Day 4 - Baltic Jewels & the Midnight Sun: Edinburgh, Scotland

Day 4 - June 28, 2022 ~ Edinburgh (New Haven Harbour), Scotland

Wikipedia tells me that Edinburgh has been the capital city of Scotland since at least the 15th century, and as such, is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, and the highest courts in Scotland. The Palace of Holyroodhouse, located in Edinburgh, is the official residence of the British monarchy in Scotland. The city is a center of education - especially medicine, Scottish law, literature, philosophy, the sciences, and engineering. Other historic sites in the city include Edinburgh Castle, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars, and the Canongate, as well as the extensive Georgian New Town, built in the 18th and 19th centuries. The combined Old Town and New Town are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What Wikipedia did NOT tell me is that the Old Town is a tourist mecca! Frankly we found it difficult to walk about because of the crowds of people thronging the streets. In addition, it was a very grey and gloomy day threatening rain all day long. Fortunately, the threat held off and we enjoyed our "Edinburgh Highlights" bus tour with time "on your own" in the Old Town.

We woke on the later side and prepared for the day, dashing up to the World Cafe for breakfast/coffee before heading down to deck A to disembark. You have to tap your key card to get off the ship, and sanitize your hands. We were "masked up" but are definitely in the minority of mask wearers. We are told that there are about 800 people on board - mostly Americans, but we've encountered some Brits and Aussies, and I have seen and heard a number of Japanese speakers as well. Of those 800, I'm guessing no more than 15-20% are wearing masks. The good news is that there is very little "crowding" so we are able to keep our distance.

We made our way to the tender that ferries guests from the ship to the port. It's interesting to us that Viking uses a couple of its life boats as tenders!

This boat is carried on the side of our ship and serves as a tender as well as a lifeboat

It was a relatively short tender ride into New Haven Harbor, where we were greeted warmly and were serenaded by this lovely Lady Bagpiper.

We heard bagpipes throughout our time in town as well, making me ask the question (in my mind) more than once, "Does anyone really enjoy listening to bagpipes?"

From there we boarded our coaches for the scenic ride into town. Laura was our guide today.

Her English was very good - not a Scottish brogue in it. On our way back to the ship she related that she was born and raised in England - hence the absence of the Scottish accent.

From several vantage points along our bus ride, we were able to catch glimpses of Arthur's Seat.

My photo of Arthur's Seat

Arthur's Seat is an ancient volcano which is the main peak of the group of hills in Edinburgh, Scotland, which form most of Holyrood Park, described by Robert Louis Stevenson as "a hill for magnitude, a mountain in virtue of its bold design". It is situated just to the east of the city center, about 1 mile to the east of Edinburgh Castle. The hill rises above the city to a height of 822 feet, providing excellent panoramic views of the city and beyond.

A more professional photo of Arthur's Seat credit David Monniaux

From several places through the trees we had a view of historic Edinburgh Castle. It stands on Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until 1633. From the 15th century, the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison. Its importance as a part of Scotland's national heritage was recognized increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programs have been carried out over the past century and a half.

Edinburgh Castle

As one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite rising of 1745. Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1,100-year history, giving it a claim to having been "the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world". Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of the 16th century when the medieval defenses were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment. The most notable exceptions are St Margaret's Chapel from the early 12th century, which is regarded as the oldest building in Edinburgh, the Royal Palace, and the early 16th-century Great Hall.

We got off the bus near the top of the Royal Mile and too a stroll up Castle Hill to see the castle.

We did not have tickets to go into the castle, but walked up to the gates. Just outside the castle considerable temporary seating has been erected in preparation for the annual (except for the last two years) festival that is held in August. We did get to see the guards - a Scottish imitation of the Beefeaters at Buckingham Palace (at least that is what I thought).

We meandered back down the hill, popping into a few shops along the way, pausing to photograph flowers and signs that caught our eyes.

The Witchery is a restaurant near the castle. I didn't know that - I just liked the sign!

Later in the day I received an email from Betty Lou telling me that it was a good place to eat in Edinburgh! By then we were back on the ship and had enjoyed lunch at the Pool Side Grill.

Edinburgh does like to honor it's famous folk with statues and monuments. We noticed people stopping by a statue and rubbing its brass toe. So, of course, Jeff made me follow suit.

I later learned that David Hume was born in 1711 in a tenement in Edinburgh. He was a philosopher, historian, economist, librarian, and essayist. We noticed that the statue has a shiny big toe and that people seemed to be rubbing it. Evidently local traditional holds that touching Hume's toe brings good luck, which is ironic, since Hume vehemently rejected superstition. The statue is located outside the high court, and criminals generally touch the toe before going into court to face prosecution.

We also noticed quite a police presence throughout the town. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Queen Elizabeth is currently in residence at Holyrood House, hostessing a series of garden parties to honor and reward local philanthropy and longevity of service to the Crown.

The Caledonian (Waldorf Astoria) St. Cuthbert's Church

The clock tower at The Balmoral (a five star historic hotel, once a railway hotel).

Tenements of New Town (circa 1767) The River Leith running through New Town

The bulk of our time was spent at St. Giles Cathedral. St. Giles, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh. It is one of Scotland's most important medieval parish church buildings. The first church of St Giles was a small, Romanesque building of which only fragments remain. In the 14th century, this was replaced by the current building, which was enlarged between the late 14th and early 16th centuries. St Giles' is closely associated with many events and figures in Scottish history, including John Knox, who served as the church's minister after the Scottish Reformation. The church's role in the Scottish Reformation and the Covenanters' Rebellion has led to its being called "the Mother Church of World Presbyterianism."

St. Giles is a beautiful church. Wherever we go I become obsessed with the organ, and this organ is a magnificent instrument. I only wish we had been able to hear it play.

The church itself is filled with beauty. Stained glass windows, statuary, fresh flowers, and the symmetry that abounds in medieval churches.

We were fortunate enough to be there during their hourly 10 minute services (what a wonderful idea). The parish minister spoke about the storms of life - for just a moment or two and then read a hymn. It was lovely and brought tears to my eyes.

On our way back to the meeting place, we stopped briefly at Deacon Brodie's Tavern where Jeff purchased a pint and we just watched the people stream past. It was a lovely stop (pronounced luuuvly in the local dialect) before we boarded the coach to return to the ship.

William Brodie, Deacon of Wrights and Masons of Edinburgh was the son of a cabinet maker in the Lawnmarket. He was born in Brodies Close and Hanged near St. Siles, both places being just a few steps from this tavern. A bronze plaque reports that "In manhood, Brodie's baseness inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write that famous classic, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. By day, William Brodie was pious, wealthy, and a much respected citizen and in 1781 was elected Deacon Councillor of the city. But at night he was a gambler, a thief, dissipated, and licentious. the annals record 'his cunning and audacity were unsurpassed.'" Brodie was hanged from the city's new gallows on the 1st of October 1788. Ironically, he had designed the very gallows that sealed his fate.

Overall our impression of Edinburg was not a positive one ... it felt more than a bit grimy, and this particular excursion was far too "touristy" for our taste. Perhaps we will return one day ... but I doubt it.

Back on the ship, we were both exhausted -- not my usual fare. We fell into bed and slept the afternoon away.

Dinner was, as always, wonderful. I enjoyed shrimp cocktail to begin, followed by Cornish Game Hen served over barley with a delectable sauce and currents on top. It was both delicious and beautiful to look at.