Monday, June 10.

Back on the bus into the city for some more sight seeing. Order of the day is a couple of laps on the hop on hop off bus and off to the castle.

This sculpture dominates the skyline. The largest sculpture to a poet in Europe. The person, Sir Walter Scott, and the small one in the foreground is Dr. Livingstone.

One could be excused for thinking this was in Rome. It’s the National Museum.

Great architecture.

View of the back of the castle.

Statue of a little dog who visited his masters grave every night for 14 years until he died.

Clock on the mile.

Back in Rome again. It’s actually a boys school.

Building is supposed to represent a telescope. In memory of Lord Nelson.

Roof top of the Scottish bank.

The oldest pub in Edinburgh, dating back to the 1700’s.

This is the guard house at the cemetery, yep. It was there to guard the cemetery from grave robbers, who would exhume a body and sell it to scientists for anatomy research. Not pleasant, but profitable.

in the forecourt of the castle.

Gate and porticulus.

Sentry on guard.

Looks like hard yakka.

Panorama looking across the city to the Firth of Forth.

Imposing walls inside the castle too.

Changing of the guard at the National memorial to Scotsmen and women who have lost their lives in conflicts.

Looking through a cannon slit towards the city.

Drainpipe clamp on the wall of the Great Hall symbolising the unity of the thistle and the rose.

The ceiling of the great hall is made of oak and resembles the hull of an upturned boat. Probably because it was built by ship rights. There are no nails or bolts in the whole structure.

This two handed sword weighs 3.5 kilograms. Would not want to have to swing it many times.

More armoury and ornate woodwork.

And finally a door handle.

This is the keys to the city and the tags list the names of who it has been presented to,

Phil, ‘Not another set of stairs.’

Su, ‘only 20 in this one.’

View looking back over the parade ground showing the seating being set up for the tattoo in August.

Looking towards the mount at the other end of the mile.

The crags from the castle. Formerly part of the royal hunting grounds.

Dog cemetery for the mascots and officers dogs.

This is one hell of a gun!

Snapshot of the tourists with Edinburgh in the background.

St Mary’s Chapel, the oldest building in Edinburgh. It only holds 25 people.

The alter inside.

Shots inside the goal.

Earl Haig who figured in WW1.

Interesting, Rear Admiral Sir Frederick Maitland.

Finally found out. Two of the guards whose units are based in the castle.

Tourists at the gate.

What a great day wandering around the castle, and a great two days in Edinburgh. Need a coffee before heading back to Bess.