Scottish Delights

Edinburgh was the next stop in the Kiersey tour. What, have them come all this way and just see one country, NO! My dad has to see more of Europe then just Dublin, Mammie is the big traveler! On one of my parent's Mexican trips, they met the Lindsay's; Margaret and Homer. They kept in touch over the years, and with JoAnn and Bruce coming all the way over, what is another little skip over the Irish Sea to Scotland. After picking up the car at the Edinburgh we had shoddy directions to city centre, and with all the construction going on, we got truly lost. With mom giving out random facts from the back seat, she is lucky she did not end up in the boot with all the stressful driving conditions currently being met.

Left sided driving: Check.
Overcrowded streets: Check.
Detours and road construction: Check.
No street signage: Check.
Cannot find yourself on a map: Check.
Driving with In-laws: Check.
Random facts spewing from the back seat driver: Priceless.

Margaret had us set up in a super nice hotel right on the canals just out of Edinburgh city centre. While extremely lost we just happened to pull over and find ourselves finally on a map, and lo and behold, we were only a street over from where we should be. We piled out of the car, dropped off our things in our beautiful two bedroom apartment and started walking toward the city. We walked up to the old castle at the Royal Mile and toured around all the various museums. It was bitterly cold, with the wind just biting through our jackets, but we were troopers; we were going to see it all! No kilts were to be found, but it was a cold day for it especially since nothing is worn underneath them. We stopped for some Scottish whiskey at a pub named 'End of the World' pub since in olde times it was the last pub before exiting the city walls, outside their world. Edinburgh has to be one of the most spectacular and authentic medieval cities that we have seen to date. You have a sense of something ancient and interesting and time passing by with a city living and breathing with life.

The best tourist attraction was Mary King's Close. Deep under the current streets was the old city depicting the history of what life was like in the old city. It is hard to believe that multiple families would live in a 3m by 3m room with the hearth in the door way, excrement rolling down the street into the loch, 'Garde a'leau' being shouted from upper windows before chamber pots are thrown out down below, people walking barefoot and even children drinking the beer since it was cleaner then the water. No wonder everyone was sick and died so young. This is a definite must see for anyone going to Edinburgh. (In France the practice was preceded by "garde a l'eau!" ("watch out for the water!"). In England, this phrase was Anglicised, first to "gardy-loo!", then just "loo", and eventually came to mean the toilet/lavatory itself. The American word for toilet, "john", is called after the John Harington who designed Elizabeth I first toilet).

The next day we headed to Livingston where the Lindsay's live. They are just the nicest people you will ever meet! No wonder my mother has kept in contact with them. The had the cutest two little dogs that made me realise how much I miss animals. I need to go to a zoo, STAT! But I digress..... We had a great meal at an Indian place that made me miss super spicy flavourful food that is hard to find in Dublin. We came back to the house to sit in the hot tub. Now that was even more of a pleasant surprise.

The following morning we headed out early for Inverness to have lunch with their daughter and her family. After a great home cooked meal, it was off to Lock Ness and the Culloden Battle field. No Nessie sightings for us, but we did make it to her museum. It was a long day of driving but great countryside, rainbows and decent weather made it all OK when we headed to the chipper and could keep the evil demon from popping out of my head and speaking for me.

Our last day in Scotland we were off to St. Andrews. We stopped for a doggie walk in Pitlochry around the dam and over a swaying suspension bridge. Autumn is my favourite time of year, crunching footsteps in the leaves, crisp clean air and the smell of fallen leaves. When we arrived at St. Andrews we headed straight for the course. Since it was Sunday we walk on the old course where some of the greatest golfers of all times have played. Not that I am into golfing, but if you are going to see a course, you might as well see where it was born. Before the trip back home, a stop at the ice-cream shoppe was in order! Back at the Lindsay's Homer and to catch a flight for work and was not able to have supper with us, but Margaret made a fabulous meal and got the potroast out of the oven just before the oven decided to unceremoniously died leaving the main course of attraction, Yorkshire Pudding, unrisen rendering it inedible. Too bad. After full bellies, some sad goodbyes it was back to the airport to head home.