The Name's Bond

Europe Day 2 and 3 of Tour July 6/7

After having a very nice evening in York we headed off this morning past the fortified city walls and onwards up to Scotland.  The scenery was beautiful, rolling pastures with lots of black faced sheep and contented cows. 

Black faced sheep

Rolling hills on our drive from England to Scotland

 We stopped on the border between England and Scotland for a photo and to see our first Scottish bagpipe player.

Scottish bagpipe player on the border between England and Scotland

Brodie standing on the wall bordering England and Scotland

  After a brief stop at the border we headed past Jedburgh Abbey, another beautiful old monastery, and after  a brief lunch time stop we drove on up to Edinburgh.  On arriving into Edinburgh, which is actually sits on the edge of an extinct volcano, we did a quick orientation tour, before heading back to the hotel for dinner. 

Heading up to Arthurs Seat - the extinct volcano which Edinburgh sits beside

Up to the top of Arthurs Seat

The reflection of our tour bus as we are driving through Edinburgh

Our second day in Edinburgh started with a guided bus tour around the city before a visit to the Edinburgh Castle.  We found out a lot of history about the city and some of the famous names that had either been born or had come from Edinburgh, including famous writers Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.  We passed by the house where Alexander Graham Bell lived (inventor of the phone – bless him), and the cafe where J K Rowling sat overlooking the College on which Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter movies is based.   

Looking towards Edinburgh Castle - the scaffolding in the foreground is actually the setting up for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Guard at the Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle rising out of the rock

Edinburgh Castle

Looking out beside the cannon in its firing position at the top of the Castle

The Castle is a very impressive structure, not only because of its age and size but because it actually has been built on top of a huge rock, it literally appears to be rising out of the ground below.  The castle houses the royal jewels and The Stone of Destiny, a very important historical artefact that has been attained by both England and Scotland during different periods of history.   After our castle tour we were free to wander and the boys and I decided we would walk The Royal Mile, the road which spans the distance between the Castle at the top of the hill and the Royal Palace which is exactly one mile down the road.  

Around Edinburgh Castle

Looking through one of the "closes" along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh

The boys in the "close"

 Rog decided he would instead take a visit out to Rosslyn Chapel,  one of the places he has wanted to visit as it too has a great history and ties to the Knights Templar, as in the Da Vinci Code.   Rog had a great day and really enjoyed his visit to the Rosslyn Chapel.  The boys and I just wandered in and out of shops on the Royal Mile and had a quick look at the Holyroodhouse  Palace.  Public are normally able to take tours of the Palace but we were unable as the Queen was actually in residence while we were in Edinburgh.  She did invite us in for a cuppa but be we declined. 

The Royal Palace - Holyroodhouse Palace

Queen Mary's bathhouse - she apparently bathed here every now and then

  We all met back at our hotel  later in the afternoon and after having a little rest we ventured out to the shopping centre and went foraging for tea.  We found a beautiful  Italian restaurant and had a lovely dinner.  Tomorrow we head up to the highlands.