Saturday, June 1, 2013, Day 7 - the first day of June and for most Europeans, the first day of Summer...

I am still limited on time for this internet usage in the hotel so this will be short and sweet.  I hope to get more time at our next stops and then I will expound more on these shorted 2 days.

We had the wake-up call set for 7:30.  Most were up by then with great expectations about seeing more of Edinburgh.  A good continental breakfast and we were all off on the bus into Edinburgh to pick up our local guide.  We met Dave Stalker, a true Scotsman and a member of the McFarland clan.

Dave gave us a wonderfully witty guided bus tour of the old city and central city of Edinburgh.  We stopped at the Holyrood House Palace, where the Queen stays, and then on to the Royal Mile (the road that leads from the Palace all the way up the hill to the Edinburgh Castle) and then a very nice walking tour of the Castle.  When Dave was done we had 5 hours of open time.  Most explored a but more of the castle, then scattered in the groups of at least 3 to do shopping, have lunch, do shopping, sight-see, do shopping, you get the idea...

Edinburgh Castle

Here is the Main or Great Hall:

And why is this famous?  Who is a very famous Edinburgh resident who used to wander the streets and coffee houses of Edinburgh, writing?  Give up?  Think Harry Potter..  Yes, J.K. Rowling.  She supposedly used this Great Hall as the inspiration for the Hogwarts Great Hall.  She even conducted the launch of the book Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince from this very Great Hall!! (Tomorrow we head south to see the castle that was used for some of the filming!!)

We then gathered at the Wellington Monument and walked to dinner.  Alas, it had sprinkled some doing the day and was doing it again as we walked to dinner.

Our after dinner entertainment was provided by a Scot and Brit in the bar next door who decided to take their fight out onto the sidewalk as we walked by..  After all these years the Brits and the Scots are still not on very friendly terms..  Remember Braveheart?  The Scots certainly do.

Anyway, we then went to "Ghost Walk".  Turned out to be more of a comedy and history lesson.  The girls had a great time and the 2 actors were wonderfully entertaining.

After the Spooky Tour of Edinburgh

We have an early start tomorrow and will be headed South into England and stopping at the castle used for some of the Harry Potter movies.