Final Days in Scotland: March 29-30, 2013

View from the bus

Rock Garden

Queen Mother's Garden

Pinecone ceiling

On our second to last day in Scotland, we took an on-off bus tour of Edinburgh. This particular bus tour was all about the contrasts of Edinburgh, which was very fitting because the contrasts are quite visible. Edinburgh is divided into Old Town and New Town, which makes sense because Edinburgh is very much about the old and new. The tour allowed us to see parts of Edinburgh which we hadn't seen before, particularly in the New Town--which isn't very new. We saw where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born--there is a pub and a Sherlock Holmes statue commemorating him. The bus stopped at the Royal Botanical Gardens, and we spent a couple of hours there. Given that it was still March and very cold, not much was growing, but there were some very pretty flowers blooming in some areas. One of the most interesting things was the Rock Garden, which was basically a big rock formation with water flowing and a few plants growing. We saw some interesting trees that we called Charlie Brown Christmas trees. The garden would have been more spectacular at a time when things were growing, but my favorite part was the Queen Mother's garden, which was a garden made as a memorial for the queen's mother when she died. You could just tell it would be beautiful when things were blooming, but I really enjoyed the little house that was built inside the garden. The inside of the house had walls covered in seashells and a ceiling covered in pine cones. It looked like very intricate and time consuming work. There were places to sit by the windows, and I could just imagine it to be the perfect place to sit and read a good book on a nice day. Although nothing much was in bloom, it was nice just to get out and walk around in the fresh air. It reminded me of one of my favorite places around home, Olbrich Gardens, although the gardens in Scotland are much, much larger. We saw some interesting plants in the greenhouse, and it made me think of my grandma. I think she would have enjoyed the gardens very much. It was nice to be somewhere that reminded me at least a little bit of home for a while, and for once I was thinking more about similarities than differences.

St. Giles Cathedral

Inside of the cathedral

Heart of Midlothian

After the gardens we took the bus tour back to the Old Town and went to St. Giles Cathedral. It is a very famous cathedral in Edinburgh, and it is an extremely beautiful building, like so many of the cathedrals we've seen. My experience is that there are many grand cathedrals in Europe, and even the prettiest churches at home can come nowhere close. The inside of the cathedral was just as beautiful as the outside, with a lot of detail in the architecture. One of the most notable aspects was the gigantic organ. It was a gorgeous building, but what struck me the most was how much they have embraced the fact that the cathedral is a tourist attraction. To walk around the cathedral is free, but you have to pay two pounds for a photography permit to take pictures and another extra fee if you want an audio guide. They also have a gift shop and a restaurant inside the cathedral. While this is much cheaper than admission into Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral in London, it still struck me as odd that a cathedral which still held services would turn so literally into a tourist attraction, complete with gift shop and restaurant. Next to the cathedral, on the ground, is the Heart of Midlothian, which commemorates the site of a prison. Locals walk by and spit on the heart. After St. Giles we made another round on the bus tour and saw the sights of Edinburgh for one last time before heading back to the palace.

By the water

Gorgeous view

On our last day in Scotland, we went down to the water in Edinburgh. One of the amazing things about the city is that it has just about everything--old buildings, modern architecture, city streets, residential areas, hills, and ocean. We took the bus to the ocean terminal stop and got out and walked around next to the water. We made a circuit around a walking path near to the shore, and it was nice just to be out in the fresh air with a little change of scenery. Coming from Wisconsin I don't get to see the ocean, so it was nice just to be able to walk down by the water and take pictures. From the shore we could see one of the islands, and we could also see the Highlands and just horizon. On the ocean was a shopping center and a carnival, very similar to what you might see in a city on the ocean in the U.S. But we also saw the Royal Yacht Britannica, which is the queen's yacht. We didn't tour it, but there are many things related to the royals pretty much anywhere you go in Scotland. It's a big part of the culture in the U.K. that is quite different from home.

The Orangerie

Bridge on Dalkeith Estate

After spending some time at the water, we headed back to Dalkeith and explored the grounds of the estate. It is basically a large park that many people come to walk their dogs or exercise in. There used to be a playground as well, but they tore it down. On the grounds is an amphitheater, stables, a bridge that was apparently a wedding gift, and most importantly, the Orangerie. The Orangerie is an architectural structure that is very detailed and beautiful, just like much of the architecture we saw, but it has been allowed to fall into disrepair because its upkeep is far too expensive apparently. It's a shame that an amazing structure such as this is being allowed to fall apart. Hopefully one day they will be able to find the resources to fix it up. Seeing the grounds of the Dalkeith Estate was a great way to end our last day in Scotland. I was extremely fortunate to be able to stay in such a great place. I enjoyed the entire trip. I didn't want to leave, and I would definitely go back if I had the chance. That doesn't mean that I didn't miss some things from home though.