Part 3: Scotland Trip Report!!! A Brave Adventure, ABD Days 1 & 2 in Edinburgh

[sayhello]

So sorry this has taken so very, very long to continue! I hope to get more of it up soon!

When I left off in Part 2, I had finished an amazing day walking & photographing Edinburgh. I headed back to the lovely Balmoral to finally check into my room, get settled in, and get ready for the ABD Welcome Dinner.

My room was spacious and lovely. Before I post photos of my room, I’m going to say here that we came back to the Balmoral at the end of the ABD for one night. And while that room was also very nice, when I saw it I realized that it was highly likely that someone had pixiedusted my room for the first 2 nights. Because this room was *extra* nice! This might explain why my room wasn’t ready when I checked in that morning…

After unpacking and settling in, I freshened up, got dressed, and headed upstairs to the ABD Welcome Dinner. When we got up there, the room had 2 large windows with a spectacular view of Edinburgh Castle. We all got introduced, had a lovely dinner.

There were 19 of us in our group. 16 of us were couples, and 3 of us were traveling solo. This was an Adults Only departure, and the last trip for the season. (There were 3 other DISers on this trip, Bamagoofy, Kat6783 and Astro269. Astro269 was the only one I’d really done any communication with before the trip, though). This was also the last Scotland trip for Hanne and Zoe together.

After dinner, Hanne and Zoe told us that they had arranged for us to watch that night’s fireworks display from the restaurant! They had speakers set up that broadcast the concert, and we all gathered around the bay windows for a truly spectacular fireworks display, set to some amazing classical music.

Click! They are videos!

(I can't figure how to insert a video from Photobucket yet, so I'm posting links to them for now until I figure this out!)

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums...BD Day 1-2 Edinburgh/P1010820_zpsvdk4d7is.mp4

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v22/Hewene/ABD Scotland/ABD Day 1-2 Edinburgh/P1010823_zpsyd785gua.mp4

So amazing, and such a magical way to start our Adventure!

The next day was our day to see Edinburgh. It was an early morning, so it was a bit chilly, but the weather improved as the day went on. We had our step-on guide, local expert David, with us (fabulous Scottish accent!) and drove around some of the historic areas of Edinburgh. As we went, he and Hanne and Zoe pointed out historic buildings and the homes of famous people, like the person who invented chloroform and Alexander Graham Bell.

Alexander Graham Bell's home.

We drove up to the area near Arthur’s Seat for a fabulous view over the city and our first group photo op.

As we drove around town, we got some wonderful bits of the history of Edinburgh, such as why the windows on several of the buildings we passed were blocked up.

It turns out someone in the government had a “great idea” to raise income, and enacted a tax on the number of windows a home had. So rather than pay the extra tax, a lot of people just boarded them up! Guess that backfired.

We next arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, at the far end of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle. It’s the Queen’s residence when she’s in Edinburgh.

David took us on a tour around the Palace (no photos allowed inside the buildings). The tour included a lot of the areas that were involved with the story of Mary Queen of Scots, and the murder of her Italian secretary, David Rizzio, that happened there.

Click! It's a video of David and his wondrous Scottish accent!

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v22/Hewene/ABD Scotland/ABD Day 1-2 Edinburgh/P1010868_zps8i96wywl.mp4

After the tour, we had a short amount of free time to explore the beautiful remains of Holyrood Abbey which is adjacent to the Palace, the gardens of the palace, and hit the Gift Shop. I spent most of that time exploring and taking photos of the Abbey. It was just so pretty!

After we finished with our explorations, we got back on the motorcoach, and headed off to the National Museum of Scotland.

This museum had some wonderful exhibits on the history of Scotland. David showed us around some of it, and then we were set loose to explore the museum on our own. Unfortunately, I discovered I had either lost my reading glasses or left them on the bus, which had long departed. (Turns out I had left them on the bus, and was reunited with them later). Normally, I wander museums reading each and every plaque in detail, but that wasn't going to happen without my reading glasses! So I ended up pairing up with one of the other ABDers who *could* read, and we wandered through several of the fascinating exhibits, and found our way up to the rooftop terrace where there were wonderful views of the Castle and Old Town.

Continued in next post

 

[sayhello]

It was a really nice museum, and I could easily have spent a lot more time there. But soon we all gathered at our meeting place by the tapestry in the lobby, and were herded upstairs to the meeting room where we were having lunch. It had a wonderful window overlooking the Greyfriars Bobby Pub and some other Old Town shops.

We had a very nice buffet lunch with various cold cuts and some hot dishes, and more Irn Bru. But the best part of the lunch was the fact that we had a Storyteller come in, and tell us some wonderful old Scottish stories. Man-oh-man, did he have a great accent! And he looked pretty good in his kilt, too!

Click! It's a video!

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums...BD Day 1-2 Edinburgh/P1010956_zps73cwquig.mp4

After a wonderful lunch, we watched a video that Mark Andrews, one of the directors of Brave, had done for this tour. This tour is themed as “A Brave Adventure” and includes a lot of the sites that inspired the makers of Brave. We got multiple videos from Mark, explaining parts of the Theme of the Day, and what about those sites inspired them. It was a nice touch.

After that, we headed upstairs to the roof terrace (most everyone else hadn’t been up there yet) to take in the views and get photos taken.

Then we headed downstairs to prepare to leave. As we waited for everyone to get through the requisite bathroom break, we discovered one of those gravity things, where you put coins in, and watch them swirl around and around, and the coins go to charity. Hanne & Zoe produced several pennies, and we had some coin races, seeing whose pennies would reach the bottom first. Although the ones that hit it last were actually the best! Sometimes it doesn't take that much to keep us amused!

Next, we had a short walk to our next stop of the day: Dovecot Studios! Dovecot Studios is this amazing art collective where folks work on fine art tapestries. (It's housed in a very cool old building that used to be a bathhouse.) We wandered around the upstairs balcony, taking a look at some of the amazing tapestries hung on the walls, while a guide explained the Studios to us, and described what we were going to do there.

From above you could see the partially finished 'Brave' tapestry set up on the floor. Yes! We were actually all going to learn about the weaving technique they were using to make this tapestry, and were going to be able to do a bit of weaving on it. This tapestry is being done all by the folks who take the Scotland ABD. It will take quite a while for it to be finished, as we each only did a small area of the large piece, but it should be fabulous when it’s done. This is two years' worth of ABDs' work so far!

We were split up into 2 groups. One group would do the tapestry first, and the other group learned to wind multiple threads of yarn onto the wooden bobbins used for the hand weaving they did here. I was in the first group. They sat us down on the wooden stools in front of the tapestry, and we had a few weavers show us how to do the hand weaving, working the bobbin in and out between the base threads. After I got the feel of it, it was really quite relaxing. I could see getting into that!

The thread is hanging from the top of the leaf I did!

Once we finished our turn at weaving, we went over to the table where the other group was finishing up winding bobbins. If you look at the photo of the leaf above, you can see that the brown and the green yarn are being woven at the same time. So the bobbin being used was wound with both brown & green yarn all together. We were allowed to select whatever combination of colors we wanted to, and were shown how to wind them properly onto the button. It was a bit more complicated than it looked, but it was also fun.

My bobbin.

Bobbin twins! Out of all the colors, they separately selected the same combination!

Next, we got back in the motorcoach, and headed up to Edinburgh Castle! This was a really full day, but I loved all of it!

The Edinburgh tattoo had ended the week before I got there, but they were still dismantling the stands in the courtyard of the castle.

Our step-on guide David again. *LOVED* him!

Click! It's a video!

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums...BD Day 1-2 Edinburgh/P1020008_zpszvgk3fdb.mp4

Our first group photo!

David took us through the main outdoor areas of the Castle, giving us great bits of information about the history of the Castle. The Castle is just as cool & photogenic from within the gates as it is from the outside!

After David’s tour, we were set loose to go through some of the open buildings. David had pointed them out to us as we went, and what we would see inside. Hanne and Zoe set up a meeting place & time for us, and then set us loose to explore the Castle.

Bamagoofy and I took off to wander through a few of the buildings. Edinburgh Castle is very cool, with a lot of places to explore.

Continued in next post

 

[sayhello]

We met back up at the appointed time, and then headed back out of the Castle and down onto the Royal Mile.

We ended up in a courtyard area off Lady Stair’s Close, where The Writer’s Museum is. There are quotes from several famous Scottish Authors engraved in the stones of the courtyard, and a house where Robert Burns lived. We took several photos there, as this was the end of the organized part of the day, and the end of our time with David.

David, Hanne & Zoe gave us all sorts of recommendations as to places to go for dinner. While we were driving around Edinburgh, David had pointed out a fish & chips place he said was great, and several folks asked him for directions to get there from where we were. David then said he was pretty much done for the day, and would be happy to show us the way to the restaurant. We happily took him up on his generous offer.

Well, our group did not realize at first *just* how generous David’s offer really was, because he decided to take us the long way around, and took us on an impromptu narrated “JK Rowling related sites” tour of Edinburgh!

We walked past the Elephant Bar, where Rowling wrote most of the first Harry Potter novel.

Then we walked past the Greyfriars Bobby Pub to get our pictures taken rubbing the nose of the statue of Greyfriars Bobby (it’s supposed to bring you good luck). Greyfriars Bobby was a Skye Terrier in the late 1800's who stayed by the side of his master's grave in Greyfriars Churchyard for fourteen years (until the dog himself died). He's a local "celebrity".

Then he took us into the cemetery at the Greyfriars church, and showed us the school on the far side of the graveyard that was Rowling’s inspiration for Hogwarts.

Then he took us around the graveyard, and pointed out a cool bit of trivia – several of Rowling’s character names were lifted from folks buried in this cemetery!

A few people apparently thought they were funny

It was a very cool graveyard. I had no idea of the Rowling connection, and it was so wonderful of David to show it to us. In fact, he was so generous that when a family came up to him to ask him a question about it, he insisted they join us and listen in to his talk. He really engaged the teen in that family, also. Just a very, very sweet thing to do!

He then walked us through the central courtyard of the University of Edinburgh, pointing out the buildings & telling us a bit about the place.

We then walked past the Black Medicine Coffee Co, where Rowling also wrote a bit of the first Harry Potter book.

We finally made it to the City Restaurant, where we bid a fond farewell to David, and went inside to have our dinner. We all ordered various permutations of the fish and chips, which were quite delicious!

The triumphant group, waiting for our well-earned dinner!

After dinner, and an amazing first day of touring, we slowly made our way back to the Balmoral, stopping in several shops on the way to buy souvenirs.

While we were walking around, I remembered that I was supposed to buy myself something to help with the car sickness that was going to be inevitable the next few days driving through the Highlands! One of the others had purchased Sea-Bands for herself at Boots (sort of like CVS/Walgreens). So I decided to try & find a Boots on my way back to the hotel to buy some for myself. I cut through the Princes Street Mall (next door to the Balmoral) but there was no Boots, or any kind of shops that sold that sort of stuff. So when I walked into the Balmoral, I went to the concierge desk and asked them if they knew where there was a Boots nearby, and if it was still open. They said there was one in the train station, but they weren’t sure if it was open. So they called over there, and found out that they were open. And then offered to send someone over there to purchase the Sea-Bands for me! You can tell I don’t stay in really fancy hotels that often, because it would never have occurred to me to ask them to do that. I think I said “Yes, thank you” mostly just because I could! (The station was literally right next door, and it would have taken me very little effort to go there myself). I gave them my room number, and went up to my room to start packing, since we were leaving Edinburgh the next morning. A while later, there was a knock on my door, and a young man handed me a bag with the Sea-Bands in it (I did tip him!) and they charged it to my room. Sometimes, it’s the little things!

The next morning, we were leaving the Balmoral and Edinburgh, and heading off to the Isle of Skye (and Eilean Donan Castle!)

To be continued in Part 4: Eilean Donan Castle, the Highlands & the Isle of Skye

 

[Cousin Orville]

Fun trip. The Balmoral looks like an amazing hotel. When we went to Edinburgh years ago we stayed in a not to nice hostel just below the Royal Mile. I forget what you called those dark, tight passageways off the Royal Mile, probably a common stop on the Ghost tours of the city. If took one of those dingy passageways down, down, down, you would get to one of the hostels we stayed at. It was fun, but this time around, the Balmoral sounds much better.

That tapestry is really cool. I hope we get periodic pictures of future ABDers to see the progress of the city. When do they think it will be completed? Looks like it will be a while.

How was the food in the tour? That fish & chips looks pretty good.

Looking forward to the Day 4. The trip up north into the Highlands, Isle of Skye and the island way up north is was really makes me want to take this ABD.

 

[sayhello]

Fun trip. The Balmoral looks like an amazing hotel. When we went to Edinburgh years ago we stayed in a not to nice hostel just below the Royal Mile. I forget what you called those dark, tight passageways off the Royal Mile, probably a common stop on the Ghost tours of the city. If took one of those dingy passageways down, down, down, you would get to one of the hostels we stayed at. It was fun, but this time around, the Balmoral sounds much better.

That tapestry is really cool. I hope we get periodic pictures of future ABDers to see the progress of the city. When do they think it will be completed? Looks like it will be a while.

How was the food in the tour? That fish & chips looks pretty good.

Looking forward to the Day 4. The trip up north into the Highlands, Isle of Skye and the island way up north is was really makes me want to take this ABD.

The Balmoral *is* amazing, both inside & out. One thing about doing ABDs, they "force" me to stay at much nicer/more expensive hotels than I normally would book for myself. This is actually a good thing. I know we passed the entrance to a Hostel while we were wandering around Old Town; I wonder if that was the one you stayed at. The dark, tight passages off the Royal Mile are called a "Close". And yes, the Ghost tours do go through some of them.

I hope we get updates on the Brave tapestry, too. They might have given us an estimate for when they thought it might be done, but I don't recall. Years for sure. What you see is 2 years' worth of work, and it's probably less than a quarter of the piece. (I don't know if you can tell from the photos, but the pattern is folded back on itself, so you're not seeing the entire thing.

The food was good. Several of the dinners were in the restaurants in the hotels, which were very nice (most folks in Skye chose to eat there the second night we were there, also). I really liked the restaurant at the hotel in Inverness. We ate there on our arrival night, and I ate there on the "on your own night". Both nights, the food was excellent. Lunches were good, most not really outstanding, but definitely good. Even the "barbeque" at Rothiemurchus. Not as good as the food on the Greece trip, but definitely one of the better trips for food.

And yes, the fish & chips were excellent!

I will try REALLY hard to stick to it, and get these updates done fairly regularly. I have NO IDEA how you do your Trip Reports as you go, while on the trips. That's really amazing to me! The Isle of Skye was wonderful. As was the Isle of Lewis. Really outstanding!

Sayhello

 

[edinburghlass]

Yeah! I'm with you round Edinburgh

 

[aggiemomx3]

Love, love, love the report.

 

[carpenta]

Love your report too! Great pictures. What camera took these wonderful picture if I may inquire. I also noticed how beautiful the weather looked in your pictures. Can't wait to read more. Thanks.

 

[sayhello]

Yeah! I'm with you round Edinburgh

I had such a good time walking around with you & talking, I can't believe I totally forgot to take any photos!

Love, love, love the report.

Thank you!

Love your report too! Great pictures. What camera took these wonderful picture if I may inquire. I also noticed how beautiful the weather looked in your pictures. Can't wait to read more. Thanks.

Thanks, carpenta! These photos were all taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS19. Fabulous little point-and-shoot! It has a Leica lens and a ton of great modes! I love the photos it takes. And yes, we had some really spectacular weather overall. Our luck ran out a couple of the days, but overall, I just could not complain about the weather.

Sayhello

 

[calypso726]

YAY!!!! So happy to read another section! How do you remember all of the details. I would forget most of everything even with pictures. So looking forward to the next installment!

 

[sayhello]

YAY!!!! So happy to read another section! How do you remember all of the details. I would forget most of everything even with pictures. So looking forward to the next installment!

Thanks, Terrie! That's one of the reasons they take me so long to write! First narrowing down which photos to post, and then wracking my poor old brain for details!

Sayhello

 

[Calfan]

I'm so jealous of the bonus walking tour you got with David!

 

[sayhello]

I'm so jealous of the bonus walking tour you got with David!

It was so unexpected and so cool! David really rocks!

Sayhello

 

[Angeejoe]

Great TR! How do I read more?

 

[sayhello]

Great TR! How do I read more?

Thank you!! To read more, you push & nag me to post more!

I *am* working on it, but I'm in the process of selling my house, and it's eating my life!

Sayhello

 

[Angeejoe]

Thank you!! To read more, you push & nag me to post more!

I *am* working on it, but I'm in the process of selling my house, and it's eating my life!

Sayhello

Oh ok, I was thinking I missed a link some how as I started in the original TR that took me to this link.

So I guess I'm just nagging now then

 

[walnut611]

Always enjoy your TR, Sayhello! Makes me feel like I was there with you

 

[sayhello]

Thanks, walnut611! I'm hoping to have the next part up in the not too distant future!

Sayhello