Our journey continues in Scotland! In Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, we stop for a first impression. In this city the Scottish sunshine greets us directly – the weather is permanently changing, and it rains sometimes more and sometimes less. The water from above is our permanent companion for the city visit.

Since it is easier to park on a campground in big cities, we park Ben on the Drummohr Camping Ground in Morrison’s Haven. From here we can easily go by train (approx. 15 min.) or by bus (approx. 50 min.) to the center of Edinburgh without worrying about a parking place with a longer stay than 2 hours.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh is probably world famous for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Edinburgh Castle is the impressive festival site where this event is held. During our visit at the beginning of October 2022 we can still watch the dismantling of the grandstands, the Military Tattoo was last August. We know a bit about the site from television broadcasts, but it’s exciting to see that the actual castle doesn’t begin until behind the forecourt, where the performances of the military bands were.

The castle itself has several different sections which can be visited. Some buildings are museums to document the varied military history of troops stationed here and general operations of soldiers. Our interest is mainly in the old buildings and the unique location. The castle hill is enthroned above the old town at one end of the Royal Mile and thus offers a good view over the center of Edinburgh. So, the visit is also worthwhile for us, although we are not strongly interested in the military events of the past. By chance, however, we are just in time to experience the One o’Clock Gun. At 13:00 sharp, an artillery barrage is fired. This is done by a traditionally dressed gunner and has a long tradition. Originally, the clocks on the ships around Edinburgh were set after this blast to ensure the same time on the various warships.

Tip: Buy your tickets online, you will not only save time queuing but also money. A ticket per adult costs 18 pounds online whereas on site 21 pounds. Also, during our visit, only groups and people with pre-purchased (online) tickets had access until 14:00. From 14.00 onwards, the remaining day tickets were sold on site.

Calton Hill

Edinburgh has several hills in and around the city. The most central one is Calton Hill. Today there is a park with several memorials on it. We take the short walk, despite the rain, to get a change of scenery in the park. The climb takes only about 10 minutes, so very easy for us. At the top, we can get a better view of the inlet that leads into Edinburgh and get a great view of Edinburgh Old Town.

Old town of Edinburgh, Royal Mile and the Closes

The old town of Edinburgh is centered around the Royal Mile. The best way to get there is to walk the short distances between the buildings and through the narrow little streets. The so-called Close, are the narrow streets that were and still are connecting routes from the Lower Town to the Royal Mile. These closes originally had some kind of gate at the end of the Royal Mile, usually a large iron gate. In some cases, you can still see the attachment points for it in the stone. At night these gates were closed and locked so that only those who had a key could enter. In many ways, the Edinburgh Closes were an early example of gated communities. The Closes are usually named after famous people of their time. The most famous is probably Mary King’s Close, which is now a creepy museum.

We take a quick look at some of the stores and cafes. In the meantime, we just enjoy the walk through Edinburgh – material consumption doesn’t always have to be in the foreground.

St. Giles’ Cathedral

St. Giles’ Cathedral is a stop for Mimi. The architecture of the various churches and cathedrals naturally fascinates many architects. Of course, with our luck, we are here right at noon mass. Despite the mass, the church may be visited, but of course with the condition to be especially quiet and not to take pictures of the mass or the visitors. Rules that one should also otherwise observe when visiting a house of faith.
The Gothic church was probably built at the beginning of the 12th century, although a church is said to have stood on this site since the 8th century.

Scott Monument

Of course, during our extended wanderings through the city, we also make a stop at the Scott Monument. The impressive, gothic tower with its more than 60m height is definitely worth a visit. During our stop we even get a brief glimpse of the sun.

Arthur’s Seat

The weather is better the next day and on our way to the Highlands of Scotland we stop again outside of Edinburgh. Holyrood Park is a large area of several hills and lakes. Some ruins from bygone days are still standing here. The highest point is Arthur’s Seat. Since we can’t find a place on the main parking lot, we notice that a road leads through the park, which we are allowed to drive on. We don’t know anything about it, so we are happy to find a parking place on this road about halfway up to Arthur’s Seat. From here the ascent is steep, but for the first time the wide grassy hills of the Highlands can be guessed. We are delighted with the view that is offered to us. This is how we imagined it – and much more of it is to follow in the days to come!

On the summit itself we linger only briefly, the strong wind blows us, without exaggerating, almost from a safe stand. Forces of nature are sometimes the most beautiful experiences, especially for Paddy – that’s why we are on the road here.

After these experiences our anticipation is even greater to finally reach the wild Highlands of Scotland.