Day trip to Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle
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Sat Feb 9 Went on a day trip to Edinburgh.  Took the NXER train from Leeds at 7AM, round trip fare £40.  The day was sunny and pleasant and the train ride went mostly through green fields with sheep, horses and cows.

Edinburgh Castle http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk

Historic Scotland and men in skirts

Crown Square in Edinburgh Castle
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Within walking distance from Edinburgh's Waverley Rail Station is the Edinburgh Castle.  The castle dominates the city's skyline and is up a steep winding road called the Mound.  It is built on a volcanic rock created millions of years ago and was named "Din Eidyn" around 600 AD.  In 638, the Angles renamed it Edinburgh.  You get an amazing view of the city of Edinburgh from the castle walls.  Some of the oldest parts of the castle date from the 12th century.  The castle is also a war monument and has a gun that is fired every day at 1PM, heard even in the city.  Things to see include a Royal Scots military museum, St. Margaret's Chapel, Mons Meg - a 6-ton medieval cannon, the Crown Jewels of Scotland (called the Honours), Great Hall in the Crown Square, etc.

National Gallery of Scotland
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The Tartan Weaving Mill close to the castle was a huge disappointment.  There was no sign of weaving, it was basically shops trying to lure you in to sell you expensive tartan everything.  Avoid.

The Scotch Whisky Heritage Center was another flop.  For £9.50, you get one taste of whisky, one free glass, a couple of cheesy movies about whisky-making and you are quickly hustled off into a restaurant where you are supposed to buy food and drink or arrange for a proper tasting session for another £25.  What a rip-off.

After these two, I was getting geared up for another dismal experience, but the National Gallery of Scotland blew me away, it was simply fantastic !!  It has very tasteful displays of fine art, in lovely crimson rooms with green carpets.  Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, Pissarro, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, paintings, bronze and marble sculpture, beautiful chests and tables, Scottish painting,

all nicely displayed so you actually end up seeing most things in the gallery.  This is a must-see. http://www.nationalgalleries.org

Return trip was not so great.  First NXER decided to rename coaches, so coach F on the outside was coach G on the inside, confusing everyone.  Also Fri and Sat night train travel always seem to run into drunken young men arguing about football.  There is plenty of shouting, tuneless singing and guys behaving badly.  They don't seem to cause much harm, but there is no peace on these rides.  Just when you want to lie back and doze until you return home, you have to listen to drunk or doped young people arguing their heads off about some silly thing.  Getting to be a bore.