Our Edinburgh Air BnB was in the Dean’s Village, a bit outside of the old town of Edinburgh. We’re in a valley by a small bridge with a lovely view. Many tourists walk down to Dean’s Village to take photos from the bridge over the Water of Leith, a lovely narrow creek here that later becomes the River of Leith before feeding into the Firth of Forth. There are lovely green walkways along the Water of Leith. Twice during our stay, we walked along the waters up to Stockbridge, another residential suburb of Edinburg, where we enjoyed a busy Sunday Market and a bite to eat. The only downside to the Dean’s Village was the long climb up from the valley floor and the distance from there to the center of Edinburgh. A more central position, closer to the Royal Mile, would have made exploring Edinburgh much easier.
The Royal Mile is the center of the city, a mile long walk from Holyrood Palace at the bottom and gradually uphill to the Castle of Edinburgh.
Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland since the 16th century, is still used for state occasions and official entertaining. There’s a rich history here, including the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, mother to James VI of Scotland who became James I of England and Scotland in 1603 when Elizabeth I died. King Charles III spends a week here each year in the early summer. It’s open for visitors year-round, except when the royals are in residence, but we chose to skip the steep entrance fee and view Holyrood from the grounds.
Walking the Royal Mile: It’s a gentle uphill climb, mostly on cobblestones, seemingly pedestrian, but often disturbed by vehicles. It is lined with restaurants, pubs, churches, souvenir shops and attractions. Clothing shops of all kinds feature Scottish wool, especially a wide variety of tartans, the variations of plaid patterns associated with the historical clans. Some even offer a full outfit, including a man’s kilt and sporran.
Edinburgh is always busy and full of people. We had deliberately postponed our visit, hoping to avoid the crowds and the high prices of August during the world-famous FRINGE Festival. We saved a few bucks living in the Dean’s Village, but all of Edinburgh still seemed crowded to us. At the castle gates, we spoke with workers still cleaning up after the Fringe crowds. They assured us that this was less crowded than during August. “At least now,” one said, “we can actually see the cobblestones through the crowds.”
Edinburgh Castle, a large medieval fortress, sits atop a volcanic eruption known as Castle Rock. Protected on three sides by steep cliffs, it can only be approached easily by the Royal Mile. From the castle sitting high above, you can see all around the city and even north up to the Firth of Forth. As Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh Castle has been crucial to its history. The castle has been under siege and control has shifted hands during the Scottish wars of independence that began around 1286. Since the union of Scotland with England, it’s been used as a prison and a military base.
Today most of the castle is available to tourists, but the military are still here. Visitors can view “The Honors of Scotland,” Scotland’s crown jewels, which are even older than the Crown Jewels of England. The Castle also features the Royal Palace, Saint Margaret’s Chapel, the Military Barracks, some still in use, and the National War Museum of Scotland.
Museums: We visited a just a few of the many museums in Edinburgh: The National Museum of Scotland focuses on Scottish history and culture. National Gallery of Scotland, in a beautiful neoclassical building, houses Scotland’s national art collection from the Renaissance through the 19th century.
And of course we joined a Literary Pub Crawl to visit sites associated with famous Scottish writers: Robert Burns – known as Rabbie –– the great Scottish poet who wrote often in the Scots vernacular: Sir Walter Scott known as the originator of the historical novel, well-known for Waverly, Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, and so many others: and Robert Lewis Stephenson known for Kidnapped, Treasure Island, and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Our two hosts recited a lot, especially from the poems of Rabbie Burns, featuring the Scots language. The language is so wonderfully beautiful that we enjoyed it even without understanding it. To their credit, our hosts provided sufficient translation in English.
Re-Reading Sir Walter Scott: Scotland is very proud of its literary heroes, chief among them: the poet Robert Burns, and novelist Sir Walter Scott, the prolific creator of the historical novel. Years ago, I had read Ivanhoe, a medieval romance novel, and Rob Roy, about the Jacobite Scottish outlaw from the early eighteenth century – but at that point, I wasn’t a fan.
When I pursued my Doctor of Arts (DA) in English, the process involved a three-part examination based on materials selected in conjunction with my mentors: (1) on teaching composition, (2) on Renaissance English Drama, and (3) on the English Novel. For part three, I studied 25 titles representing the English Novel from the 18th through the 20th Centuries. Of course, Walter Scott was on this list, as Prof. Donovan named The Heart of Midlothian. I was a diligent student, but as the exam approached there was only one of the 25 novels that I never actually read – The Heart of Midlothian. Happily, I passed the exam, earning praise for my work, even though I never mentioned Scott’s novel.
But now in Scotland, under the spell of this beautiful country and the compelling romance of its culture, I revisited this gap in my assigned reading. As I read The Heart of Midlothian, learning about the Porteous Riots in 1736 and the fictional struggle of Jeannie Deans to save her sister’s life, I came to appreciate Scott’s writing. Critics have suggested that this is the best of Scott’s novels. I also re-read Rob Roy, Scott’s story that makes the Highland Outlaw Rob Roy McGregor into a kind of Robin Hood figure. Both titles helped me to better appreciate the tensions between the Scots and their English rulers, the Highland Jacobites and their lowland counterparts. Scott’s version is reflected in the 1995 film Rob Roy, starring Liam Neeson.
The Scotch Whisky Experience: It’s right along the Royal mile, just below Edinburgh Castle, so if you have any interest in whisky, particularly Scotch whisky, you must visit and take the tour. We learned how whisky is made, and about the five whisky regions in Scotland, and we could taste and compare the different styles. We were amazed at the huge “Scotch Whisky Cellar” that seems to feature a bottle of every Scotch whisky ever distilled over the years.
The Highland Games in Pitlochry was a day-trip from Edinburgh: Saturday 9/9
An early train from Edinburgh brought us to Pitlochry to see the Highland Games in person. Spectators lined the main road through town for the parade. Groups Participants from all over Scotland were here to compete. We lost track of how many Pipe and Drum Bands walked the parade. Members wore traditional Highland garb, each with distinct tartans, men and boys wearing kilts, lots of bagpipes and drums to make the music, playing “Amazing Grace” or “Scotland the Brave.” Spectators cheered on their favorite groups. In this first competition of the “Games,” one group would be judged the best band. When the parade passed, we all followed them out to the fields.
Events at the Higland Games: It’s amazing how many events were held, simultaneously, in different parts of the large field.
- Track & Field: The usual T&F events, lots of footraces, short and long, for different ages and distances, the long jump, the high jump, pole vault. They even had bicycle races.
- Music Competition: Awards were given to the fife and drum bands. There were also individual competitions for bagpipe players. We enjoyed watching young girls in Scottish costumes dancing to the music of the bagpipes.
- The Heavy Events: The traditional Scottish athletic events are for big, burly men. Some events are similar to regular T&F events, but the weights are much heavier. There’s a Stone Put, like the shot put, but heavier (16-20lb for men). There’s a Scottish version of the Hammer Throw, again, heavier. Then there’s a Weight Throw for distance (28lb for men, 14lb for women). The Weight over the Bar Throw, with one arm, toss a 56lb weight over a bar. And of course, there’s the Caber Throw, where one man must lift, run and then toss a very tall and heavy tree truck.
- Toward the end of the day was another fun highlight, watching teams of burly men engage in the great Tug of War.
No visit to Scotland can be complete without the Highland Games. This was a great fun, and a glimpse of traditional Scottish culture.
