The Green Bus Company was again our host for the day. On this occasion it was to introduce Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, home to a population of 450 000. The young man who shared his knowledge of times past to the present day was an eloquent commentator. Perhaps he'd been to Blarney Castle.
Edinburgh is either distinctly Old Town or New Town & is named according to its pre or post 1760 establishment. The Old Town sits on a ridge above the New Town. With over population of the Old Town, expansion in 1760 was necessary. The Old & New Towns were bridged with a reclamation project requiring 2 million tons of rubbish!
Edinburgh Castle, perched on an extinct volcano, dominated the city skyline. It's not a castle as such, but an amalgamation of culturally, historically & military significant buildings. The castle is home to the one o'clock gun. This is fired Monday to Saturday at precisely one o'clock to provide everyone with an accurate time check. The castle forequarter was in a state of preparedness for the month long Military Tattoo scheduled for August. Also visited was St Margaret's Chapel, a tiny Norman built structure more than 900 years old. It is the oldest building in Edinburgh. The Crown Jewels, last used for the coronation of Charles II, are housed at the castle.
Parliament House is not only incongruous with it's surroundings, it doesn't sit well with those from Edinburgh. The commissioned architect was from Barcelona, the granite was imported from China. The architectural features surrounding the windows are said to reflect the openness & honesty of politicians!
Monuments to missionary Dr David Livingstone, author Sir Walter Scott & John Knox who led the 16th century Protestant reformation & William Pitt the Younger, who introduced income & window tax in the late 18th century, were noted. The window tax resulted in existing windows being removed & the elimination of windows in new buildings. Symmetry was maintained with artistic flair & the painting of faux windows. It was the window tax that led to the expression 'daylight robbery'.
Fellows of the Royal Society of Physicians include James Young Simpson, who was midwife to Queen Victoria. In 1853, while living several doors from where we are staying, he & some colleagues were 'experimenting' with chloroform. The anesthetising powers of chloroform are now well documented. Arthur Cronin Doyle was a qualified physician, but he is better known as the celebrated author of Sherlock Holmes. Elementary dear friends! Joseph Lister, while not born here, practised surgery in Edinburgh. He pioneered the sterilization of surgical instruments & antiseptic surgery.
In a time when bodies were in demand for medical research, Burke & Hare gained notoriety as grave robbers. Burke was finally tried & hanged for his deeds, while Hare was exonerated! Interestingly, Burke's body was sold for medical research. The winner was the hangman. He cut & sold short lengths of the hanging rope. Hence the expression 'money for old rope'.
Notable literary sons & daughter include Robert Louis Stevenson, John Buchan, Sir Walter Scott & J K Rowling. Poet Robbie Burns' enduring popularity is thought to relate to his working class status.
The Royal Standard is at mast, indicating Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, is in residence at the Palace Holyroodhouse. She doesn't own the palace, so like all visitors to Edinburgh, she is required to pay for her lodgings while staying there. This afternoon's garden party was a damp affair. Disruptions to traffic commence tomorrow morning as the city is prepared for the investiture of Prince William as a Member of the Order of the Thistle. This event is scheduled for Thursday.
Michael Salmond is the current First Minister of Scotland. While number six Charlotte Square is considered a prestigious address & the dwelling is a grand Georgian Terrace, he lives there without the entourage of security expected to be seen protecting an important statesman.
Our return to our accommodation took us through Jenner's, a department store that was established in 1830. Locals claim it rivals Harrods. The interior justifies this challenge, but I think parochialism has erred in Jenner's favour! Harrods gets my vote.
Its proximity to our accommodation, good food, along with a 30% loyalty discount offer were sufficient reasons to return to Cafe Rouge for our evening meal. Exploring Edinburgh will continue tomorrow.
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