3 days in Edinburgh. Day 1. Royal Mile

At first a few details about Edinburgh. The central area of the city isn't very big, and if you walk fast, you can get from one end to the other in a couple hours. The city is split into 2 parallel areas, the Old Town, which was the central part of the city for centuries, and the New Town which was started in the 1700's to alleviate overcrowding in the Old Town. The center of the Old Town is called the Royal Mile, and stretches from Edinburgh castle to Holyrood Palace, home to the British Monarch on her visits to Edinburgh. The Royal Mile is full of interesting places, stores, museums, restaurants, etc. The New Town and the Old Town are separated by the The Mound (once upon a time it was the city's garbage heap) and connected by the Waverly Station, the main train station. Also in between the two parts are the beautiful Princes Gardens, and the National Gallery, the main city museum.

Well, in the morning we got back from jogging in the Princess Gardens, and had a breakfast.

Raspberry, blueberry, chocolate milk, and scones for breakfast we bought in Marks & Spencer.

You should know that supermarkets in Edinburgh like Sainsbury or Tesco usually staying open until 9pm, but others shops (i.e. Marks & Spencer food store) may close at 7pm. It's a bit strange for Russians, because in Russia, especially in Moscow, you can buy anything at any time. Moscow never sleeps -)

Well, after the breakfast we went to investigate historical places of Edinburgh. We started our walk from magnificent Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Scottish residence of Queen Elizabeth II. 

Historical note:

Legend has it that King David I, son of Malcolm Canmore and St Margaret, was hunting one day in 1128. His horse was startled by a stag which appeared from nowhere, and King David found himself hurled to the ground and in mortal danger of being gored by the stags antlers. In desperation he grasped hold of them whereupon they miraculously changed into a Crucifix. This story has echoes in the similar story of St Hubert in France. That night King David pledged to build an Abbey for Canons devoted to the Cross. Holyrood means "Holy Cross".

By the early 1300's there was already a Royal Residence built adjacent to the Abbey Church. Now, the oldest part, on the left as you look at the entrance and front courtyard, was built in 1528-32 by John Ayton, master mason to James V. Later, in the 17th C, the present much extended form was created during rebuilding for Charles II.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Access to Holyrood apartments is very limited. Queen is usually in residence for a few weeks in May and July each year. When the Queen is not present, several rooms in the State Apartments of the palace available to visitors. Also, you may see the Great Gallery with over one hundred portraits of Scottish Kings. For me the most interesting part of Holyroodhouse is The Royal Apartments in the northwest tower. They are mainly associate with Mary, Queen of Scots and in particular for the most infamous incident in the palace's long history. It was here that the queen witnessed the brutal murder, organized by her husband, Lord Darnley, of her much-favoured Italian Catholic private secretary, David Rizzio, who was rumoured to be the father of her child. He was stabbed 56 times, on a spot marked by a brass plaque.

King James VI of Scotland succeeded Elizabeth I when she died childless in 1603, effectively uniting Scotland and England beneath one rule. The Scottish Royal Arms had up to that point used two unicorns as shield supporters. 

The Scottish Royal Arms

The English Arms had used a variety of supporters, but most frequently had included a lion. In a tactful gesture then, he placed a lion upon the left of the new Arms, and a unicorn upon the right. This was a potent bit of symbolism, for both the lion and the unicorn had long been thought to be deadly enemies: both regarded as king of the beasts, the unicorn rules through harmony while the lion rules through might, It came to symbolise a reconciliation between the Scottish unicorn and the English lion that the two should share the rule. The effectiveness of the sentiment, unfortunately, is placed in some doubt by the famous rhyme: 

The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown:

The Lion beat the Unicorn all round the town.

Some gave them white bread, some gave them brown:

Some gave them plum-cake and drummed them out of town.

"Nemo me impune lacessit" is the Latin motto of the most ancient and most noble Order of the Thistle, the Scottish chivalrous order. It translates into English as: No one harms me with impunity.

The ruins of the Abbey of Holyrood.

Abbey of Holyrood.

During the Scottish Reformation, the abbey suffered further damage when a mob destroyed the altars and looted the rest of the church. Finally the Abbey was abandoned after the roof collapsed in 1768. Today it provides an atmospheric romantic backdrop to the palace.

After visiting Palace of Holyrood we went walking up the mound to the Royal Mile (it's actually more than a mile) which leads into Edinburgh Castle.

To take a maximum enjoy from this walk I recommend to buy fudge at the Fudge House (my favorite kinds of fudge are triple chocolate and mint chocolate); to spend one hour at the Museum of Childhood (I love the installations on the second floor), to plunge into the past at The Real Mary King's Close (it is one of the most haunted places in Edinburgh, and  each time scary and exciting as the first time); take a picture of an angel with the bagpipe in the Thistle Chapel in St Giles Cathedral; to touch the miracles at the Camera Obscura (lots of fun).

Fudge

An angel with a bagpip

The statue of 18th-century Scotland writer Robert Fergusson. He was the greatest inspiration of Robert Burns. This unfortunate young man died in poverty and diseases in a mad-house at the age of twenty-four.

This is the Heart of Midlothian. It's a large heart shaped mosaic in the Royal Mile outside of Saint Giles Cathedral.

The heart records the position of the 15th Century Tolbooth of Edinburgh, demolished in 1817, which was the administrative centre of the town, prison and one of several sites of public execution. Locals frequently spit onto it for good luck, that is why I recommend to take a photo of it in the morning -)

Well, gazing around we got to Edinburgh Castle.

Historical note:

The great volcanic rock on which the castle stands, rears high above the modern city. There is evidence of a Bronze Age settlement about 1000BC. The Roman army came here later.

It was natural that a fort should be built on such a commanding and defendable site. We know that the fort was made of stone during the reign of Malcolm III (1058 to 1093).

Edward I of England, in his efforts to conquer Scotland, took Edinburgh Castle in 1296, but in 1314 the Earl of Moray took the castle back for Scotland in a daring commando raid with only 30 men

The English took it back in 1335, but in 1341 Sir William Douglas again removed the invaders. He tricked the garrison into thinking his band of men were merchants, they seized the castle and decapitated most of the English garrison

The castle would now remain in Scottish hands until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Attempts to take it were unsuccessful. In 1400 Henry V of England besieged the castle but had to withdraw to deal with a rebellion in Wales by Owen Glendower

1440 Edinburgh Castle was the site of the infamous "Black Bull's Dinner" where 16 year old sixth Earl of Douglas and his 14 year old brother David were murdered in front of their 10 year old King (James II).  The death of Douglas was carried out by   the ambitious Chancellor Crichton and was intended to break the Douglas power.

The castle was further strengthened in 1573 and held out against an attack by the Covenanters in 1640, by Cromwell in 1650 and by the army of William and Mary in 1689.

It continued to be strengthened and during Jacobite rising in 1745. Bonnie Prince Charlie's lack lustre efforts to take the castle were the last time that the castle came under attack.

Nowadays Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place annually on the esplanade in front of the Castle.

Castle towers over the city. Three sides of the rock rise up to over 50m above the surrounding area. There is only one accessible route to the castle - from the Royal Mile.

In the palace are several museums including the crown jewels. Within much fortified vaults are the Honours of Scotland; the crown, scepter, sword of state and the ‘Stone of Scone’ (otherwise known as the ‘Stone of Destiny’).

I used to think that the Stone of Destiny is a sparkling jewel in the size of fist. When I visited the treasure house for the first time, I found nothing looks like that, so I thought that the stone is not in the treasury house. But the keepers opened my eyes - the stone of destiny is a huge boulder weighing 150 pounds. This stone used in the coronation of Scottish and British monarchs. Many believed that the stone revealed the rightful monarch of a land.

Edinburgh Castle

Views of Edinburgh from Edinburgh Castle

I'm a Princess

It's time to go to the Grassmarket area. You can find there a statue of the greyfriars Bobby, the most faithful dog in the world (she will haunt you all the almost souvenir shops), Bedlam Theater, the shops with all kinds of souvenirs, the pubs and the restaurants.

So, we celebrated ending of the great day at the pub for a pint of Guinness.

You can read more about trip to Edinburgh here:
Men's day trip to Edinburgh (Only photos)
Useful links for visiting Scotland
First time to Scotland. Trip details
3 days in Edinburgh. Day 2. Calton Hill and Britannia
3 days in Edinburgh. Day 3. Arthur's Seat


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