped mosaic, formed in coloured granite cobbles, built into the pavement near the West Door of St Giles High Kirk in the High Street section of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

It is traditional when passing to spit on the Heart of Midlothian which supposedly brings good luck. It is a custom which goes back several hundred years, originally done as a sign of disdain rather than luck. The heart marks the entrance to the now-demolished Old Tolbooth prison, which was where Edinburgh’s public executions took place. It is thought that locals would spit on prisoners as they were led from the prison entrance to the gallows to show their disgust.

A statue to Greyfriars Bobby near to Greyfriars Pub ~ Bobby a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died himself on 14 January 1872.

Next ~ Scotland 2019 part 4 ~ "The Motherwell game" 

Scotland 2019 part 2 ~ The Shore

Within my family “The Shore” as it was sometimes referred to is Blairmore. It is a very small village located on the Cowal Peninsula within the boundaries of Argyll and Bute and lies in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.

It has been home to some of my father’s family since before WWI. My great grandparents Hugh Wright (3 June 1859 ~ 23 June 1953) and Janet Strath (8 November 1964 ~ 3 August 1937), originally moved there and bought a house named Gowan Brae which looked onto marvellous views of Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde. Soon they were followed to Blairmore by one of their daughter's Janet Strath Wright.

We spent a few great days there, sharing our time with three of my dad’s cousins, May 85, Jenny 89 and Jean 99. It was a joy to be in their company listening to stories about my great-grandparents and recollections of life on the shore from decades in the past.

We stayed at May’s house which like Gowan Brae has magnificent views from a large front window of Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde. We saw Royal Navy ships, including submarine trials and also MS Queen Elizabeth the cruise ship of the Vista class operated by the Cunard Line, which was docked at Greenock before sailing over to Dublin.

Going to Blairmore, we took the Western Ferry “Sound of Scarba” over to Dunoon. Coming back we drove the scenic route over land via The Rest and Be Thankful, Arrochar (Loch Long) , Loch Lomond (Luss) and on into Glasgow.

The Rest and Be Thankful is a pass on the A83 and is just over 800ft above sea level which divides Glen Kinglas from Glen Croe. On top is a viewpoint with beautiful views in Glen Croe where you can clearly see the old valley road which was engineered by General Wade during the subjection of Scotland following the Jacobite rebellion. A stone can be seen, which was erected to commemorate the completion of this military road in 1750. The new road (A83) is often subjected to landslides during heavy rains, resulting in lengthy detours.

“Sound of Scarba” heading to Dunoon from Gourock

My great grandparents house "Gowan Brae", now known as "The Wheelhouse"

Blairmore Library

Ardentinny located 4 miles along the shore from Blairmore ~ 

A heilin Coo, or for the uneducated ~ Highland Cattle

The Rest and Be Thankful ~ 

The Cobbler at Arrochar ~ 

The village of Luss and Ben Lomond at Loch Lomond ~ 

Next ~ Scotland 2019 part 3 ~ "A day in Edinburgh"