TRAVEL DIARY: EDINBURGH
From York, we headed to Edinburgh, where Jack, Tim, and I spent three days and two nights at my cousin Connie’s place. Our visit was more about catching up and reminiscing than sightseeing. Last time I saw her was in 2016 with her late husband Rick, who drove us around Scotland.…from Glasgow, to the Highlands, to Lochness to the haunted (or is it?) Tulloch Castle.
This time we just sat around her place, chatting until late into the night.
Early the next day, Connie drove us to the Duddingston Loch which was a special place for her and the kids, when they were still toddlers.
According to a signage on the banks: “The rocky crags of the Park are the remains of a volcano that erupted into a tropical landscape 350 million years ago. People first came to the Park about 9000 years ago, using it firstly for hunting, and later for farming, defensive, industrial and religious purposes.”
Connie left us at the Palace of Holyroodhouse end of the Royal Mile while she went to do some errands.
We enjoyed walking along the main thoroughfare with so many interesting things to see.
Passed by the modern architecture of the Scottish Parliament.
The Book Box book exchange at Edinburgh’s Royal Mile Primary School which is a converted police box.
We explored Edinburgh’s captivating history at the Museum of Edinburgh.
This free museum is conveniently situated on the historic Royal Mile and it offers a diverse array of stories and objects from the past.
Though much of the Royal Mile is now very touristy filled with tartans, shortbread and souvenirs, it’s still packed with history.
It also has colourful cafes and restaurants with inviting seats.
As we walked down the Royal Mile, we didn’t fail to look left and right for the closes. Exploring these back alleys and side lanes, one can imagine Edinburgh in the 17th and 18th centuries.
I read somewhere that these narrow alleys are named based on their characteristics: “courts” for those leading to open courtyards, “wynds” for wider winding paths, and “closes” for gated passages to private property.
The narrow alleyways of Edinburgh are hidden gems, each with a unique story to unveil and pleasant surprises waiting at their end.
Some of the closes like this one has history written all over it. It says: Old Playhouse Close led to the theatre and hall where from 1747-1769 Famous actors, actresses, singers performed. Home’s “Douglas” was first staged here in 1756.
Chessels Court is a remarkable collection of mansion houses was built by Wright and Merchant Chessel in 1748.
Love this enclosure
St Johns Land, the University of Edinburgh in the Holyrood Campus
There is this one close that is quite impressive with its intricate metal work but I failed to find out what it’s called.
The People’s Story Museum offers a unique look into Edinburgh’s working-class people from the 18th to the late 20th century.
And yessss, another Nutcracker Christmas shop with Jack pretending to be one of the soldiers. 🤣🤣
We paused by quaint and “fun” shops along the way.
These are cute and colourful doors and public art.
The St. Giles Cathedral with all its splendour.
Exploring beyond, the Royal Mile transitions into Victoria Street’s lively blend of colorful shops and restaurants, all set along its charmingly curved slope.
Edinburgh’s rich history is beautifully reflected in its architecture. Each building, each lamppost, every sculpture tells a story of the city’s enduring heritage.
Had a late lunch at Contini, a Scottish Cafe & Restaurant situated within the Scottish National Gallery.
Passing by these sceneries before leaving Edinburgh by bus.
The next day was again a day of more catching up with my cousin, had lunch… then it was time to leave.
I am linking this post to Jo’s Monday Walk, to Natalie’s Photographing Public Art Challenge and for Xingfumama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge
This was how the weather was like when we left Edinburgh.
Enjoyed a short visit to Edinburgh, exploring its historic charm from the Holyrood House to the cobblestone streets and the hidden laneways. Catching up with my cousin made the trip even more special.
What a fabulous day, Teresa! You uncovered so many nooks and crannies in this wonderful city. It’s one of my favourites.
It is busier than usual but I find that it is still much quieter than most cities. And a mixture of old and new, that’s what I love.
Beautiful photos! You’ve captured a wonderful place and happy times. Thanks for sharing these, showing that there’s a lot more to Edinburgh than its Castle. Seems like a great time to visit, too, with its colorful foliage.
Thanks Nes. I always love going travelling during autumn. I have things planned again for autumn this year and next year. 🍁🍂
Glad you liked my walk through town.
By Gum, you packed a lot in, and found a lot of interesting nooks and crannies too.
I wanted to put it into two posts but nevermind. One is enough.
It was nice to see parts of Edinburgh we had missed. We stayed in New Town and crossed over to see Old Town at the upper end of the Royal Mile before we moved on to Dundee.
We can never see it all, there will forever be parts that we get to miss. Glad to take you along on this walk.
What a great walk along the Royal Mile! It’s many years since I was in Edinburgh and I really enjoyed seeing it again through your eyes 🙂
I really enjoyed it even though I had been there just in 2016. There were still parts that I missed to see previously.
Your photos are lovely! It looks like you managed to do more sight seeing than you originally let on at the start of your post. What a beautiful area to explore.
Well I tried to do as much as I can. It is really a great city to explore. Thanks Joanne.
Your post brought back many memories of the lovely stay I had in Edinburgh. It was about 20 years ago, so perhaps it’s changed, but the history is still shining through. I love your photos and that you focus on the history.
Thanks so much for stopping by Jennifer. It is always the history in every step that you make in Edinburgh. Glad you had this walk with me.
I’ve never visited Ediburgh. From your pics it looks well worth a visit. Lovely photographs. If we were having coffee and I asked you to share one stand out memory from the trip, what would it be?
Well, aside from spending time with family. What I love most about Edinburgh Royal Mile are the many alleyways that have surprise courtyards in the end. You don’t really have a clue what you’ll see.
We loved Edinburgh too and you’ve really done it justice and explored every nook and cranny. Glasgow really doesn’t come close. Edinburgh is just so pretty
Thank you for your PPAC contribution. I love the alleyways, the historic architecture and all the colourful art and shops.
Thanks Natalie, happy that you liked them.
Sounds like a nice visit with your cousin & a good sightseeing opportunity. I enjoyed looking at all the pictures.
Thanks Karen. Happy that you came along.
These are all beautiful photos. I LOVE the colorful buildings. So much history too.
Edinburgh is really a mixture … great place to visit! Thanks for stopping by Kirstin.
What a fun town. I hope you got a chance to sit at one of those cute cafes.
Oh yes I did. With a croissant as well.