Mar sin leat tae Auld Reekie

After just over a week, it was time to head back to London.  As is so often the case, it feels like a lot longer.  Edinburgh is such a beautiful city, and there were so many things we got to see and do, and so many more that we did not.  It's understandable how this place can inspire poets and storytellers.

Much of the day would be spent getting back to London, and to Heathrow.

During the trip, I began to feel very run down and achy.  It wasn't until later that I would find I'd contracted Covid.  Fortunately it has been a very minor case, with no symptoms aside from a phlegmy cough and some joint ache.  It did however make me less inclined to take pictures.

A rood less traveled

Our last full day in Edinburgh saw us changing hotels from the Leonardo to the Hotel du Vin;  this was a holdover from the change of plans that would've seen us returning to Edinburgh from Inverness.

We checked in, but the room would not be ready until 3, so we needed to find something to occupy our day.  We hiked out into Old Town, and decided to make our way to Holyroodhouse, the palace of the British monarchy when it resides in Scotland.

The hike out was lovely, and the Palace sits on the edge of town, with beautiful rolling hills surrounding it.

We decided to rest a bit and take refreshme to after the hike.  The Palace Cafe is on the castle grounds just outside the gate.

Once we'd rested our feet and recharged, we were ready for Holyroodhouse.  We purchased our tickets, guidebooks, and audio guides and entered the Palace grounds.

A commemoration of the updates done by Charles II in the Neoclassical style.

The Platinum Jubilee Gallery wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped, and, bizarrely, prohibited photography.

The Grand Stairs leading to the royal apartments.

The Throne Room.  I can honestly say I was not prepared for the apartments to be fully furnished, replete with art I'd recognize from history books.  It's not often we get to feel history come to life like this, the fact that the British monarchy used, and still uses, this place as a residence and for matters of state.

The Evening Room.

The King's Antechamber.

The King's Bedchamber.

The King's Closet.

The Gallery.

The lighting wasn't ideal to shoot these paintings, but I should've shot a few, as they were quite remarkable.  They were all painted by Jacob de Wet at the request of Charles II.  There are 110 portraits in the series, comprising kings and heroes of Britain, both real and mythical.  They were all given features similar to Charles II to emphasize his lineage, particularly his prominent nose.

The Queen's Lobby was given to portraits of the Stuarts, notably James II and VII, his son James Francis Edward Stuart, and grandson Charles Edward Stuart.

Charles Edward Stuart, or "Bonnie Prince Charlie", or "The Young Pretender".  He led the Jacobite Uprising in 1745 to restore the Stuart line to the throne of Scotland. 

Mary, Queen of Scots.

The outer and inner chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots.

I had no idea how revered Mary was and is by Scotland.  She is regarded as a heroine, fiercely independent and an exemplar of her country's ideals.

Finally, we exited the palace proper back onto the grounds.

Sadly, we could not enter the abbey due to work in progress.

The abbey garden was still accessible, so we strolled around it, taking a path that circled the palace.

A plan of the palace and adjoining abbey for reference. 

After exploring the palace and grounds, we returned to the Cafe for lunch.  I had what was called a "Scottish burrito", which appeared to be essentially a haggis chimichanga.  It was delicious. 

Finally it was time to move on.  Rather than head directly back to the hotel, we decided to visit nearby Calton Hill.  Edinburgh is built on seven hills, which is why you are always going uphill if you walk more than a few blocks.

The Burns Monument. 

The Old Riyal High School.

Despite not being at the top of the hill, the view of the city was spectacular. 

The spire of the Nelso Monument further up the hill.

Being a series of hills, Edinburgh was full of switchback style trails to ascend or descend.  This one felt like a secret path.

We descended onto Canongate and made our way back to the Royal Mile. 

And finally back to rhe hotel, where our rooms were ready.

We dined in the hotel's excellent bistro.  I don't think G was too impressed.