ST. ANDREWS & EDINBURGH + SCOTLAND SUMMARY

23 July 2023, Edinburgh and 29 July 2023, Los Osos, CA

We spent the last 4 nights of our Ireland/UK travels in Edinburgh, AND, as usual, we stopped on our way there (and went out of our way) in order to see two places. We had seen dozens of signs for deer (specifically red deer) along the roads of Scotland and a few for otters, and we never saw either species. However, we discovered that The Scottish Deer Centre was on the way to St. Andrews (in the “Kingdom of Fife”) so we stopped in and found exactly what we were looking for and then some. Not only did we find red deer (which were quite beautiful), but several other kinds of deer as well, together with those shy little otters, which look like a small version of our river otters but live primarily on land next to the water. They also had a moose that we could see off in the distance. In Scotland they are called Eurasian Elk. We also got a kick out of seeing a funny little “Wild Haggis” (center–native to the Scottish Highlands).

We then made our way east to the famous St. Andrew’s Old Course—the oldest and most iconic golf course in the world (established in 1552!). We ate in their club house (Gary posed outside) where I ordered a “Coronation Sandwich” that I’d seen on menus several times. It was originally created for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation—a chicken sandwich with a curried mayonnaise and currants. It was quite good! We then found our way to the 18^th hole where there was a fabulous Pro Shop. I had forgotten how many golf tournaments we’ve seen on TV filmed at the very spots we were standing, overlooking the 18^th green, its famous Swilcan Bridge and the North Sea. It was pretty impressive!

Finding our way to our hotel in Edinburgh took longer than expected and we were pretty weary by the time we finally found our convenient Motel One (below, top left, with the top of St. Giles Cathedral above it), right on the edge of Old Town and an easy walk to the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. It was hard to muster the energy to unload our rental car, get everything up to our room and return the car to the airport (half hour west with no direct roads), but we did it! Whew! We spent most of our time pretty close to our hotel, but also enjoyed another Hop-On/Hop-Off tour with a live guide who entertained us with stories about the history of the area. The architecture is quite unique, there are lots of statues and monuments and hundreds of churches and steeples. We also got a different view of the huge Edinburgh Castle, revealing that it sits on a massive rock formation making it even more formidable.  

We walked up the Royal Mile to the Castle and only then discovered that all the tickets were sold out, but we got to see the large stadium in front of it where lots of concerts are held as well as the renown annual Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo held each August. There were lots and lots of people everywhere we went, but we got used to it.

Our favorite “find” in Edinburgh was St. Giles Cathedral, founded in 1124, with its fascinating steeple and beautiful interior. While we were taking in the stunning stained glass windows, we heard some beautiful music coming from the front. It was a rehearsal for a concert that night by “The Piccadilly Sinfonietta” featuring Victoria Lyon on violin, a piano and other stringed instruments playing pieces from Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi. I’ve never been much of a fan of the violin, but this music was mesmerizing and we sat and happily listened for over an hour. It definitely enriched our experience of this sacred place. Only later did we discover that this is the same Cathedral where, on July 5, King Charles formally dedicated himself to the people of Scotland (his Scottish Coronation), using the crown, the sword and the scepter—known as The Honors—the oldest Crown Jewels in Britain. It is also the first place that Queen Elizabeth lay in state after her death last year before going to London. (She died at Balmoral Castle which has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since 1852.)

ST. GILES – IN AND OUT + STAINED GLASS

It was fun to take in the sights in this beautiful city before heading home. Knowing we were going to have a long day of travel the next day (and would be sitting on airplanes and shuttle buses for more than 15 hours total), we decided to take a long walk and ended up at one of Scotland’s National Galleries of Art. We found ourselves in an exhibition called “Grayson Perry: Smash Hits” covering pieces from his whole 40-year career. There was a warning posted: “Contains language and imagery of an adult nature and explores themes including sex, racism and politics.” It was one of the most “interesting” art exhibits we’ve ever seen, primarily featuring large ceramic pieces and huge tapestries originally generated on a computer, all with profound and varied messages conveyed in amazingly imaginative ways. I can’t say that we’ve become fans of Grayson Perry, but we’re both glad we chose to see this exhibit. It was pretty eye-opening and we certainly appreciate his creative talent.

We won’t bore you with the “adventures” of our travel home, including speed-walking from customs to our plane (going from Dublin to LAX) as we heard “Final Call, Gary Walker” over the P.A. system, but let’s just say we are VERY happy to now be sleeping in our own bed, using our own awesome shower and enjoying the peace, beauty and serenity of our Central Coast of California home. Whew! We’re gradually getting back into a non-travel rhythm of sorts, but it’s taking awhile, and that’s okay.

Before we tally all the statistics and reflect on our whole Ireland/UK trip in a final blog, we DO feel a need to share some afterthoughts about Scotland. What an amazing place! One of Gary’s photography guides probably sums it up best:

“Scotland is a landscape photographer’s paradise—vast highlands, countless lakes (and waterfalls), a rugged coastline and impregnable castles (thousands of them). Insanely picturesque, unbelievably gorgeous, amiable people, a unique culture and fantastic architecture.” (Italics mine.) To that we would add more about the wonderful Scottish people we met—so welcoming and friendly and willing to share local knowledge (the best kind there is). In Edinburgh we probably heard more languages spoken and more cultures represented than we have experienced anywhere we have traveled. And, of course, everywhere we went we saw beauty…sometimes dramatic, sometimes serene and always nourishing. Another thing we loved is that we saw thousands of sheep, hundreds of cows and more than a dozen Highland “coos”…and they all added to our joy and well-being.

We want to share one last photo with you here. It was late in the afternoon when we returned from our art gallery walk our last day in Edinburgh and the light was quite amazing. Photographer Gary recognized it immediately and went out seeking more opportunities for the perfect photograph. What he found was quite amazing and a perfect “ending” to our Scotland/Edinburgh stay:

We loved Scotland almost as much as we loved Ireland! We are filled to the brim with heart-warming memories and so many moments of astonishing beauty. Stay tuned for our afterthoughts on our whole trip. It’s fun to be able to share our adventures with you.