Scotland

EDINBURGH

Here we are walking the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.  My friend warned me ahead of time that there is some kind of time warp here.  Time seriously goes by soooo fast.  On a good day,  it will take you at least 3 hrs to walk one mile - no joke.  

We are standing with the Camera Obscura (built in 1853) behind us on the left, and to the right The Hub, or the 1844 Neo-Gothic Tolbooth Church. 

Outside a typical 16th/17th c. merchant home - Gladstones Land

The kids doing the thing they do best - being silly with their pig noses

St. Giles' Cathedral is to the left which houses a statue in honor of John Knox.  But John Knox wasn't all that popular in his day.  In fact the kids are standing at his gravesite, in the parking lot, at stall 23.  Crazy, huh?!

For more pictures of The Royal Mile walk check them out on my other blog HERE

THE HIGHLANDS

The kids at the Culloden Battlefield where a huge battle occurred between the Jacobites (under Bonnie Prince Charlie) and the supporters of the Hanover dynasty in 1746.  I am ashamed to admit it but I had no idea what this was all about until this trip.  I didn't fully understand what happened here until we toured the museum either.   I think I read the Rick Steves expert at least 3 times trying to figure it out too.  It was a great museum!!  This battle is sad because it began yrs of repression of Scottish culture by the English.

Totally off topic, but a cool story regardless.  The young man who sold us our ticket to the Culloden Battlefield museum was named Calum.  We asked him how the Scottish felt about the Disney movie Brave and he proceeded to tell us about his little sister.  Apparently, his little sister is the one singing the traditional Scottish song at the very beginning of the movie when it shows her as a young girl.  Neat!

We then stopped in a little town called Dores to search for the Lock Ness Monster 'Nessie'.  Evan saw it!!!  He was so excited too!!!  It was a nice stop and we were there just long enough for the kids to strip off their shoes and socks in order to wade into the cold water.  

For more scenic pictures of the Highlands on my other blog HERE