Exploring Edinburgh

I almost ended up in Glasgow! We had boarded our little LoganAir plane resplendent with its tartan tail and excited about this next stage of travel. The condition of Sumburgh Airport was wet and cold but nothing unusual. As our flight proceeded we were informed of some possible turbulence (yes in a little plane  you do feel it!) but of a little more concern was the Pilot informing the passengers that there was heavy cloud over Edinburgh and if we couldn't get the OK to land, we would need to detour to Glasgow, refuel then try again when conditions had improved. As wonderful as Glasgow maybe, and I should add it to my list of places to visit, I just didn't want to do it today!

Fortunately we made an only slightly delayed arrival into Edinburgh. The cloud cover was infact that unusual phenomena of freezing fog. The weather here in Edinburgh is definitely colder than Lerwick, perhaps the Shetland's are more moderate due to prevailing winds though I'm not sure. Settling into my hotel located on the corner of North Bridge rd and the Royal Mile, I was ready to warm up with a hot meal and then get some rest before I begin exploring this historic city. In the world of celebrity chefs, I was ready for my bowl of Mr. (Marco Pierre) White's Pea and Ham soup with a crusty roll. It was delicious and exactly what a cold girl needed.  

I had set up an IG folder saving the posts of places I was interested in visiting while in Edinburgh and Scotland and I sat consuming my lunch and reviewed what I had identified. The central Edinburgh Cathedral of St. Giles was only just around the corner from my hotel along with The Real Mary King's Close. A Close is a narrow passageway used centuries ago running between the main streets of the city. They were often named after the activity being held there, such as Fleshmarket Close (a butchers) or notable people. Mary King was unusual in that being a woman, she was also a town burger and owned property and this was recognised with the naming of the Close. Today one can tour the 17th century remains of the housing and alleyways of Mark King's Close. It is not really underground. When the Town Elders decided they wanted a new City Hall, they acquired the buildings of Mary King's Close and given the steep incline upon which they were built, the top levels of the multi story structures were levelled for the foundations of the new building to be constructed. What it left was the intact remains of the housing levels below. One can visit the houses (really a number of rooms on different levels of the buildings) of those that lived and worked here.

There are those who lived in a single room; a bucket for the toilet in the corner of the room which was emptied only twice a day to the call of "Gardyloo" and the space lit by fish oil candles. Another is a series of rooms where a family lived and then died of the Black Plague. Another series of rooms which belonged to the City Provost - it is here that Mary Queen of Scots is said to have stayed (under arrest) for a night. Calling down through the small window she proclaimed her innocence. The locals below then spent the night yelling back at her that she was a whore, urged on no doubt by that Edinburgh resident, noted misogynist and zealot the Reverand John Knox.  

I wandered through St.Giles. It is also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh and is the principal place of worship for the Church of Scotland.  It has a steeple in the shape of a crown rather than a spire and can be clearly seen  across the city skyline as it sits approximately half way along the Royal Mile and consequently, half way up the hill towards Edinburgh Castle. It dates primarily from the late 14th Century and was extensively restored in the 19th. The pillars are meant to be the oldest part of the building dating from 1124. It is a lovely Church however I found it difficult to make a connection to it or its stories. In one area a statue of the Reverand John Knox stands. I am no fan. Renowned misogynist and chief protagonist to Mary, Queen of Scots he is an Edinburgh native. His house stands to this day on The Royal Mile. It is an interesting place to visit in its own right. I can admire the architecture just not the resident 😐

I wandered up and down the length of The Royal Mile but I was disappointed. It seemed full of stores touting Scottish Gifts (a mixed jumble of Walker shortbread biscuits, Robert the Bruce figurines and fridge magnets) or Tartan wear (every store stocked the same range of woollen scarves, expensive knitwear and accessories). However two stores stood out in contrast. Firstly the delightful Cranachan and Crowdie close to the Holyroodhouse Palace end of the Mile and Calzeat, a few stores closer to North Bridge. AW and I had done our research and Cranachan offered free gin tastings, so on our last afternoon in Edinburgh together, we visited. All the gins were very local and they eschewed the larger, more well known brands of scottish gin. We were regaled with tales of female brewers and fruity liqueurs from Lilliard’s, with AW taking home a raspberry favoured gin. Many Scottish gins are quite botanical flavoured with local herbs rather than the London Dry gin styled with juniper. The stock of Cranachan and Crowdie was delightfully local crafted and handmade, including wooden spatulas made from oak from old whiskey barrels, especially for stirring porridge.

Edinburgh Castle is at the top of the hill of The Royal Mile and as you wander the length downhill, you reach Holyroodhouse Palace. Both are steeped in history but most particularly for me, they are both linked to Mary, Queen of Scots. It was -1 degree at 9am the morning as I walked to Holyroodhouse but that did not deter me. I enjoyed the quiet street and the fresh air. The stores were all closed and I enjoyed having the Mile literally to myself. Entering the Palace I could soak up the atmosphere without interruption. In the dining room I met the friendliest guide who was overseeing the room and she told me stories of the wonderful meals she had seen served when the Queen was in residence. The carpet rolled up partially underneath the dining room table seemed threadbare. "Yes" she said, "The Queen has fond memories of playing on it when she was a child and didn't want to waste money on replacing it." For me, that somehow made both the room and the Queen more intimate and accessible.

I continued my stroll through the palace toward the key location for me - the suite of rooms used by Mary Queen of Scots. The royal apartments are in the north-west tower of the palace. Walking up the low and narrow, stone circular staircase, I wondered how Mary managed. While I am only 5foot (152cm) tall, she was known to be tall at nearly 6foot (180cm) particularly when you add in her fashions of wide and trailing skirts compared to my leggings and coat. The rooms are quite small in size. Again I considered what looks to me to be a very small double bed though resplendent with bed hangings. The timbered ceiling and panelling added warmth to the room both no doubt visually and actually. Through this room one enters the antechamber. It is a larger room with stone carved fireplace and I pause in reflection at its hearth. It is here on the 9 March 1566 that Mary's personal secretary David Rizzio was brutally murdered in front of her - dragged by a group of Scottish nobles including her husband Lord Darnley from her personal chamber and then stabbed 56 times, dying at the fireplace's hearth. It is recorded that blood stains survive in this place to this date but I didn't see them. 

Mary may be one of the Palace's most notable inhabitants but it certainly isn't the only one. Listening to the Guide tell the story of James II I was amazed by the brutal and violent life and passions of the King. It is from the story of his young cousins being condemned by ambitious custodians and how they were dragged from the dinner table and beheaded in front of him. They were 8 and 11 years old. Apparently George RR Martin drew inspiration from this story for the dramatic Red Wedding scene in Game of Thrones. Truth however is always stranger than fiction and the story of James II is evidence of this. He died at an early age-an enthusiast of large cannon, he died from blood loss from his leg being blown off after a cannon misfired. 

The Abbey associated with Holyroodhouse Palace is a beautiful ruin. The sun had made an appearance and its bright crisp rays shone through the stone arches and open windows long missing their stained glass. Holyrood Abbey was founded by King David I in 1128 as an Augustinian monastery but has been expanded over the centuries and in its walls both James V and Charles I were crowned. Looking down I pay my respects to the men and women whose tombstones are being worn away by the weather and tourists passing over them. In one corner, a locked crypt stands forlornly. The earthly remains of James V and his Queen, and son from his second wife Mary of Guise are interred here. Their crypt is a result of Queen Victoria. She ordered repair of the crypt after it had been desecrated by English soldiers in the 17th Century and had been left a wreck. Their remains which had been disrespected are now secure within the Abbey’s reinforced crypt.

Walking through Edinburgh Castle I discover more of Mary, Queen of Scots. Here in a tiny wood panelled room is where she gave birth to James VI of Scotland-James I of England. The room is highly decorated, the wooden panelling resplendent with emblems but was the room really like this in her time? I find it hard to imagine her here.

Snow is thick upon the ground around the castle and I had skipped breakfast in the morning, so I was drawn into the Whiskey Shop overlooking the castle battlements. Here I delight in the taste of a whiskey honey liqueur and so maybe a little bottle came home with me :-) warmed up I continue to explore but I am underwhelmed. It is a remarkable place but I am cold and hungry and my appetite for all that is Mary has been satiated so I wander out and away from the crowds of tourists arriving in their buses from town. Brunch beckons.

The Scotsman is a delightful, historic hotel. Its charming exterior has caught my attention and inside, its marble columns and cultured interior makes me feel relaxed. Porridge for breakfast! A pot of tea! I can highly recommend this lovely place in Edinburgh. I gaze around the dining room, the chandeliers warming the area and brightening the dark day.

I return to my hotel room and make a cup of tea and contemplate tomorrow’s journey back to England. I am definitely excited for this part of my travels as I explore the Cotswolds and will be returning to Esher.