Wind in Edinburgh

Our only full day in Edinburgh saw a major schedule change due to a wind warning and the closure of our first location. At 9 am, we were supposed to have had a tour of Edinburgh Castle, which is located on a cliff that overlooks the city. Due to the wind possibly reaching 60+ mph, the officials decided to close down the castle until would let up, but the forecast didn't see this happening until about 8pm. The castle is located at the very top of a sloped road called the Royal Mile. At one end is Edinburgh Castle, while at the other is Holyrood Palace, which we went to instead.

A quick note on Edinburgh Castle:  it is placed on Castle Rock, overlooking parts of the city. There is evidence to suggest that there has been an occupation of some kind at this location since the second century AD. This castle has seen many besiegements and battles, and it is believed that this has been one of the most battle ridden places in the world throughout its history.

Holyrood Palace is the Royal Residence in Scotland. It has been the official residence of the Monarchs of Scotland since the 1500s. Queen Mary of Scots (not bloody Mary who was her older cousin and oldest daughter of Henry VIII) lived here for a spell before she was eventually run out and then imprisoned by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. This Palace saw many secret affairs, conspiracies, murders, and battles. It has been the house of Royals, and other state officials. Currently, its main uses include state occasions, one of the residences of the British Royal family, and it serves as a piece of history that the public can view, except when a member of the Royal family is in residence. Visitors walk through the palace in an almost French fashion, with the rooms being open and connected by two doors on either end. The original tapestries and plaster ceilings are amazing sites and it is obvious that when the palace was built to impress.

One of the top things to do in Edinburgh is to hike Arthur's seat. This mountain is placed at the end of the Royal Mile and visitors can hike up either a slow incline around the back or up a pretty steep section. The very top has an amazing view of Edinburgh and the surrounding suburbs and it is something I highly recommend, but not on a day when there are wind warnings. My friends and I were bored and as it was our only full, and last day in the city we went for it. The hike was slow going against the wind that battered down on us. As we got closer to the top, the wind whipped and howled. We often had to crouch down to the ground in order to minimize our wind resistance. At the top, we were welcomed with clouds we could almost touch and gusts that made our eyes water but most importantly, we were met by a clear view for miles. I loved it! It was what I needed and it made me love the city more; between the close proximity to an amazing hike and the old stone buildings, I have decided that Edinburgh is joining my list of dream cities.


(Top) This is the view from the top of Arthur's seat. It's got a gorgeous view, most of which I saw through the lense of my camera dur to the wind.
(Below) The Elephant House Cafe is super cool, and their tea is delicious.

(Below) The streets of Edinbrgh feel like you've stepped back into a mystical time of magic and mystery. It was fun wlaking up and down the streets. 

One of the things we did was visit the Scottish Parliament. Outside, we saw a peaceful protest against Brexit. It will be interesting to see what will happen in terms of Scottish Devolution as this process continues on.