Travel Album So sorry I didn’t update at all during our trip, it turned out that our hotel didn’t have wireless access, and dial-up would have cost us 39p per “unit” plus ₤1 connection fee. Considering the cost per “unit” was at the discretion of the hotel, determined by where the call was placed to, we didn’t want to chance the extra cost. Which saved us quite a bit of money I’m sure!

So, here are some photos of our trip. I’ll start with these few from our arrival in Edinburgh. We landed at about 10am, and had to take the AirLink bus into town, so that we could catch the Munro’s bus to Kelso. (kinda like a Greyhound company).

Here’s James on the AirLink


And a few observations on our walk from the Waverly Bridge to the bus station.


The Scott Monument


cuz there’s so many bison in Atlanta!


Here we are on the Muno’s bus




the road to Kelso


Scotland is a beautiful country


a wind farm


We did see the aquaduct bridge that was used in a scene from Harry Potter (where Harry & Ron are flying the car to school) but I didn’t get my camera up in time and we’d rounded the corner.

The bus ride is about 2 hours through lovely countryside, and rather precariously narrow streets through small villages! Kudos to the bus drivers for not killing us. ;-)

We arrived in Kelso and had to find a taxi to take us to the B&B, as Chris’ mobile phone wasn’t getting a signal up there, so when I called him for a ride, there was no answer.

Margaret, our land-lady of Goldilands B&B is a wonderful lady, always helpful, and a great breakfast cook! She drove us over to the hotel our first evening so that we could get to the rehearsal, and then drove us over on the morning of the wedding, and her husband drove us to town on Sunday after we’d checked out even! The bedrooms are small, but when all you need it for is sleeping, it works out just fine. At ₤25 each per person per night, which included tea when we arrived, and full breakfast each morning, its well worth it! I’d have paid more even. I highly recommend this B&B if you ever visit Kelso. Tell Margaret we sent you. ;-) (we did get pics of it, I just can’t find the CD at the mo, will post later)

I won’t post any of the wedding day because I forgot to get permission of the guests and bride & groom and I don’t want to piss anyone off by invading their privacy. I will find out from them later if they mind having their pics on the internet, and if no, I’ll post them then. Needless to say it was a beautiful ceremony, held outdoors in the garden of the Roxburgh hotel.



Luckily the rain held off until well into the evening reception when we were back indoors. The only drawback to the outdoor ceremony was the wind, which loosed the bride’s veil. Other than that, all in attendance agreed that it was lovely. Including the “pagan-y” portions ;-) Which were oddly not recognized traditions by most of the families. And also oddly, I didn’t fumble or cry during while performing the handfasting for them. Although my shoe heals sunk into the grass, I just removed them so I wouldn’t fall over!

The ceremony was followed by champagne and strawberries, and horse-drawn carriage rides for all. Here’s one photo for you of me and James in the carriage, with thanks to the best-man Jay, brother to the groom for taking this for us. Like my hat? :-D



After the carriage ride was lunch, which was very tasty rack of lamb. Even James ate it, which was surprising, considering how “pink” it was. He prefers charred meat.

Between lunch and the evening reception was some time to go back to the B&B where James and I sat talking with Chris’ (the groom) youngest brother Mark.

The evening reception was drinks and snacks, with a guitarist and magician as entertainment. The entertainment was followed by the groom and bride playing music from their laptop for dancing. The groom’s father drove us back to our B&B because it was pouring rain, and there we packed up to get ready to head to Edinburgh the following morning.

Graham (Margaret’s husband) drove us to town, (us being me, James, and 2 friends of the bride and groom, Katie and Claire) and then we found a taxi to take us up to Floors Castle. Of course we had our luggage with us, as there really was nowhere to store it after we’d checked out of the B&B. We got to the castle and the ladies at the front door (who take the admissions fees) asked if we were staying and they hadn’t been advised! Apparently this has happened often enough that it doesn’t phase them, the Duke of Roxburgh and his family still live in the castle. We said we’re not staying, but can we leave the luggage somewhere whilest we tour the castle and grounds. They said sure, leave it there under the table out of the way, and we paid our fees and off we went. We walked thru the public portions of the castle (no photography allowed) then went to have lunch in the restaurant. I had the game pie, which was HUGE and very yummy.

After that, we walked down the outdoor path to look at the grounds map, and decided we’ll need our jackets to stroll through the gardens and headed back to the front entrance. This is where our day gets comical. The front desk lady was all surprised to see us, apparently they’d been looking all over for us, calling round to all the employees (except obviously the restaurant) because the Duke’s butler had seen our luggage in the entryway and said this was absolutely unacceptable, and we must get our stuff and leave immediately! Hmph. But really, how many people can say they’ve been kicked out of a Scottish castle eh? *snarf*

However, when the taxi dropped us off we had asked him to return for us at 4:30. It was only 3:45 or so when we got kicked out, so we had to sit on a bench and wait. Which was fine, it was a nice day and we got some pics of the outside of the castle and dreamed of some day owning our own so we could have our personal butler kick tourists out! ;-)





The taxi showed up right on time, then took us back to town where we caught the Munro’s bus back up to Edinburgh. We were all quite exhausted so decided to just meet up the following morning to tour the next castle, and see if we can’t get kicked out of another. ;-)

Edinburgh Castle is absolutely HUGE. Its more of a small village than a single castle, and only one resident, the Governor of Edinburgh Castle. So, no luck in getting kicked out, his private residence is not open to the public. ;-)

This cross is outside the castle, in the parking lot (car park as they say in the UK)


and here’s me, just inside the castle walls, waiting for the next guided tour to start.


This here is called “The Lang Stair” or, long stair


And this is the Oldest remaining building in all of Edinburgh, Mary’s Chapel, built in 1096.


the most interesting places for me were the Great Hall


and the war prisons




and the Soldier’s Dog’s cemetery


Here’s a view of the rooftops of Edinburgh, looking down the barrel of a canon


And this is the old castle hospital, which was last used during World War II where they housed and cared for injured prisoners of war, if I remember correctly.


There are 5 gift shops within the castle grounds, all of which caught us for something. Especially the Castle Bookshop where we spent over ₤70! Well worth it though, as these are books we’d not likely find in North America.

We finished up our tour and said good evening to Katie and Claire, so that James and I could go meet up with our internet friend Elizabeth. We met her at the pub Rose Street Brewery. Unfortunately my one memory card was used up, and my spare for some reason decided it didn’t want to work, so the pictures we took were lost. There was a good one of me eating my haggis, and of course a pic of the 3 of us that the waitress took. sigh so now there’s no proof that I actually tried, and liked! the haggis! Oh well, we’ll have to go back. Hopefully we’ll be able to meet up with ‘Liz again sometime, either here or there.

The next day James and I picked up our Edinburgh Pass at the Princess Street tourist centre, then started planning our touristy adventures. There is seriously waaaaaaaay too much to see and do in Edinburgh, but the pass does help out extremely well in saving some money. We got the 3 day pass, and with all the sights we saw, half way thru day 2 both passes were more than paid for.

First stop was the Edinburgh Dungeon. A blissfully cheesy tour of the seedier and darker side to Edinburgh’s history. We go underground for a guided “tour” with costumed actors, starting out with The Judge, who accused me of witchcraft and dancing naked and conjuring a man. Not far from the truth really! ;-) Another accused tourist was a Russian man who was accused of cross dressing, and when he was put into the prisoner box, his wife had to shout out translations to him from the benches. LOL!

We also had a “boat” cruise underground to search for vampires; or as they were called “Bobhan Sidh” (spelling?). Plus I got to assist with an autopsy, and the body was supplied by none other than the notorious Burke & Hare. We also met cannibal Sawney Bean in his cave. The tour is meant to be scary, but its really quite funny. To those of us who are de-sensitised by horror movies and goth clubs that is. ;-)

After the dungeon we took a city transit (Lothian) bus to Lauriston Castle. (Lothian bus passes are included with the Edinburgh Pass).

This is the view as you walk up the drive, thru a canopy of trees


The left most portion of the castle is the original tower built in the 1590s, then added on to over the centuries, mostly in the 1800s.


The last private owners were Mr and Mrs William Robert Reid, who lived there from 1902 to 1926. When Mrs. Reid died in 1926 she left the castle to Scotland because she and her husband had no children, with the stipulation that everything in it be left as it was. The interiors are a snapshot of the early 1900s, and very very interesting. The bathroom particularly is enviable!

The surrounding gardens are gorgeous and the view across the Firth is lovely. On a clear day. Unfortunately, it was a bit misty over the water, so I won’t post those photos ;-)



(I don’t know what happened to my memory card on this day, but I somehow managed to get double exposures!)






After we toured the house, with a very knowledgeable guide, we got back on the bus to the city centre, returned to our hotel room (Thistle Hotel) and snoozed for a while to wait for Katie to call as we were to meet her and Claire at a pub somewhere. She called just after 9, and we headed out to the Sandy Bell’s, a wee pub just off the Royal Mile where they have live traditional music every night. The piper that evening was obviously still learning, I think he must have killed at least 6 cats in just 10 or so minutes, before the barman himself took up the pipes and played a tune, much to our pleasure! There was also a fiddler and some great beer.

The girls were flying home the following morning, so we only stayed til about 11pm. All in all, a very busy day. We slept in the following morning.

Armed with a vague plan on what to see we headed up to the Royal Mile (which, I believe, is slightly more than a mile to today’s measurement, but it’s the road leading down from the castle to Holyroodhouse palace at the other end).

Here’s a picture of Mercat’s Cross (the market cross) which is where they used to nail people in the middle ages and into the 1700 who’d been charged with various crimes, ranging from thievery, lying, and witchcraft. Today it is topped by a cow in “braveheart” costume and blue facepaint. Much to the confusion of Edinburgers! No one we asked has any clue why it was put there, just days ago.





This is a view of the town council building, across from Mercat cross


Our first tourist trap for the day was 3D Lock Ness, another blissfully cheesy trap wherein you put on 3D glasses and headphones to watch and listen to some “scientist” go on about the proof of the Loch Ness monster. ;-)



After that, we joined up with a Mercat tour of the Vaults. These “vaults” were re-discovered under the streets of Edinburgh in the 80s and 90s, and thus another tourist trap was born! Its very interesting tho, people used to live and work there because the city was so overcrowded. There was no more room to build out or up, so they built under.



Here’s an example of how close together the “tenement” buildings were/are in Edinburgh. The alley-ways between the buildings are called “closes”. Most are given names after something or someone of the history of Edinburgh.



We also toured a bunch of the shops along the mile. Up and down probably twice! ;-)

From there we decided we were hungry and headed to a cafe called The Hub. With our Edinburgh pass we received a discount on our bill, which saved us a further ₤8 and change for the day. I’d highly recommend this pass to anyone planning a trip to Edinburgh!

Here’s our plates. I had the grilled halibut with, I believe it was hollandaise sauce, and James had the steak with sausage and bacon plate.





On this day in particular my digital camera went thru 3 sets of batteries. Whether this was because I got a bad batch at SuperDrug, or I had a ghost on my shoulder the entire day (one set lasted all of 5 minutes!) we don’t know, but I have no pictures of our evening tour of Greyfriars cemetery because I had no batteries left. We did experience something while there. I had someone or something breathing/blowing on the side of my neck. There was noone there within reach, and James was facing the other direction, nowhere near my neck. James said he also felt someone or something playing with his ear around the same time. Thankfully no one on our tour was attacked, which has apparently happened before. People have been pushed, and scratched and one woman claimed to have been near suffocated, with some unseen hand over her mouth and nose while it pinned her against a wall. *sigh* All I got was heavy breathing. ;-)

On our third day using the Edinburgh pass (5th day in Edinburgh) we started out by touring Camera Obscura, http://brightbytes.com/cosite/2edinb.html which, other than the Castle, is Edinburgh’s oldest tourist attraction.

Here’s a view of the Royal Mile, Castle Hill from the top of the observation tower


Now, during our travels of the city, several times tour guides and friends mentioned the ancient call of “Gardy Loo!”, which of course during the middle ages and likely well into the late 1700s was used to warn people below that you’re about to toss the contents of your chamber pot into the street! Now you can’t read this very clearly, but here’s yet another commemorative plaque about the ancient cry. *snarf*



A view of Edinburgh from the top of Camera Obscura


We walked around some more, poking into corners and closes just waiting til evening when we had planned to join another ghost tour.

Here’s a picture of a door frame in another close, leading toward the Writer’s Museum (which sadly we didn’t find until too late in the day, it had already closed)


And a lament left on the step of the Mercat Cross


This is in the courtyard/quad of the town council building. I have no idea the significance of these cows in Edinburgh, but there are a few of them.



closer view


and closer still


Well, that’s about all the pics for now. I think there may still be more on my camera that I need to upload, and of course the 8 or 9 rolls that James took! We had 8 rolls processed in Edinburgh on our last day, and put on CD so that we wouldn’t lose any to the x-ray machine. 8 rolls of film put on CD cost us just over ₤28!

Our last evening in Edinburgh was spent on a Witchery Tour, lead by our guide, Alexander Clapperton (deceased). Then we returned to our hotel to get all packed up, because we had to be up to get to the airport at the ungodly hour of 5:45. Our flight was at 9:10. We had a connection in Newark, NJ and we finally landed in Charlotte at around 4:55. We picked up the dogs at the kennel at 6pm and we had pizza for dinner. We wre both crashed on our couches by 9pm. So there you have it. The (believe it or not) Reader’s Digest condensed version of our adventures in Scotland.

We’ll be going back some day, perhaps for a visit, perhaps to live. We haven’t decided yet. ;-)  ¶ 3:16 PM