The Diamond Jubilee in Edinburgh

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee only comes around once in a lifetime, but instead of staying in London with the crowds, we went to a different part of the UK – Scotland!  It’s so close but when we’ve had the time, there have been so many other things to do and places to see, that Scotland never made it on the priority list.  But, with 2 bank holidays at the beginning of the week, it made it to the top!

We took the train from King’s Cross Station in London and were able to see the famous Harry Potter tourist attraction . . . Platform 9 3/4.  The kids got a little camera-shy with the crowd of other tourists waiting for their turn.

We had a nice relaxing 4 1/2 hour train ride up to Edinburgh.  What’s not to like?  Snacks, hot chocolate, and time (to sleep, read, play iPods, etc.)!

Once we got into Scotland along the coast, the view was stunning.  It took the kids a few guesses to figure out which sea we were seeing out the window . . . .

It is the North Sea and it is beautiful!

Even after the relatively nice ride up in the train, we were very happy to get to Edinburgh and stretch our legs.  The weather was a bit chilly but there was no rain like London was having.

Mom & Cami

It was a bit of a walk from the train station but we found the flat we were renting for the two days and were happy to crash for the night.

DAY 1

When we awoke the next morning, we had a great view – the Edinburgh Castle as it sits atop Castle Rock (an extinct volcano)!  That was our first stop of the day . . .

Edinburgh Castle

We were lucky enough to think about buying our tickets online that morning before heading out so we hiked up to it and walked right past the queues.

Cami’s Turn with the Camera

We definitely opted for the audio tour, as it’s always fun to get some learning in as we tour.  Aside from that, our kids can go longer while they have something to concentrate on – it’s great!

Caleb, Hannah, and Cami

Supposedly there has been a royal castle here since at least the the 12th century.  There was some time in history where it’s role as a castle was discontinued, and instead was a military base.  Then in the 19th century, it was taken over by the country and restored to be recognized as a historical monument.  It was neat to learn how many times it was besieged – successfully and unsuccessfully.  This is where the Wars of Scottish Independence and part of the Jacobite Rising occurred.

Kids with a Bagpiper

Caleb told us he had two goals while in Edinburgh – to see a bagpiper (male) and to buy a tartan scarf from the Nevin side of our family.  We saw the above bagpiper (statue) and had the kids get a picture just in case we never saw the real thing.

Kids Climbing while Emma Listens to Audio-tour

One of the interesting facts we picked up from the audio-tour was that there was a cemetery for dogs . . . those belonging to the soldiers.  We found it and were surprised how quaint it was . . . and loved the tombstone shaped like a doghouse!

Dog Cemetery

It was around this time in our tour that we saw someone that looked familiar . . . kind of the right person in the wrong place situation.  It took us a few minutes to realize that we were definitely seeing someone from our London ward here in Scotland . . at the castle.  What are the chances?!  We should have gotten a picture!

As we finished talking, there was a loud gunshot.  We rushed over to see what was happening and found a costumed soldier giving a history lesson.  Caleb was entranced, or so it seemed, but I’m sure he was just eye-ing the gun!  He insisted that we wait until after the lesson so he could ask to hold it.

Probably to Caleb’s surprise, the soldier started asking history questions and testing him.

When the soldier found out Caleb was American, there was some playful finger-pointing going on.

But, in the end, Caleb got to hold the gun.  He was a happy camper . . and surprised to find how heavy it was!

After the Castle, we started down the hill on The Royal Mile to see what we could see.

One sight of The Fudge House sign and Chris was inside before we knew what had happened to him.  It was a great little side-trip as we got to see them making the fudge in their back kitchen.

The next little side-stop was in a tartan factory (surely only there for tourists), but it was neat to see how they got all the different colors set up to start the weaving process.  This got us wondering what tartan the Nevin’s  had.  I knew they had their own family crest, but couldn’t find a tartan with that name on it.  A quick email to my mom and she told us they used the McNaughton tartan . . so we were on the hunt from that point on.

Having gotten to the bottom of The Royal Mile, we hit Holyrood Palace, the Queen’s official residence in Scotland.

We must have worn the kids out at this point because they did NOT want to go tour the palace.  We still had a bit of a trek to get back to our flat, so we took a picture inside the palace gates and started back.

Holyrood Palace Courtyard

And, lo and behold, our timing must have been right on because we saw the real life bagpiper Caleb had been on the hunt for, kilt and all.

I was surprised to find that Caleb had actually been carrying around coins to give to the bagpiper when he saw him.  The girls followed suit and tipped him as well.

This large monument is situated quite centrally in the city.  We found out you can climb to the top to see a great view of the city.  Then we found out you have to pay . . bummer.  We decided our hike to Arthur’s Seat the following day (which was free) would give us a more amazing view anyway, so just opted for the picture.

The monument is of Sir Walter Scott, the Scottish author . . . and aptly named the Scott Monument.

The park, where the monument (the tall rocket ship-shaped structure to the left of the picture) is situated, is beautiful.

From the park we just wandered, getting ourselves intentionally lost.  The best little adventures were into the old cemeteries.  We even found Abraham Lincoln in one!

The statue is a memorial to Scottish American Soldiers from the  American Civil War.

Greyfriars Bobby

Our second find was a tombstone for a dog – Greyfriars Bobby.  His story is heartwarming, staying by his master’s grave (John Gray – below) for 14 years before he died himself.

Greyfriars Bobby’s Owner

For our animal-loving kids, this was a great way to end our walking tour of Edinburgh for the day.

DAY 2

Our second day in Edinburgh was really a half day as we had to catch an early-afternoon train back to London.  We decided to make the most of it and see more of the city on an open-top bus tour.

Taking a Tour

Surprisingly there were a number of different tours to choose from that had little variations.  We chose one that would take us out near the botanical gardens and docks then close to Arthur’s Seat, where we were planning to spend a few hours.

Cami Plugged in for the Tour

Again, anything that has an audio tour is a big ‘thumbs up’ in our book.  The kids loved learning about the quirky little historical facts as we drove through the city.  We disembarked near Arthur’s Seat and started on our quest for the amazing view of Edinburgh.

When we got to the base, we had a choice – go the hill route (walk around and up it) . . .

. . . or take the ‘real’ hike up to the peak.

Starting our Trek

We opted for the hike and had a great time.  Forty minutes later we were enjoying our hard work by taking in the amazing panoramic view . . . and the snacks we had brought to enjoy.

Taking a Rest at the Top

Hannah & Cami on Top of the World

After our brief break, the troops hiked to the very top of the peak to say they had been all the way to the highest point.

Tippy-Top of the Peak

After we got home, we learned Arthur’s Seat has some history in our church.  This was where Scotland was dedicated in 1840 “for the preaching of the gospel.”  At that time Elder Orson Pratt climbed  the hill to pray  for 200 more converts (there were only 80 members at the time).  Because of this event, the hill is affectionately known in the Church as Pratt’s Hill.  Pretty amazing!

When we made it down from Arthur’s Seat/Pratt’s Hill, we had a little time to finish up souvenir shopping on The Royal Mile.  Caleb was determined to find his McNaughton Tartan scarf.  It took us a couple stores, but we found it!

Caleb’s Find

A quick model session of the scarf and we were good to head back to London after our quick taste of Edinburgh!

Feeling Scottish