The rain mostly held off so we tried to see as much as we could. Here are a few pics and notes from a ramble round Auld Reekie.
We walked 11 miles in total. Edinburgh city centre is easy enough to walk on foot, with trams and buses if you need them.
Not a great shot but the start of our day. It’s taken from the Forth Rail Bridge with the Forth Road Bridge and newish Queensferry crossing beyond.
He’s not so widely read these days but was a serious bestseller in the past and his quotes and verse adorn Waverley station.
Edinburgh is built on hills with bridges spanning between them. So the closes between are steep climbs. It’s the kind of city with hidden bits everywhere. Keeps you fit too.
This is Watt, immortalised in marble in the Scottish Museum. He did his best work in the Midlands of course, but no mention of that here 😉
We didn’t indulge but saw a number of chippies offering this infamous snack.
This is West Bow, and it must be one of the city’s most photographed streets. It leads from close to the Royal Mile to Grassmarket in the shadow of the castle. You may recognise it from Rebus, Jackson Brodie and I think the film One Day.
This close leads down from a section of the Royal Mile that’s crammed with whisky shops. And those street performers who are sprayed in silver paint and only move when holding the collection plate.
That’s someone else in the pic. We started the climb and rain drifted in. It’s a great view from the top over the sea to Fife and with Holyrood and Hibs’ Easter Road in the foreground.
A quiet day without protests. Just two bored police officers. Architecturally I’m not a fan.
Sadly Edinburgh’s famous Princes Street is, like many other high streets, suffering. Jenner’s department store and many other units are empty. But the views of the castle and Princes Street Gardens are wonderful.
A tram passes the Scott Monument as we head back to Waverley.
Finally, a message in a West Bow doorway.
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