Day Three in Scotland

Warm up? It didn’t … not by a long shot!  In fact, taking into consideration a steady – though thankfully not drenching – rain, it felt even colder than yesterday despite the weatherman’s promise of a comfortable 52 degrees.

This morning we had a city tour of historic downtown Edinbura(not Edinburg or Edinboro).  Our bus route, including a delightful and very knowledgeable guide, took us past the Scottish Parliament, along the Royal Mile, Princes Street, and other interesting sights. Edinburgh is a city of great contrasts, including amazing numbers of buildings from the 13^th, 14^thand 15^thcenturies, still in use but filled today with shops, offices and pubs.  Unquestionably, Scotland has a booming tourism industry as evidenced by tour busses everywhere carrying tourists from everywhere.  

We spent much of the morning and early afternoon exploring Edinburgh Castle, including the Crown Room, Royal Palace, St. Margaret’s Chapel, all which, at one time, was inhabited by Mary, Queen of Scots.  The castle and its grounds have been beautifully preserved through the centuries so it was fun, and interesting to visit.

In the afternoon, we ventured out with two other couples. Around the corner from our hotel, we enjoyed a light lunch at a local cafe and found more fascinating photo ops. 

The evening of Day Three was spent at a traditional Scottish dinner and show.  Delightful, but the most fun was posing for a picture I’m calling “how many Utahns can you fit in a Scottish phone booth?”  We had to make those on the bus wait for a minute and a half, but what a great way to end a great day!