Eight Days From Edinburgh Part 1

My husband and I took this trip in 2019 for our anniversary. It. Was. Amazing. In my typical style, I crammed as much into eight days as I possibly could focusing on ancient to medieval history and then also a few stops at filming locations for my two favorite TV shows, Outlander and Game of Thrones. Our trip was actually 15 days: 2 travel days “across the pond” and back, 8 days in Scotland, and 5 days in Ireland (both Northern & Republic – you can read about the Dingle Peninsula in the Republic of Ireland here). We drove ourselves for most of this trip, and put over 900 miles on our rental car in Scotland! Keep in mind Scotland is roughly the same size as South Carolina! We spent most of our time in the Islands and the Highlands, all of which will be featured in future posts in this series.

Itinerary

• Day 1 – Edinburgh
• Day 2 – Edinburgh to Skye
• Day 3 – Isles of Lewis & Harris
• Day 4 – Skye to Inverness
• Day 5 – Orkney Islands
• Day 6 – Inverness to Falkirk
• Day 7 – Outlander day along the Forth
• Day 8 – Stirling

Getting There

Getting to Edinburgh was a bit of a fiasco for a couple of reasons: 1. I had air miles with American Airlines that I wanted to use for part of our travel which had to be booked on a separate record number 2. My husband packs like a girl and always insists on checking a bag. I am a carry-on girl myself. 

So, after multiple flight & route changes between the time I booked and the time we took off, we ended up going from Kansas City to Chicago to Philadelphia to Edinburgh! We had to collect our checked bag at O’Hare, go upstairs and recheck the bag through to Edinburgh, and then go back through security. Whew what a pain! Our flight from Philly to Edinburgh was interesting as well. The plane was smaller with three seats on either side of the one aisle. It was a little tight for an overnight flight, to say the least. One lady a few rows ahead of us asked the flight attendant if the plane would even make it there haha, but it was only a 6 ½ hour flight! 

Lessons I learned from this experience: 1. Save your air miles for domestic travel unless you have enough for the whole flight 2. Stick with Aer Lingus when “crossing the pond.” Seriously, they are my favorite (and I get nothing for saying so). They are the most comfortable and have the best customer service by far! 

We did enjoy chatting with our seatmate, Patrick. His story was fascinating. He was born in London during “the Blitz,” and his mother shortly moved them to County Cork in Ireland. He immigrated to the United States in 1959, and ironically was drafted in 1960 and sent back to Europe! When I actually slow down, I do really enjoy hearing other’s stories and talking to locals! 

Once we arrived in Edinburgh, it was easy to get to our hotel on the Airlink Bus. We used our IHG points to stay at the Holiday Inn on Corstorphine Road next to the zoo for free. Thanks to our Priority Club membership, our room was ready when we arrived which allowed for a short nap. The hotel location was perfect because the stops for both the Airlink Bus and the bus into the city were right out front, AND it was right across the street from Enterprise Car Rental. I knew we needed to pick up the rental car outside the heart of the city since we would be driving on the opposite side of the road from what we are used to! 

Edinburgh

One thing that I wish is that we had more time to spend in Edinburgh. I would love to have wandered more of the streets of Old Town, New Town, Grass Market, Dean Village, and hiked up to Arthur’s Seat! We only had the one afternoon, and we spent it all near the Royal Mile in Old Town. But, my goal for this trip was to visit the places in Scotland that were most difficult to reach first and save the easy-to-get-to locations for next time. And there WILL be a next time! Scotland is gorgeous!

Edinburgh Castle was our first stop in Edinburgh. We purchased Explorer Passes and picked them up at the castle. I highly recommend this pass if you are visiting a lot of historical or Heritage Sites. They can be purchased for 3 or 7 days and include over 70 sites! They will save you both money and time (they provide fast track entry at both Edinburgh & Stirling Castles). 

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Edinburgh Castle sits on top of an extinct volcano, and it has a lot to see! One could easily spend an entire day there! Argyle Battery was our first stop with fantastic views across the city all the way to the Firth of Forth including the Princess Street Gardens, the Scott Monument, Waverly Station, and Calton Hill! From there, we made our way up the Lang Stairs, which were the main access to the Castle in the Middle Ages until the road was added in the 1400’s to accommodate artillery. Half Moon Battery, built between 1573 and 1588, is at the top of the Lang Stairs, with it’s old canons still in place.

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The 15th century Palace was our next stop. The Crown Jewels of Scotland, as well as the Stone of Destiny are on display here, however, no photos are allowed of the real ones. In the Crown Room, you can see the crown, sceptre, and sword used in the 1543 coronation of Mary Queen of Scots. You can also visit the room where Queen Mary gave birth to King James VI and I. James VI was the first to rule both England and Scotland.

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The Antechamber and Laich Hall in the Palace were restored (and painted) in the 1990’s. In the Antechamber is a fireplace with coat of arms of James VI – a unicorn represents Scotland and a lion represents England. Fun fact about the palace: it was rebuilt for the 1617 royal visit of James VI, who had been gone for 14 years. He hosted one banquet in the hall and never returned. His son, Charles I, stayed in the palace the night before his Scottish coronation, and then the palace was converted into soldier’s quarters. 

The Scottish National War Memorial was our next stop, which was quite sobering. I will quote their website directly as I do not wish to leave anyone out:  “The Scottish National War Memorial (SNWM) was established by Royal Charter to commemorate the sacrifice of Scots in the Great War, Second World War and subsequent conflicts. The Memorial within Edinburgh Castle houses and displays the Rolls of Honour of Scots servicemen and women from all the Armed Services, the Dominions, Merchant Navy, Women’s Services, Nursing Services and civilian casualties of all wars from 1914 to date.” The rolls listing the name of each casualty are on display inside the building, and the inscription above the entrance reads, “To the glory of God & in memory of Scots who fell, 1914, 1918.”

From the War Memorial, we ventured into the Great Hall, which was built for King James IV between 1488 and 1513. Oliver Cromwell converted it into military barracks in 1650, but eventually new barracks were constructed, and in 1887, the Hall was restored. It continues to be used today for both state and royal functions, and it is beautiful! The intricate woodwork is stunning as are the 500 year old timbers in the ceiling that have been painted. The stained glass windows and the fireplace are also a sight to see! Armour, artillery, swords, spears and pistols are on display around the walls, and one can easily imagine a fancy feast held in this hall. 

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The military prison was our next to last stop, almost, and it did not disappoint with its hammocks and dungeon like feel. From there we visited St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest existing building on the castle hill. It is believed that David I had the chapel built in the 1100’s! While we were in the chapel, it started to sprinkle a little, and within just a few minutes it was pouring. Luckily, we brought our rain jackets, but we still ducked into a little cafe to wait it out along with quite a few others. The shower only lasted a few minutes, and then reduced to sprinkling again. It had blown over completely by the time we left the castle.

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Both the sun and the street performers returned to the Royal Mile. We had a little more time to kill before our tour of the Real Mary King’s Close, so we wandered around Old Town for a bit. We saw St. Giles’ Cathedral, the Mercat Cross, and took the obligatory photo of the Miss Katie Cupcake building on Cockburn Street (as seen in Avengers: Infinity War). My husband was entertained by a street performer long enough for me to check out several of the shops on High Street, and then we headed over to start our tour of the Close.

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We learned all kinds of fascinating fun facts on our tour of the Real Mary King’s Close. A close is like a narrow alley, typically 4 to 6 feet wide. Most of the closes had several different names over time, and they were often named after the type of business that operated there or after a well  known resident. Mary King’s Close was named after Mary King, a widow and a seamstress, who lived in the close.

The really cool thing about this tour is that there have been excavations on site, and the stories of the former residents have been thoroughly researched (well except for the paranormal one haha – you can decide that for yourself). So you will learn what life was like for these specific people in Edinburgh during the Middle Ages! The site is basically a medieval street that has been frozen in time, preserved beneath the city! Unfortunately, photography is not allowed on the tour, so I have no photos to share for this portion. You will all just have to use your imagination.

The first stop on this tour was what was called a low house where the roof was only as tall as the door. The low house was actually 38 steps below the present day street level. We learned that the buildings on either side of the close were 11 stories tall. The poor lived on the lower levels in the low houses and also on the top few levels which were made of wood rather than stone because it was a lighter material. Those who had a little more money lived in the middle. Reportedly, the middle class became known as the middle class in Scotland, because they lived in the middle levels.

Of course, there was no indoor plumbing at the time, and much to the delight of my middle school students, we learned that chamber pots were emptied out the front doors of the houses and into the close at 7 AM and 10 PM only. Bells rang to signal when it was time and then one would yell “Gardyloo” and chuck out the waist out the door. Apparently during these two times of the day the waste ran shin deep in the close! The close was steep, however, so all of the waste ran downhill into what used to be the North Loch and is now a park. In between the times of 7 AM and 10 PM there was a market in the close where people sold food and goods – yeah kind of gross! Another fun fact: during this time period, most people only bathed about once a year!

One area along the tour was dedicated to the bubonic plague that began in December of 1644. It was the last plague to ravage the city, but it was also by far the worst. It is estimated that between 20% and 50% of the population died. Records kept at the time revealed a quarantine system in the city which closed schools and businesses, documented those who were infected, and required them to either remain in their homes or report to huts outside the city. Food and supplies were delivered to their doorsteps, and white flags were posted outside the home so that everyone would know to stay away. The irony of this part of the tour is not lost on me. Little did I know at the time that the world would be in quarantine in 2020! 

Of course, Mary Queen of Scots has a story on the tour. Lord Provost (like a city mayor in the United States) Simon Preston allowed Queen Mary to stay in his house in Stewart Close the last night she was queen. Stewart Close was next door to Mary King’s Close. Queen Mary spent the night there under guard while crowds beneath her window mocked her.

A paranormal story is also told about a young girl who was left alone after she became sick. According to the psychic who told the story,, the girl was sad and lonely so a doll was left for her. Tourists continue to bring dolls and stuffed animals, and now the room seems nearly full.

After the tour of Mary King’s Close, we grabbed dinner at Frankie & Bennies, which is Italian, but I have to phase my picky eater in gradually haha! It was really good! After dinner we went back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep as we had a long drive ahead of us the next day from Edinburgh through Glen Coe to Uig, Skye with several stops to make along the way! You can catch Part 2 of the series in January detailing this beautiful drive as well as a stop for all of you Game of Thrones and Outlander fans! 

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