Edinburgh, Scotland

            Saturday, 22 Aug 2015 – We awoke at 9:30 AM, well before our alarm went off, and went to breakfast at 10:00 AM.  Afterwards we watched a recording of the Princess Marriage Match game on TV.

            At 12:45 PM we boarded a ship’s tender for the 10-minute ride to the pier, but had to wait until 1:50 PM to board our tour bus.  While waiting, we conversed with a couple who lived near Springfield, IL.  Our tour guide was Lyn, our driver was Bud, and our tour started with a scenic drive to Edinburgh.  On the way, Lyn told us that St. Andrew had brought Christianity to this northern part of Scotland, and many pilgrims came to visit the shrine where some of his relics were maintained.  Queen Margaret also liked to visit his shrine but lived on the other side of the river; therefore, she had a bridge built, which also benefited the many pilgrims.

            Built on seven hills, Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a thriving UNESCO World Heritage Site.  While the bus drove through the city, we saw examples of both medieval architecture and contemporary buildings.  In contrast to the modern shopping area, we drove through Old Town, where historic sites and monuments line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh's oldest and most historical street.  We passed the Parliament Building, Canongate, and statues of King Charles II and Sir Walter Scott, as well as Holyrood Palace, the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen while in Scotland.  Before long, we could see Edinburgh Castle, perched high above the city on a rocky, extinct volcano.  Once near the castle, there was an uphill walk over cobblestones from the coach park to the castle entrance.  
 

Edinburgh Castle

            Inside the fortress complex on Crown Square, our guide kept us together for several minutes to orient us to what can be seen on the grounds; afterward, we explored the interior rooms and the grounds independently.  We visited St. Margaret’s Chapel, the prison, the war museum, and the Great Hall of James IV.  The Great Hall was used for state assemblies and ceremonial gatherings, and was lavishly ornate.  Also, in one room are the Scottish Crown Jewels containing crowns, scepters, and swords, which have been on display in the same room for over two centuries.  After climbing the steps and viewing many rooms, we walked outside on the grounds for panoramic views.

As our bus continued driving through Edinburgh, we passed the Parliament building, Robert Burns’ monument, and even a monument of Abraham Lincoln.  (He had honored Scottish soldiers who had died in the American Civil War.) 

Lyn informed us that Sir James Young Simpson (1811-1870) of this area was a Scottish obstetrician and an important figure in the history of medicine.  He discovered the anesthetic properties of chloroform and successfully introduced it for general medical use.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde based on the infamous Deacon Brodie of Edinburgh (born 1741), who was a respectable citizen of Edinburgh by day but a thief by night.

According to Lyn, the three main differences between Scotland and England are (1) Church, (2) Law, and (3) Education.  The Church of England is Anglican, which is very similar to Roman Catholic, except that the Pope is not head of their church; the Church of Scotland is less formal.  In Scotland, medical expenses are covered by payment from tax (based on income and the person’s employer); prescriptions are free in Scotland, but not in England.  Education is also free in Scotland, but not in England.

At some point, Lyn finally mentioned that she was a retired principal of a secondary school, who had specialized in writing tests.  (That made sense to us!) 

            We arrived back at the pier at 6:10 PM and were back onboard the ship by 6:50 PM.  At 7:30 PM, we shared a dinner table with Inga & Hugo of Los Angeles, and Cherry & Colin from the port of Southampton, England (which is the closest that ships can get to London) .  Inga & Hugo were originally from Germany; Inga’s close friend lives in Sindelfingen, and Inga is very familiar from the part of that city where Sally lived 45 years ago.  Cherry and Colin are originally from the island of Guernsey.  After dinner, we danced to the Janos Quartet in the Piazza for about 20 minutes.  Before retiring, we set our clock and watches forward by one hour – but were not happy to do so!