edinburgh

hello from scotland! last month, on the way to shetland, i spent a few days in edinburgh before (and after the island), there is so much fascinating history, and an interesting story for everything in scotland, i won't even try to do it justice. instead, here are a few photos and highlights of this most magical of cities...

my bed & breakfast is on pilrig street

 i climbed calton hill

 the national monument

 dugald stewart monument

 pilrig church on leith and pilrig, made finding my b & b much easier!

 now i've joined a walking tour of old town edinburgh. our first stop:

St Giles' Cathedral is the historic City Church of Edinburgh. With its famed crown spire it stands on the Royal Mile between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, it is the Mother Church of Presbyterianism and contains the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle (Scotland's chivalric company of knights headed by the Queen).

 our fantastic funny knowledgeable guide, jonny, only guide in his company born in edinburgh he said! had the brilliant idea to stop in for a wee dram of whisky on our three hour walking tour...

 greyfriers bobby! do you know the story? find out more here. (i did rub bobby's shiny nose!)

for my girl, who is soon to be married xxx

 kilt!

going somewhere really exciting!

 welcome to edinburgh castle!!

first selfie, with a cannon!

 i walked on medival grounds!!

coffee break + journal time

back down the royal mile to...

the scottish parliament

 this was the second most important thing i'd hoped to see on my visit to edinburgh, to view the great tapestry of scotland. when i arrived at the parliament i checked in with the visitors desk, thinking they might suggest the best way to see the tapestry. the gentleman there asked me if i would like to stitch on a panel right now! YES!! he guided me down a hallway, through a door, into a large room where i met two ladies. stitching!

i made several stitches too, eeps! but could not sit still for long, the tapestry was waiting...

completely incredible. seeing the great tapestry of scotland was an experience i'll never forget.

i bought the book on the making of it and look...

 this is one of the stitchers, cindy is sharing the panel she worked on! brilliant moment! for more information on the great tapestry of scotland (and to view every panel) go here.

seen on a plaque outside the parliament

 back on the royal mile

 one evening (it's about 10pm in this photo) i was trying to find my way to a restaurant that had been suggested. consulting my iphone, trying to determine which way was south east...when out of the fog came a girl, chatting on her mobile. i apologetically interrupted, excuse me? do you know where this place is? (pointing at my phone). she did not. but asked if i had a name of the restaurant. yes! she did in fact know of the place and i should follow her...

 off we went, at a brisk pace, her telling me how she was to board a bus tomorrow for glasgow, she was going to be singing in the commonwealth games! oh wowee! meanwhile, we are taking 'shortcuts', through a park and back streets, i had no idea where we were. eventually we stopped, on a busy street, right where i asked to be. and just like when she had appeared, out of nowhere, she was gone, with a wave and a smile.

~ woodland creatures on leith walk, edinburgh

more a bar than restaurant, but oh my goodness the macaroni and cheese was worth the walk!
when i returned from shetland i came here again for dinner and a fringe festival event in an adjoining room!

here is reason number one for coming to edinburgh. to see this house. robert louis stevenson, beloved author, traveller, poet, was born here. on 13th november 1850. (a plaque beside the door declares this). waking early one morning, with map in hand, i walked the two miles (or so) to the thing i wanted to see most. on 8 howard place on a quiet tree lined street, i found it. 

 i don't know what i expected, but i don't think i could have imagined being alone here. i stood for perhaps thirty minutes, and didn't see another soul. a wonder. i took many photos (with too many cameras) picked a few leaves for my journal. thought of favorite poems...'swallows travel to and fro and the great winds come and go and steady breezes blow bearing perfume, bearing love'. rls

it was an extraordinary moment. i've been a collector of robert louis stevenson for many years, vintage books and ephemera have found their way into my hands and heart...my eldest daughter read a poem of rls at our wedding and on our honeymoon we visited western samoa, on the island of upolu, we saw his home vailima and his final resting place.

 fittingly, a book store lives across the street :)

 back to my little nest on pilrig street

past the church...

 here we are! ardmor house, built in 1890!

 highly recommended bed & breakfast! my room on the right, facing the garden :)

and the very best part of my trip was meeting new dear friends. kathy, paula and i met for drinks on the royal mile the night before we flew to shetland. this was the beginning of the grandest adventure.

thank you for coming along! xxx lori