Join Me in My Travels: Edinburgh, Scotland!

Hello Steemians!

Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to visit Scotland. Maybe it was the accents that I’d only heard in movies, or perhaps it was all the pictures on the internet of vast fields, and amazing views. Don’t even get me started on the architecture! If you hadn’t already guessed, I kind of have a ‘thing’ for ancient, creepy-looking buildings. The older the building, the more interested I become.

So, when I got the chance to discover Scotland, I was beyond thrilled. Now, I am beyond excited to share my experience in Edinburgh, Scotland with you!

First thing to know about Edinburgh is that is a very compact city, and the capital of Scotland. This city has a medieval Old Town, and an elegant Georgian New Town encompassing beautiful gardens, and neoclassical buildings. A truly magnificent destination.

Looming high up on a cliff, over the city, is the Edinburgh Castle. This is where Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny sits. If you didn’t already know, the Stone of Destiny was used in the coronation of Scottish rulers!

The Castle (aka, Castle Rock) was built over 700 years ago upon massive rocks, which were part of an ancient extinct volcano! Through the ages, Castle Rock has been used as a royal residence, a prison, and an army garrison. It is the most significant castle in Scotland, probably because it has been at the center of numerous wars, having been both attacked and besieged many times. Now it is a nationwide monument, gallery, and tourist attraction. Below is the Castle from another view:

Many dark, creepy dungeons exist at Edinburgh Castle, where prisoners have been locked up and forgotten. Some of these cellars, you can still enter as a tourist with a tour group. One very deep, nasty prison-pit is concealed below the floor of King James’ birth chamber. No one knows who may have been thrown down there, or for how long prisoners were left.

Below is a picture of one of the prison rooms:

The top of Calton Hill is a quiet place to come on any day, with its grassy slopes and panoramic views of the city, this is a definite MUST see. Bring your camera, ensure that it is fully charged and enjoy!! I have even seen locals come up to Calton Hill to catch up on some book reading.

Calton Hill is easily accessible. It takes only five minutes to get to the top of the hill from a staircase at Regent Road on the South side, Royal Terrace on the North side, or you can drive up and park. I put on my hiking shoes, and just walked. Note: You don’t need hiking shoes to do this walk. It is just a bunch of stairs, and some grass. And it is definitely not a long walk.

This is one of Scotland's famous monuments (See picture below), and is one of the most striking monuments. It was inspired by the Parthenon in Athens, and was intended to memorialize the Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars. However, it was never completed leaving just the twelve columns you see today.

The Witchery restaurant is right down the road from the Castle. It is quite famous for its delicious food, although somewhat pricy, however I have heard great things! Now, unfortunately I cannot speak from experience, as the restaurant was too full so I didn’t get a chance to eat there. (Although I did sneak inside to take a few pictures during the off-hours... I say 'sneaked' but I did ask, OK?) Apparently they book up months in advance. A three-course set menu is £36 all day, everyday. And a two-course lunch special is £19.95. Definitely a top spot for a romantic dinner. Book in advance!

Below is another view of the Witchery:

This street reminds many people of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. I was told that this is where J. K. Rowling got her idea for her books.

This was taken on my walk towards the Edinburgh Castle... I immediately recognized the song he was playing... For those of you who watched the TV Show, Outlander, you might remember the theme song. He was playing THAT song. I was in love, so I had to take this shot.

Thank you to everyone who read through my whole post! Please comment & let me know your thoughts! It brings me such joy hearing from my Steemian friends.

Best wishes to all of you,

Stephanie
xox