On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Litlebritdifrnt
As you know my husband is American so we do not do foreign holidays because there is so much of the UK that he has not seen. One of our pilgrimages is to Edinburgh for the Festival and specifically The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. This year we combined that trip with a trip to Loch Ness to memorialise our trip there in 1990 shortly before he was recalled for Desert Storm. Edinburgh, as you can imagine, is an absolute zoo during festival, but it is really worth doing. There are over 250 fringe venues and every hall, club, pub, cellar, and courtyard has some sort of act going on, with the acts themselves in the streets during the day performing snippets and handing out leaflets advertising their shows. It is great fun.
Those of you who have watch the goings on surrounding the death of our beloved Queen will no doubt be familiar with the name of St. Giles Cathedral. This is inside the Thistle Chapel, the small chapel inside the Cathedral which is reserved for members of The Order of The Thistle which is a society of people granted the honour by the Monarch. The carving as you can see is simply astounding.
Again for those who watched the ceremonies this is the Square where is was proclaimed that The Queen had died and Charles was now King. When this picture was taken you can see the various troops of actors etc., who were advertising their shows.
This is the view from the Apartment we stayed in looking up toward the Castle. Edinburgh Castle is built on top of a volcanic cliff so it is the perfect defensive position.
The reason for the trip of course was the Tattoo. It was absolutely brilliant and the only disappointment for my Husband was the abject failure of the US Army Band from DC to “read the room” so to speak. They performed a mostly show tunes show, with more singing (two females and one male) than actually playing or Marching. Nevermind, the pipers were of course pitch perfect and brought a tear to my eye.
We spent a wonderful day at the Zoo. Luckily for me I had a mobility scooter to get around because believe me when I tell you that Edinburgh Zoo was built on the side of a Cliff. The Meerkats are at the bottom and the Tigers are on the top. Tomorrow Loch Ness!
Tony Jay
Many years ago we camped at a site in North Berwick and caught the train into Edinburgh for the Festival, expecting it to be rammed to the gills like Liverpool Town Centre on Christmas Eve.
It wasn’t nearly that bad, thankfully, and we had a great night visiting a number of the capital’s fantastic old pubs before settling in one for an evening of beer and free comedy. It was there that I received a round of applause and a free pint from a comedian for feeding him a line about “octopus love” that he probably still uses to this day.
And St Giles’ is magnificent. You can certainly see why Dunnett set the dramatic end-scene of ‘The Disorderly Knights‘ there.
VeniceRiley
On my visa I am limited to 90 total days out of country; so we will be UK vacationing the majority of the time as well. Next Aprl pilgrimage to “the Mothershib” Shibden Hall, Halifax and surrounds. Plenty to see hyperlocally as well here and near Sudbury, Suffolk.
Saw the Tatoo on tv. Brilliant. it’s now on the bucket list. Agree with you about the US contingent.
twbrandt (formerly tom)
An acquaintance of mine was studying for his PhD at the University of Edinburgh, and as he was an ordained Presbyterian minister, somehow snagged a position as an assistant minister at St. Giles. He was probably one of the few Americans granted that.
Anyway, when I visited Edinburgh in 2015 I got the back door tour of St. Giles and got to see a lot of places tourists don’t normally see. It is really magnificent.
twbrandt (formerly tom)
@twbrandt (formerly tom): I meant to add that I’ve been to Scotland three times and love the country. Edinburgh and Glasgow are great cities, but being out on the Hebrides Islands is an almost otherworldly experience. I can’t wait to go back.
Dr. Jakyll and Miss Deride
About the Edinburgh Zoo — Eleanor Morton, a red-haired Scottish comedian, has a series on YouTube called “Scottish Tour Guide Doesn’t Give a Fuck.” She makes her face, especially her eyes, go completely dead as she drones on. In one episode, the guide (always called “Crrraig”) does the Zoo. At the start he says he hopes they “like hills” (which comes out sounding like “hulls”).
NeenerNeener
@Tony Jay: you’ve just inspired me to re-read all the Lymond books.
JML
Went over to England for a staff development conference at the university’s study abroad site back in May, and took a day trip up to Edinburgh during the extra days I stayed. Absolutely loved it. The castle was definitely worth the price of admission. What an amazing view of the city from up there!
Tony Jay
@NeenerNeener:
Then my work here is done.
Ken
I’m now curious: Does Charles have to live with his mum’s choices for the Orders of the Thistle and of the Garter, or can he kick them out and install his own chums? Or maybe this is one of those cases where everyone says “well, he technically could do that, but it would cause a constitutional crisis so he won’t”?
Timill
@Ken:
https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/stranger-than-fiction/
J R in WV
Poor King Charles III — King with total powers over absolutely nothing of any significance…
Yet required to provide a majestic front for the Tories mis-rule as if he agrees with their crackpot ideas!
WaterGirl
@VeniceRiley:
Is that 90 days PER YEAR?
VeniceRiley
@WaterGirl: nope. For the duration of the visa in total.
WaterGirl
@VeniceRiley: Holy cow, how long is the visa? 3 years?
kalakal
Edinburgh also has my favourite bridge.
The magnificent Forth (rail) Bridge
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1485/
The Moar You Know
My wife and I spent two weeks in Edinburgh, leaving January 2, 2020. I had reason to think a bit afterwards that, well, if that’s your last trip, that’s the way to end it. Thankfully it seems that travel is coming back.
We would happily live there if they’d have us. Never been to a place I liked more, but more importantly, never liked the people in any place I’ve been more.
arrieve
@twbrandt (formerly tom): I agree. I’ve been lucky enough to visit many countries but I think Scotland may be my favorite. I would love to spend a couple of weeks in the Hebrides. I’ve only been to Skye, and it is one of the most gorgeous, unworldly places on this planet.
Love these pictures.
Mike in NC
I first visited Glasgow and Edinburgh in 1987 via train and explored both cities on foot. Went back to Edinburgh in 2019 and got worn out walking the streets. Sucks getting old…
way2blue
I visited Edinburgh years & years ago. Loved how the Castle has the bedrock emerging from its floor. Very cool…
Origuy
I was in Edinburgh in 2003 and saw the Fringe and the Tattoo. The Tattoo is great; it was the first year for the Top Secret Drum Corp from Switzerland. I’ve watched videos from subsequent years and they’ve been back.
One of my memories of the Fringe was going to a midnight show and being one of three people in the audience. The performer was an American with a guitar who told jokes. It was dreadful but none of us could leave. The best thing was a travelling performance of Macbeth. It started in Greyfriars Kirk with the witches’ scene and the actors and audience moved through Edinburgh with scenes in different places.
Tehanu
I’ve been to Scotland four times and it wasn’t nearly enough. Argyll and the west in general are my idea of heaven, at least in the summer. My favorite memory of Loch Ness is standing on top of the (ruins) of Castle Urquhart near sunset and seeing three RAF jets flying along the loch. But there’s no place in Scotland that isn’t beautiful, even when it’s bleak and stony.