1 DAY IN EDINBURGH

You could spend weeks in Edinburgh - months! - and not see it all, so prioritizing for our 1 full day to explore was a challenge. I think we nailed it. We left Ruth (peeking out the window) and Norman's lovely house with Val.

She graciously drove us into town with a stop on Morningside Terrace where the family lived in 1978 when I lived with them.

1st stop was Edinburgh Castle. Important tip: buy your tickets online before you go - the ticket line can cost an hour or more otherwise. We enjoyed seeing the Scottish Honors - (crown jewels and the Stone of Scone, no photos allowed), the gorgeous views (and pet cemetery) from the castle, and the beautiful St. Margaret's Chapel, dating to the 12th century, the oldest part of the castle.

For lunch we chose the Outsider on George IV Bridge, recommended by a friend of Isaac's. Perfection!

Walking to our next stop we past the coffee house where RK Rowling wrote the 1st Harry Potter book.

We enjoyed a walk around Grassmarket; the pub closest to the main square where locals viewed public hangings in previous centuries is called "The Last Drop".

At Armstrong & Son - really awesome used clothing store - I bought a little cashmere sweater and 2 mohair scarves for £10 (about $14).

Mike was blown away by St. Gile's Cathedral - really amazing.

We explored our way down the rest of the Royal Mile...

...to the Holyrood Palace where the Royals live when they're in Edinburgh.

The Holyrood Park is lovely; we hiked around the crags, then soaked our feet in the beautiful wading pool.

Proof I was there. Also proof bunnies were there.

Beautiful views! Firth of Forth in the distance.

Isaac shimmied up the walls of this lane. He suggested that I mention the walls were closing in and he held them apart so Mike and I could make an escape. :-)

Couldn't resist a photo of this sign with an 'L' and a 'T' missing.

We chose Henderson's vegetarian restaurant, celebrating its 50th year, for dinner and dessert, then followed it up with a stop at Queen's Arms pub and a stroll around Princes Street Gardens before heading back to our hosts in Linlithgow on a train.

Happy trails!

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