Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle

On Saturday we caught the train down to Edinburgh to visit the castle, Greyfriars Kirk, and other attractions. First we walked from the station to Edinburgh castle, situated grandly on a hill overlooking all of the city and the surrounding countryside. We went on a short tour of the castle that introduced us to many of the buildings, before watching a performance of obscure medieval and renaissance instruments, including the hurdy gurdy, a 1000 year old string instrument that could play melody, harmony and rhythm simultaneously.

Hurdy Gurdy

Next we saw the Crown Jewels of Scotland, the second oldest on Earth. After Charles I's execution, and England's transition into a Republic, the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell ordered the destruction of all Britain's Regalia. However, Scotland's survived, smuggled out from Dunottar castle to a parish church where they were hidden.

Greyfriar's Bobby

After Edinburgh castle we walked down to Greyfriar's Kirk, by request of Lydia, to visit the grave of Greyfriar's Bobby, a Skye Terrier famous for supposedly sitting beside his master's grave for 14 years. However, a more recent theory says that the dog was more likely a random stray who lived at the graveyard because of all the food and attention. Also, the original Bobby probably died 4 years before his "death" being replaced by a younger dog, thus explaining his longevity.
Afterwards I visited a fossil shop and bought a prehistoric whale tooth. On the way back to the station we visited the cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter, and stopped at a carousel for Lydia, arriving at the station just as it began to get dark.