The monument to St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.
The church above is oval shaped so that there is “no corner in which the devil can hide” or as some cynics said, “no corner in which to hide when they pass the collection plate.”
Edinburgh’s Hard Rock Café.
Jeckel and Hyde bar in Edinburgh
The Dogs Kitchen Bar. Not sure what that is about.
On the hill above is Edinburgh Castle in the distance.
Ferry and Cruise Terminal Edinburgh
Below, the Royal Yacht Britannia at its permanent dock. The 412’ luxury yacht has been retired and has its permanent berth in Edinburgh.
A visit to a truly luxurious yacht. The yacht has been retired due to the cost of operation but in its day was used for the honeymoon trip for Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the honeymoon of Princess Mary, and had been around the world more than 25 times.
Photo of Princes Diana abandoning royal protocol to welcome her boys.
Below, the bar in the officers lounge and the Royal Tender in which the Queen rides to shore. This 45’ tender is carried on the 412’ yacht. It has a high window so that the Queen may be seen arriving.
The officers dining room.
The Royal Dining Room which has entertained the likes of Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela and many others.
The Royal Drawing Room outside the dining room.
Princess Diana often played this piano.
Left, the Royal Tender.
Below, the Royal Marines crew quarters.
Next, the Senior COP and Warrant Officer Mess (dining area for you non-military people).
Below, the surgical center and sick bay.
We continue our bus tour of the city.
Cemetery which contains the mass grave of soldiers on the troop train during World War I which crashed into a stalled train on the tracks and was in turn hit by and express train that misread the stop signal. 410 military personnel where killed in the wreck of the two trains.
Pink Union Jack signifying the only admitted gay bar in Edinburgh. We stopped in one night for a “wee drink” before learning it was a gay bar.
Queens palace in Edinburgh. It was off the tour list because the Queen was in residence.
High Street, also called the Royal Mile due to its 1.3 mile distance from the Edinburgh Castle to the Queens Palace, is the busiest tourist street in Edinburgh.
Above, The White Horse, the oldest pub in Edinburgh.
The Warden’s House, the last remaining part of a former prison.
Edinburgh Castle high on its extinct volcanic perch.
Below, Grassmarket, a former grain market and city fair now a great restaurant and pub area.
Below, graduation ceremony at Edinburgh University. Edinburgh University was just voted the best university in the world in relation to quality of education for tuition paid. In Scotland, university is free to its citizens.
Elaine’s friend The Invisible Man on High Street.
We begin our tour of Edinburgh Castle.
View of the city from the Castle walls.
Below, the temporary stadium seats set up at the castle for the Edinburgh Tattoo that takes place in August as a homecoming for all Scottish military personnel and veterans.
Below, one of the largest guns (cannons) installed at the castle. It was never fired.
Entrance to the crown jewels of Scotland.
Below, the statue of Robert Bruce one of Scotland's heroes.
Room in which Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI who became James I of England when the British Union was formed.
A convenient stop on the castle tour for a taste of Scottish Whiskey.
Below, this cannon is fired every day at 1:00pm. The cynics say that the reason the gun is fired at 1:00 pm instead of 12:00 Noon is that the tight fisted Scots do not want to waste the extra 11 shells. A real cynic says that they want to save the extra 11 shells for the English.
Above, we seem to pass the gay bar a lot!!!
Back on High Street and the end of our bus tour for the day.
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