May 18: Cold, grey and rainy Edinburgh

Today we started at Edinburgh Castle in a cold rain so that we could experience the wind as well.  The weather didn't allow for great pictures, but it was thrilling to be in a historic place, and we appreciated the interior parts of the castle all the more.  We started down the Royal Mile, and saw the Writer's Museum, which has is a museum dedicated to Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns, and Sir Walter Scott.  We next saw Gladstone's Land, which is a 17th Century merchant's house, with many original details still present. We braved the rain and went to St. Giles Cathedral, stopping on the way to acknowledge the Heart of Midlothian and Greyfriars Bobby among the many monuments that line the Royal Mile.  St. Giles simply took our breath away.  It isn't really a cathedral any more, since John Knox directed the Scottish Reformation from this High Kirk.  We passed John Knox's House and bypassed the Museum of Childhood, but spent a warm hour in Canongate Tolbooth, which houses the People's Story Museum.  It provided an interesting glimpse into the lives of ordinary Ediburgh citizens over the years.  We hoped to get into Holyrood Castle, but it was housing the Royal High Important Guy, but we got into the Queen's Gallery to see some Royal Treasures, which turned out to be an awfully good consolation prize.  We have now seen Faberge eggs, miniatures of several queens, daVincis, the real artists that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are named for, and enough art to stupefy us!  This took us to 5:00, so after photographing the Scottish Parliament House, we went in search of a taxi, but as we were caught again in the tramway construction, not to mention the incessant drizzling rain, we decided to walk home.  After getting lost -- Alanna swears they've moved our street since last night -- we ate at a pub, retraced our steps to Haymarket Station, and walked straight home.  Our laundry is done and we are drying out, eating chocolates, and packing for an early departure.

Alanna is very excited to be in her own episode of History of Scotland.  She is also very cold.

Edinburgh Castle is a collection of buildings, some old and some new, perched on a cliff high above the city.

View of Edinburgh from the castle	The Scottish War Memorial
Alanna on the Long Staircase	Saint Me!  A window in the 12th Century St,. Margaret's Chapel, one of the oldest buildings on the site.
Alanna and Mons Meg	The Great Hall in the Royal Apartments.

In the Great Hall there was a guide explaining about the rifle used by the British Military at the time of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.  When I explained that I taught about that era in Canadian History, he treated us to an amazing demonstration -- and I got to go on the other side of the red rope!!  We attracted quite a crowd.  He showed us how to load the gun, and the origins of the expressions "Ramrod Straight" "useless git", "bite the bullet", "going off half cocked" and "kiss the butt".  I got to hold the rifle, play with the bullet mold, and generally act like the excited history geek!

Our guide, demonstrating the correct use of a ramrod.

This is soooooo cool!

Bet you wish you got to hold a bullet!  Alanna was afraid I was going to kiss the guide.  He did have a sexy Scottish accent!

We enjoyed the Royal Scottish Regimental Museum, which had excellent and well explained exhibits.  One ot the highlights of the day for me was right at the end, when a lady started telling us about a book called "The Best Soldier".  It turns out the lady was the author, Elizabeth Scott, and had started off by doing academic research on the Sir John Hepburn (1598 - 1636), and had ended up writing a novel about him.  She was so enthusiastic about her subject that I can't wait to read my autographed copy.

This is today's "Captian Marjorie", which is the name of the mannequin that I assign to be Alanna's love interest for a while.

The guy being carried is Ensign Kennedy, who, mortally wounded, fell carrying the colour at Waterloo.  A sergeant tried to take it from him, but couldn't get it out of his grasp.  He carried both the Ensign and the colour off the field.  The French were so impressed that they stopped firing and allowed them to leave the field.  That is when they really knew how to fight.

We weren't allowed to take pictures in the Writer's Museum, or in the tenement, but I bought lots of postcards and guidebooks.  We both got a thrill out of seeing Robert Burns' writing desk, Robert Louis Stevenson's family photographs, and the replica of Scott's parlour.  Alanna is in raptures as she saw first editions of texts she studied in Medieval Scottish Literature this year, including Henryson and Dunbar. 

The tenement  building was interesting and we both loved it.  We were surprised to find out that all different classes lived in the same building:  shopkeepers on the street level, wealthy people in the middle, and the poor people on top.  All of Edinburgh at this time was kept within the city walls.  Alanna kept snickering as she read the card about the pig, which "got rid of refuse, provided a pet for the children, and food in the winter."  I've just asked Alanna what else I should write.  Quotes from Alanna:  "It was an excellent display of stuff." and "The stuff was really old."

Alanna and her police box, Also known as a TARDIS.  They are all for sale right now, and Alanna would like me to bring it home.  She says that I could use it as a garden shed.

St. Giles Cathedral

The Heart of Midlothian

 At St. Giles, there is no charge to enter, but they charge you two pounds for a photo licence.  Very clever I thought.  As Alanna's camera is miles away in the car, I took pictures for her as well, and really got my money's worth.

 

My arty shot of the statue of John Knox.	The grave of Argyle, directly across the noave from the grave of Montrose.  I wonder how they would feel about their proximity.
	The interior.  Alanna thinks this cathedral is more warm and inviting than either York or Gloucester, in spite of its dark stone and lower ceiling.
The ceiling of the Thistle Chapel.

My favourite stained glass window, showing the assassination of James Stewart, earl of Moray, in 1570.  The lower panel shows John Knoz preaching at his funeral.  This window is in the Holy Blood Aisle.

The Peoples' Story did a very good job of showing how the lives of ordinary people changed over time.  I am interested in Social History -- a fairly new field when I was at university.  

Oyez!  Oyez!

Alanna made up voices for all the characters.  This guy moaned, "I hate my job."

A cooper, like great grandfather Simpson.

The Tolbooth once was the law courts as well.

In the Scotland Book we read that the Childhood Museum was started by a man who hates children.  Hmmmm.

The Queen's Gallery had about 100 exhibits selected from the Royal Collection, and whoever chose the exhibits did an excellent job.  There was incredible variety, and we were able to stay conscious and interested for the entire exhibition.

A miniature of Mary, Queen of Scots, painted during her captivity.

 

A Faberge egg.  The design is based on a petite-point pattern, but it is square cut gems set in a platinum matrix.  Presented to the Russian Royal Family.