Less than an hour on the A74 and we were passing into Scotland, still cloudy and threatening rain as I suppose it was the way most people see this place for the first time. But it didn't and it was even warm as we stopped in the little town of Lockerbie to pay our respects to the victims of the 1988 air disaster. A bomb took down Pan Am flight 103 0n the evening of December 21, 1988, sending it crashing in pieces in this small southern Scottish village, killing 11 residents on the ground and all 259 people on board. We found the initial place of impact that destroyed five homes, standing by a small plaque where the engines dug a 30 foot crater, now grass and trees, hidden from the road. All physical traces of this sad day are now gone but we spoke to a woman in the cemetery a mile away where the beautiful main Memorial is and she still felt the shock after 33 years. From here we took the scenic drive to Edinburgh, on the A701. The clouds hung low and it felt very chilly as we wound our way through the rugged and hilly country, stopping at the spot where the River Tweed first bubbles out of the ground on its windy way to Berwick-upon-Tweed and the North Sea.
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| Lockerbie, Scotland |
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| source of the River Tweed, near Tweedsmuir, Scotland |
We had to wait a few hours before meeting up with our host Maria (another Maria from Italy) in her condo so we walked around the area and got a first feel for this rather grimy city, noting the closest convenience store for snacks and beer. Afterwards we went out for supper at a local chicken peri peri restaurant before retiring into our very cramped and bare room, though admittedly we had a spectacular view of Arthur's Seat from our window. The next morning it was a quick tour of the High Street or what is known here as the Royal Mile, though more like the Royal Pain-in-the-Ass with unbelievable throngs of tourists crowding us out at every step. The Castle which we had planned to visit was out of the question, fully booked for the whole day, so we contented ourselves with a quick picture and hasty retreat. Certainly there is a lot of history in Edinburgh and in quieter times worth pursuing but we took in what we could and tried not to be swept along by the crowds. We walked past Canongate Churchyard (Kirkyard), a Presbyterian Church, used for burials around 1680s until the mid twentieth century. Buried here are the famous economist Adam Smith, the great Scottish poet Robert Fergussen and the man who inspired the character Ebenezer Scrooge, (Ebenezer Lennox Scroggie, a corn merchant, who on the gravestone Dickens misread 'a meal man' as 'a mean man' and the protagonist of
A Christmas Carol was born.). Not much farther down the Royal P-in-the-A was the Scottish Parliament building and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's official residence in Edinburgh and the home of the Scottish royal history. They were asking almost $60 to get in and gawk at royal paraphernalia so we opted not to further contribute to the coffers of the Windsors but, reluctantly on my part, we did settle on a tea towel and fridge magnet marking her 70th jubilee.
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| Airbnb 42-7 Parkside Terrace, Edinburgh |
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| part of the Edinburgh University |
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| Edinburgh Castle |
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| Deacon Brodie's Tavern, Edinburgh |
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| St Giles' Cathedral |
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| Canongate Kirkyard |
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| Palace of Holyroodhouse, Queen's official residence |
From there we followed the road leading to the Salisbury Crags and on up to the top of Arthur's Seat, which loomed large from our bedroom window, a rocky and ankle twisting climb of 822 feet. The mostly grass covered hill is actually an ancient volcano (erupting 350 million years ago) with fabulous views in all directions. The extensive parkland surrounding it would have been an oasis of calm but as this was an Easter Sunday all Scotland was clambering up to be the first to the summit. When we descended we past the small loch and its swans and back to the condo - an almost 5 hour walk! Before supper we visited a very small local whiskey and gin distillery right next door (Holyrood's) that has only been in business two years and tried some of their extra products. Marie went gaga over a gin called Height of Arrows - Bright. The 48 % alcohol volume didn't influence her decision at all. Then it was Indian wraps for supper then packing for our next drive to Aberdeen, the Granite City, where the Dee and the Don rivers meet the North Sea. GWS
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| Loch, Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh |
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| Holyrood Distillery, Edinburgh |
