Edinburgh Scenes

We were five days and four nights in Edinburgh. It's a favorite place, pretty, historic, literary, and in August, since the late 1940s, site of the world's largest cultural festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, which is now something in name only, that is, a collection of a score or more independent festivals covering just about everything creative or cultural or intellectual. Still indubitably the world's largest. I'll do a separate post on the mostly Fringe things we saw this time. Also a separate post on the Military Tattoo, another Edinburgh institution as old as the Festival, which we adore. And the Scottish National Gallery. But first just a few almost random Edinburgh scenes. For more, see the 2009 posts tagged Edinburgh. Oh yes, we stayed at the Caravan Club Silverknowes campground, very nice, easy transit into the city.

It was a gray day, something this city seems perfectly suited
for

The Walter Scott monument; I have lots of bad
pix of it; finally a decent one; Edinburgh styles
itself the City of Literature, which may be over-
reaching, but it certainly values its literature,
and not merely in the book festival(s)

A bit of the Castle from New Town

Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde

Cowgate

St. Giles

Royal Mile Armories--don't bother shopping anywhere else
for Scottish goods; Vicki bought enough Clan Mackay
Ancient for a kilt for Penelope; I was captivated by all the
machines doing it the semi-old-fashioned way; it's up by
the Castle, across from Malt Disney, which, BTW, is not so
bad a place for sampling and buying samples...

I made my obligatory trek down the Mile to Cadenhead's, and,
explaining my preferences, wants, and purse, took their advice
and bought a bottle of Cambelltown, which has been a
revelation...

Just another random Edinburgh shot

Familiar pose of George IV, reconciling a bit
with Scotland, near our bus stop coming and
going