18 - 21 April: A long weekend in Edinburgh with childhood friends

On 18 April I caught the train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh to meet two of my childhood friends for a long weekend. The main purpose of this weekend was to have fun with my friends, but we did manage to get some sightseeing done too.

One thing that surprised me when I came to Edinburgh, was how touristic The Royal Mile was. After having traveled to many different parts of Scotland already, I've always felt that what we've seen has been genuine, like the kilt shops in Inverness etc. The same was not the case on The Royal Mile, where you could buy tourist versions of kilts and they had all the tourist stuff like mugs, T-shirts etc., just like the stuff you find in tourist shops in London or similar cities.

I found it a bit disappointing that this was how my friends were greeted when they came to Scotland, but once outside of The Royal Mile the atmosphere was very different so it was OK. I must add that Edinburgh must be one of the most beautiful cities in Scotland, with it's fantastic architecture and all those hills. It was even more beautiful than I had expected.

Friday morning we ate a late breakfast at a nearby café and then walked the short distance to Edinburgh Castle. 

Edinburgh Castle

Sited on top of an extinct volcano, Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle offers stunning views across the City of Edinburgh. Castle Rock offered the ultimate safe and defensive position in Edinburgh and there is evidence that Bronze Age people built homes on Castle Rock as far back as around 900 BC.

The City of Edinburgh grew outwards from Castle Rock. The first houses in Edinburgh were built on the area in front of Edinburgh Castle, and then the house building continued down High Street and Cannongate towards the Royal Palace of Holyrood House. These streets collectively form a single street known as The Royal Mile. The Royal Mile acquired its name over the ages as Scottish and English kings, queens and royalty in general, travelled to and fro between the Palace of Holyrood House and Edinburgh Castle; hence the name The Royal Mile.

Fierce Iron Age warriors defended a hill fort here, and the nation's oldest poetry tells of a war band feasting here for a year before riding to their deaths in battle. However, the oldest part of the existing Edinburgh Castle, St Margaret's Chapel, was built in 1130 by David I, son of of Saint Margaret of Scotland.

Centuries of fighting for control of the castle

The tensions between the English and Scottish monarchies nearly always centred on Edinburgh Castle. He who held the castle held rule over the city of Edinburgh and, therefore, over all of Scotland. Consequently, the castle was almost constantly under siege.

The first major battle the castle witnessed was during the late 13th century when Edward I of England attempted to seize the then vacant Scottish throne. From 1296 to 1341, the castle bounced from English to Scottish hands several times during the First and Second Wars of Scottish Independence.

In 1571, English forces laid siege to the city of Edinburgh in an attempt to capture Mary, Queen of Scots. The siege lasted for two years and ended when all of Mary’s supporters had surrendered to the English.

In 1650 Oliver Cromwell executed Charles I, which led to an invasion of Scotland and once again Edinburgh Castle fell into English hands.

Several times during the Jacobite Risings (1688-1746), the Scots attempted to recapture their castle, but they were never able to overpower the English. The final attempt was in 1745. Although the Scots were able to capture the city, they were never able to lay siege to the castle. In November that year, the Jacobites were forced to retreat.

Royal palace

The castle has sheltered many Scottish monarchs, including Queen Margaret (later St Margaret) and Mary Queen of Scots. The castle  continued to be a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

A key attraction within the castle is the Scottish Crown Jewels. The crown, sword and sceptre are amongst the oldest regalia in Europe and are displayed with the Stone of Destiny.

The Stone of Destiny, also commonly known as the Stone of Scone, was used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. It was originally kept at Scone Abbey, but in 1296 the stone was captured by Edward I of England and taken to Westminster Abbey. It remained under the coronation chair, on which English and subsequently British sovereigns sit during their coronation, for the next 700 years. The last time it was used was at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. In 1996 the Stone of Destiny was finally returned to Scotland. It is now displayed in the Crown Room.

From Royal palace turned to military prison

From the late 18th century to the early 19th, Edinburgh Castle was used to hold military prisoners from England’s many wars. The castle became a national monument in 1814 after a mass prison break proved that the castle could not hold prisoners. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the castle was slowly restored. Military ceremonies began to be held there and, in 1927, part of the castle was turned into the Scottish National War Memorial.

Lunch in royal surroundings

After all our sight seeing it was time for afternoon tea. I opted for soup followed by a scone, but my friends both had afternoon tea and were very pleased with their choice. After lunch we focused our efforts on Princess street, the main shopping street in Edinburg. And we were quite successful too. A fair bit of Thornton chocolates were exported to Norway after that weekend.

Calton Hill

 After a late breakfast Saturday morning, we headed for Calton hill, unmistakable with its Athenian acropolis poking above the skyline. The acropolis is in fact an unfinished monument, originally called the "National Monument". Initiated in 1816, a year after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, it was meant to be a replica of the Parthenon in Athens, as a memorial to those who had died in the Napoleonic Wars. Building began in 1822, but funds ran dry and only a facade of the building was completed. It was dubbed "Edinburgh's shame", but is now a popular landmark.

We enjoyed the short stroll up to the top of Calton hill on a sunny, though rather windy, day. It was a quiet place where we enjoyed the National Monument, Nelson's Monument and the City Observatory. But most of all we enjoyed the panoramic views of the city, including Edinburgh Castle,  the ruddy-coloured cliffs of Salisbury Crags, Arthur's Seat, and the undulating slopes of Holyrood Park. 

An early return Sunday morning

After our sightseeing we returned to get some more chocolates, gifts etc., before returning to our flat briefly before we went out for another late dinner. My friends had a red-eye flight the next morning and had to get up at 03:30, so they didn't get many hours of sleep that night. After they left I was really happy to go back to bed for another 3 hours before I had to get up to catch my train back home. I arrived home not long after lunch, with my modest sized cabin bag and the three bulky bags of shopping that did not fit into my cabin bag.