Edinburgh

We first stayed in Edinburgh at a cozy bed and breakfast within easy walking distance to the Royal Mile.  We arrived after 9pm (see previous post) and were immediately led to our room and given one of those old fashioned keys...very quaint.  The shower was a bit quirky in that the temperature range randomly altered between freezing, comfortable, or scalding.  Otherwise, we were rather comfortable!

We rose early enough to eat and then set our for our first full day in Scotland.  We found our way to the Royal Mile and gained entry to Edinburgh Castle.  It was amazing!  Afterward we wondered down a little the Royal Mile.  The kids and I split up with Charlie and he was able to do the Scotch Whiskey Experience while we explored on our own.  We had dinner at Deacon Brodies Tavern where I enjoyed some fish and chips.  Yum!  I have to admit that while we enjoyed the food and the ambiance, our dinner was cut short because of the people sitting next to us.  They requested to be moved because we smelled and weren't classy enough for them.  I'm not saying we smelled great, but we weren't sitting close enough for us to actually affect their experience nor did they appear overly classy.  Regardless, we finished eating and left.  Luckily, that was the only unpleasantness we experienced on our trip.  Everyone else was friendly and helpful!  

The second day was also spent on the Royal Mile.  This time we made it further down and visited Holyrood Palace.  That was also amazing.  We were able to visit the state rooms, the abbey remains, and the queen's gardens.  That day we also visited the Childhood Museum and we ordered haggis for lunch.  I'm glad I did it, but I'll admit I'll never sit around wishing to have the dish again.  The mashed turnips were okay, but the mashed potatoes were delicious.  The kids split an order of macaroni and cheese and devoured it.  We ended this day by making our way to Princes Street and noticing the lovely park there.  

Our final day in Scotland had us return to the Princes Street park where the kids played on a very cool playground.  We were there until around noon before we decided to go explore Arthur's Seat, although we didn't hike all the way up as we didn't think Zach was up for such an adventure.  It was beautiful though.  We also were able to visit Edinburgh Museum.  

I'll upload pictures later, but we loved Edinburgh very much.  We hope to make it back to Scotland again, but the next time we will rent a car and explore the countryside.