With Scott driving the rental minivan and Jenna assisting with directions via GPS, we next toured in Scotland and had an enjoyable day sightseeing in Edinburgh on June 1st.
A typical view driving in Scotland.
The Scottish countryside was pretty and green similar to that in Ireland.
We saw many sheep in the green pastures.
Pasture boundaries frequently were divided by rock fences.
Edinburgh is a capital city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Edinburgh Castle
This historic fortress sits at the top of the Royal Mile
on a plug of an extinct volcano.
This world famous icon of Scotland
dominates the skyline of the city from its position on the Castle Rock.
A view of the city of Edinburgh seen from the castle.
This picture also shows the Dog Cemetery at the left.
It has been in use since Queen Victoria's time as a burial place
for regimental mascots and officer's dogs.
It has been in use since Queen Victoria's time as a burial place
for regimental mascots and officer's dogs.
Mons Meg
This huge six-ton medieval siege gun, which was last fired in 1681
(when it burst open during firing),
is named after the place in Belgium where it was made in 1449.
The gun rests on a reconstructed carriage.
(when it burst open during firing),
is named after the place in Belgium where it was made in 1449.
The gun rests on a reconstructed carriage.
Some of Meg's
large gun stones, each weighing around 330 pounds,
are displayed alongside but not seen in this photo.
In 1558, the gun was fired in salute to celebrate the marriage
of Mary, Queen of Scots; and the royal record shows
payment to soldiers for retrieving one of the stones
fully two miles from the castle.
Clicking on the photo enlarges it
for reading the information.
The castle is part of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site.
The oldest part, St. Margaret's Chapel, dates from the 12th century.
The summit of the Castle Rock is 430 ft. above sea level.
(Kristine, Scott, Shannon, and Jenna)
The Honours of Scotland
being saved from Cromwell's parliamentarian army
and hidden from 1651-60.
This is one of the large paintings seen on our walking tour to see
and hidden from 1651-60.
This is one of the large paintings seen on our walking tour to see
the Scottish Crown Jewels.
The Honours are the Scottish equivalent of the English Crown Jewels,
consisting of three items; the Sceptre, the Sword of State, and the Crown, which dates to some time before 1540. More than just jewelry,
the Honours represent the spirit of an independent Scotland; and as such,
were a vitally important symbol of the Scottish nation.
Playing bagpipes at the Edinburgh Castle.
I liked the name of this shop.
The Scottish thistle is the emblem of Scotland.
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Our next destination was Wales.
Pictures will be in the next blog entry.
