Edinburgh Castle

 

Edinburgh Castle sits on top of what was, at one time, a volcano - a 437 feet high plug of basalt rock. The shoulder of the Royal Mile runs east down from the castle and was formed when the whole of Scotland was covered by an ice sheet and the flow of the glacier ran from west to east - dropping rubble and earth in the lee of the rock.  It contains the royal regalia, otherwise known as the "Honours of Scotland" consist of a crown, a sceptre and a sword and they are amongst the oldest crown jewels in Europe.  The Stone of Destiny is also found here.

 

 

 

 

Greyfriars Bobby

 

According to the commonly accepted story, Bobby was a Skye Terrier dog belonging to a Jock Gray, a farmer from the Pentland Hills, who regularly dined at an inn in Grassmarket, not far from Greyfriar's Churchyard.

 

When Jock Gray, died in 1858, the dog refused to leave his master's grave. He turned up regularly for 14 years at the inn at Grassmarket which had been frequented by his master and was fed there by locals who were taken by the dog's devotion. The story may have been embellished by John Traill, the owner of the restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

New Town

 

Edinburgh's New Town was historically the royal hunting grounds below the castle.  Things changed radically when the architect Adam Smith designed much of its current Georgian grandeur with concentric streets and gardens.  Edinburgh became Britain's first planned city, with more in common with eighteenth and nineteenth century cities on the European continent.  The Nor Loch, which had become unsanitary, having taken much of the waste from the Old Town, was drained and became the beautiful Princes Street Gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

Old Town

 

Edinburgh's Old Town centres on the Royal Mile, which stretches an old Scottish mile from Edinburgh Castle at one end to the Royal Palace of Holyrood at the other.

St Giles Cathedral: Edinburgh's main cathedral, with it's prominent crowned spire decorating the old town skyline, has a long and interesting history and acts as the main cathedral of Scottish Presbyterianism.

Palace of Holyroodhouse: originally founded as a monastery in 1128, it now stands as an important site in Scottish royal history, and still acts as the principal royal residence in Scotland.

Scottish Parliament: the new parliament building at the foot of the Royal Mile is a recent must-see destination, opened in 2004 as a permanent venue after the first sitting since 1707 of a Scottish Parliament in 1999. It has ground-breaking architecture and holds regular tours of the building and debating chamber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosslyn Chapel

 

Discover one of the most inspiring places you are ever likely to see.  Tour  the enigmatic 15th century Rosslyn Chapel, with a trail through the beautiful Rosslyn Glen.
Rosslyn Chapel, where work begun in 1446 by Sir William St.Clair third and last prince of Orkney lies 7 miles South of Edinburgh.  Discover the Dance of Death, Dance Macabre and King Robert the Bruces Death Mask.

 

South Queensferry

 

South Queensferry is a very pleasant place on the southern shore of the gaping Firth of Forth. The two huge bridges that traverse the Forth to Fife dominate the town.

The Forth Railway Bridge is one of the icons of Scotland. Built between 1883 and 1890 by Sir John Fowler and Benjamin Baker, this bridge is one of the most magnificent feats of engineering ever.