July 12-13, 2013–Short Edinburgh Tour

After five days on the Yorkshire/Lake District, it was a laundry and rest day. Our only visit was to a 17th century tenement house. The house has been kept exactly as it would have been in the 17th century before electricity (although it has now been added due to codes) and indoor plumbing. It was amazing to see a tenement house in which as many as 40 people might have lived. In one case 2 parents and 5 children in an apartment that included 2 small bedrooms and a living room/dining bench/kitchen. Seven people in a total of 3 rooms on the 4th floor of a building that had an outhouse rather than plumbing!

Hen Party on Royal Mile High Street in Edinburgh. It is common for girls to dress in costume and go out for the evening and is called a “Hen Party.” In this case there is a bride in her veil and her wedding party. We would call it a bachelorette party.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside the tenement house. Gladstone’s Land had a fabric shop on the ground floor of the tenement with a butcher shop adjacent. All the apartments were on the five floors above.