Scotland

Continuing on with our trip to the United Kingdom in August...

After spending a few days in London we made our way back to Heathrow and jumped on a quick flight to Edinburgh.  In Edinburgh we had made the decision to rent a car so that we could explore away from the city a little bit.  This is what they gave us:

A Jaguar?  Seriously?  They examined the car very closely prior to our departure, but didn't find any existing dents or scratches because it was pretty much a brand new car.  We loaded up, set the GPS to our destination, held our breath and off we went with Irv behind the wheel.  He did a few practice loops through some traffic circles and only hit the curb twice so off we went to find out flat.  I have to say that Irv's initial driving through the narrow streets of Edinburgh on the opposite side of the road is the only thing that I've ever seen to cause a couple screams from Shiloh on the back seat.

With the navigation system's help we found the flat.  I had rented us a really nice flat in the Dean Village area of Edinburgh.  Finding the flat was one thing, finding a parking spot was another thing.  The closest parking was about half a mile away up a steep hill.

After parking the car we walked to the city center of Edinburgh which is the most beautiful city I've ever visited.  But then I saw my favorite person and his good buddy.  Not even this could ruin the day.

We wondered around looking for a shop that sells custom medieval gear that Shiloh wanted to look at for his HEMA stuff, but it was closed by the time we got there.

That meant it was time to find some dinner.  We found a wonderful little Italian bistro that ended up being the best meal of our trip.  (Please remind me to stop looking over the top of my glasses like an old granny.)

I never pass an opportunity to sit outside and eat even if it is a little chilly.  That made of been a mistake because Shiloh got really chilled and couldn't stop shivering.  I guess that's what happens when you have zero body fat to keep you warm.

Here's Irv eyeing my dinner to see what he can steal...I call him the clean up man.

Afterwards we headed back down the Royal Mile.  By this time the crowd for the Tattoo was beginning to assemble (our tickets were for the following evening).

When in the UK you have to have a photo in one of their classic phone booths.

The next morning we loaded up in the car and headed to the Helix Park in Falkirk which is where the Kelpies are located.

The Kelpies are stainless steel statues that are about 30 meters high.

You may think these are just horse heads, but they are actually mystical Scottish water horses.  Kelpies are said to haunt the rivers and streams, usually in the shape of a horse, but they can also appear in human form such as young women who lure men to their death.

They can also summon a flood to sweep someone away to their watery grave.  Their weak spot is their bridle.  Anyone who gets a hold of their bridle is said to have command over the Kelpies.  Anyway, I thought they are cool creatures.

From there we made the short drive over to the Falkirk Wheel. 

It's a rotating boat lift that connects the upper and lower canals. 

Boats load into the upper and lower chambers then the wheel rotates to raise or lower them to the other canal. 

It is possible to book a boat ride so that you can experience the Wheel, but I preferred just to watch it operate.  They say it's the only rotating boat lift in the world and its powered by the equivalent of only eight domestic kettles.  It's definitely great feat of engineering.  While Irv and I were watching the Wheel, Shiloh was inside the gift shop buying himself a bottle of Scotch.

Our next destination was Stirling Castle. 

Like other castles, the grounds are amazing.  Little did we know that Shiloh was in the backseat sampling his Scotch so by the time we arrived he was ready to experience the luscious grass for himself.

The moat area has been turned into a beautiful garden.

Even Irv enjoyed looking at all the flowers.

Stirling Castle is a beautiful fortress that contains a wealth of Scottish history.  Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned here.  Her son James VI was baptized here. 

Robert the Bruce helped recapture the castle during the War of Independence.

Unlike other castles we visited there is very little furniture in the castle.  The tour guide said that furniture was moved from castle to castle with Royals so very little remained.

It's definitely good to be Queen (or King).

In the chapel Shiloh was preparing to give us a sermon.

The windows are amazing.

Of course you can't have a fortress without a wall which the boys enjoyed walking.

It's always trouble when these two are together.

What I liked most about Stirling Castle is that you could just wander around and explore at your leisure.  However, we spent so much time exploring that we didn't have time for our next destination which was supposed to have been Loch Lomond National Park.  If you know me, then you know I could spend all my time at a National Park.  

It was time to head back to Edinburgh for the Tattoo.