Day 7 – Edinburgh

The first six days of our trip were largely rural, exploring Scotland’s highlands via villages like Duror, Portree, Dunvegan, and Staffin. After our first night in Edinburgh, we officially transitioned to urban mode today, using public transportation to get around town and focusing on big-time attractions, like the very intriguing (and huge) Edinburgh Castle and Royal Yacht Britannia.

The morning started extremely well, with both kids sleeping all night; in fact, for the first time this trip, our set alarm went off before anyone was up. Additionally, we generally stayed ahead of our aggressive schedule, even arriving at Edinburgh Castle a few minutes before it opened.

Overlooking Edinburgh’s “new town” near the top of the castle.

It was a good day to be at the castle. Once again, the weather was nice, and today marked the 61-year anniversary of the coronation of the Queen of England, which meant the presence of Scottish guards including a military band which marched through the castle grounds while we were there.

Noah mailed a few post cards at the box within the castle.

With parts dating back nearly a millennium, the castle was an impressive facility which included a mix of outdoor areas and inside buildings like a great hall and war memorial plus exhibits like a prisoner of war museum and the Scottish Crown Jewels. With two kids (and ensuing distractions), I’m lacking some of the detailed takeaways a kid-feee trip to the castle may have brought.

Noah finally got his photo taken with a red telephone booth.

I never miss an opportunity for ice cream, especially when at the historic Edinburgh Castle.

After the castle, we walked a few blocks for lunch at Oink, one of the most anticipated restaurants on our trip. (I wrote “must eat” in capital letters by the entry in our guidebook.) Oink was a very small place, a block from the Royal Mile, which served only one thing: scrumptious pulled pork sandwiches which are carved from a freshly-roasted pig each day.

Gee Gee, Amanda, and Noah ordered the “piglet” versions, while I went with the “grunter” for more meat. The sandwiches were topped with sage and onion stuffing, plus a choice of BBQ sauce, applesauce, o r hot chili. They were universally loved.

Yum.

Not surprisingly given great food, Noah ate his entire sandwich.

We explored Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile after lunch, picking up a few small souvenirs and bites of food, but nothing significant. We did enjoy a couple of fudge samples along the walk, before waiting along the road to pop onto our first bus.

The main activity for the afternoon was touring the Royal Yacht Britannia, which served the Queen from 1954 to 1997. It was an impressive yacht, and also a well-run tour with clear signs directing visitors through the boat and a headset with 28 audio recordings describing each room and feature. Emmie slept in her stroller for most of the tour, while Noah had enough energy to pose for occasional photos.

This piano was played by Princess Diana, among others.

We did a wee bit of shopping in the mall adjacent to the yacht, where we bought a few things for Emmie and Gee Gee picked up a new pair of shades. Gee Gee also was excited to see a shop with her namesake, so much so she snapped a photo in front of the store.

We then quickly boarded another bus, in search for our dinner destination, the Tailend Fish Bar. Most of us ordered fish and chips, which were up to par with the others we’ve ordered so far on our trip. Gee Gee ordered a hamburger; though good, I guaranteed it wouldn’t be as tasty as Shake Shack tomorrow.

We (or I) pushed the kids’ appetite for adventure by taking another set of buses to seek out Edinburgh’s best-reviewed gelateria and chocolate shop, S Luca. The gelato with soft toffee pieces was the best we tried, but chocolate and Nutella flavors were also good.

We took a short bus back to the hotel for our last night in Edinburgh before tomorrow’s train ride to London.