Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh castle is at the very center of the city. Allow a good few hours to see the castle - it's that big. It is built on top of a long dormant volcano, so it gives an even more imposing presence. The buildings now standing were largely erected in the 13th century, but there are references to the occupation of Castle Rock from the mid-2nd century by Ptolemy, no less. Now, the oldest standing building is St. Margaret's Chapel, which was built in the early 12th century. In the 16th century, the castle was largely destroyed during the Lang Siege. To this day, there is still a military presence at the castle.


There is a longheld superstition at the University of Edinburgh that it's bad luck to visit the castle before you graduate. I'm really hoping that's not true. I've been at least 8 times.

St. Margaret's Chapel

This is the oldest standing building in Edinburgh. Built by David I during the beginning of the 12th century, it was erected in memory of his mother, Margaret. Margaret died in 1093 at Edinburgh Castle, just days after learning of her husband's death in battle. Cause of death went down as a broken heart. She was known throughout the country for her strict religious devotion and daily charitable work. Queen Margaret was canonized a saint by the Catholic Church in 1250. Additionally, she was mother to three future kings of Scotland - Edgar, Alexander I, and David I. St. Margaret's Chapel is still an operating chapel today. It is tiny - just 10' by 16'. You can still get married there or have your child baptized. Just make sure you only invite about 20 guests.

1 O'Clock Gun
After visiting St. Margaret's Chapel, stick around that area to grab a spot along the castle walls. From here are the best views to watch the 1 O'Clock Gun. The gun goes off without fail, except for on Sundays, Christmas day, and Easter.

Mons Meg
Mons Meg is one of Scotland's more hilarious investments. A gift to King James II of Scotland in 1457, it weighs over 6 tons. Each cannonball weighs 330 pounds and can be shot almost 2 miles. In battle, it would take like a day to drag Mons Meg just a mile. Because it's so heavy it can never be used in battle, so it's basically just ceremonial. It was even fired to celebrate the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Mons Meg provides wonderful opportunities for some great tourist pictures.

Great Hall
Every castle needs a great hall. It is always the center of state, where important political functions are held and company is entertained. The Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle is particularly interesting, because it was converted by Oliver Cromwell into living quarters for his troops. It remained that way until the 18th century, when it was then converted into a military hospital. It then underwent massive restorations to become the again-impressive hall. Today, make sure you stop in to catch a historical reinactor. You might be lucky and catch a presentation on torture.


Royal Palace
The Royal Palace holds the royal apartments, and it was primarily used by the Stewart monarchs. In fact, James VI of Scotland, later to become James I of England, was born here. The most interesting part of the Royal Palace, however, are the Honours of Scotland andStone of Scone (Stone of Destiny).  The Honours of Scotland consist of the crown, the sceptre, and sword of state. The Honours actually have a great story - During Oliver Cromwell's reign, he ordered that all of the crown jewels were destroyed. Legend has it that as a castle holding the crown jewels of Scotland was surrounded by Cromwell's soldiers, two women snuck out the Honours in their skirts and a bundle of kindling. They were then buried to ensure their safety. At some point after Cromwell's reign ended, they were dug up and locked away in Edinburgh Castle. They lay there forgotten until they were rediscovered by Sir Walter Scott on February 4, 1818. From then on, the have been on display in Edinburgh Castle - except for during WWII. They were hidden again amidst fears that they would be lost during a German invasion.


This now brings me to The Stone of Scone. This large slab of stone is where for centuries Scottish kings sat for their coronation. In 1293 the Stone of Scone was taken from Scotland by  Edward I of England. During the Scottish Wars of Independence, Edward seized the stone as a mark of his victory. He then took the stone to Westminster, where it remained until it was returned to Scotland in 1996. Today it is known as the Coronation Stone, and it is embedded in the coronation chair at Westminster. When Elizabeth II was crowned, she indeed sat upon the Stone of Scone. When the next king or queen of England is crowned, the Stone will be returned temporarily to Westminster for the coronation. There are a lot of stories surrounding the Stone of Scone, the most infamous of which is when a group of students stole the Stone. On Christmas day in 1950, four Scottish students stole the Stone of Scone from Westminster. When the students were removing the Stone, they discovered that it was broken in two. Thus, two separate caravans were made back to Scotland, each responsible for one half of the stone. They ultimately left the Stone on the alter of Arbroath Abbey on April 11, 1951. Apparently the students assumed that the Stone would remain with the Church of Scotland, but it was ultimately returned again to Westminster by authorities. There are Scottish conspiracy theorists that maintain that the Stone returned to Westminster is not the real Stone, but a replica. Who knows -- the real Stone of Scone could be buried somewhere deep in the Highlands.

Can be roughly translated to "Don't mess with Scotland."

View from the castle's wall.

Obligatory picture down the barrel of a cannon. Absolute must.

The castle from within its grounds.

Mom, this one's for you.

Stirling

For anyone that finds themselves with an extra day in Scotland, try to make the trip to Stirling. From the vista of the castle walls, there is an amazing view of the Highlands. The town itself is cute, and you can certainly find a nice little pub for a good Scottish lunch. There are two main attractions in Stirling: the William Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle. The history of Stirling is rich and captivating, and I promise it won't disappoint.

William Wallace Monument

This is not exactly in the heart of Stirling - you have to grab a bus to get there. Built into the side of Abbey Craig, it's quite a hike to the top. The monument was completed in 1869. In the 1800s there was apparently a major surge of Scottish national pride, and it was decided that a monument should be built to its greatest hero.

For those of you who have seen Braveheart, it's not exactly how it went down. Although Scotland fully appreciates having a major motion picture made about its greatest hero, many find the casting ludicrous. Standing at only 5'9", many feel he is illequipped to play William Wallace, who was believed to be at least 6'6". Either way, I find the prevelance of Mel's face in gift shops hilarious. But I digress.

There are 246 steps to the top, so it is quite the dizzying climb. Every 75 steps or so there is a level that you can stop. Here, you can learn a bit more about Scotland's history. The wind is wicked at the top, so you're going to leave with a massive knot on the top of your head.

 

View from the top of the William Wallace Monument

Another view from the top of the monument. Hello, Highlands!

Our windy trio on the top.

Stirling Castle

This is perhaps the most historically important castle in Scotland. It was built up during the reign of the Stuart line. Several kings and queens of Scotland were crowned there, including Mary Queen of Scots. It was believed that whoever controlled Stirling Castle had control of Scotland. It is considered the gateway to the Highlands since it is situated along the River Forth. As a result, it has been attacked many different times, most recently by Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746. 


Like the William Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle is built atop a craig. The climb to castlehill is a steep one, and I will admit that my legs were sore by the time we got there. The first record of the castle is from 1110, but the structure now standing largely dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. It is also the site where the famous William Wallace trounced the British and regained control of Scotland's most strategic fortress.

View of Stirling Castle from its base 

The front entrance of the castle, complete with a statue of Robert the Bruce.

Looking upon the  royal residence - check out the palm tree!

Watch out, William Wallace Monument...

View from the castle walls.

Mom picture from the castle's wall.

The Big Cheese

The Big Cheese is a big experience. It is the club on campus. Yes, you read that right. My school has its own club, right in the student union. Right next to the coffee cart and across from the health center is our very own club. Just think, you can go right from class to da club. How convenient!

Rule number one of The Big Cheese is that you should not wear anything that is dry clean only. You will get spilled on, so be prepared to leave smelling like beer. It's all part of the charm. (Is that the right word?)

Rule number two is wear comfortable shoes. There is a lot of dancing, and cheesy dancing at that. The music played is pretty nostalgic and it is guaranteed to bring back flashes of your childhood. Think Reach for the Stars, C'est la vie, Slam Dunk da Funk, Hey Mickey, ....Add to that the 80's favorites like Livin' on a Prayer and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and you're getting there. The last musical ingredient is the current cheese, like Bieber and Friday by the now infamous Rebecca Black, and you've got The Right Stuff - just like my homies from the block. And I'm not talking about Jenny. Although she also is probably gonna play.

I know what you're going to ask, and yes, there are laser lights. Don't worry -- they also have a smoke machine.

Oh, I should have mentioned this earlier. If you're female, you're going to get groped. Prepare to have your ass smacked no less than 6 times by the night's end. And please do not be shocked by the couples mackin' nearby. Hormones run high at The Big Cheese.

Scotland vs. Italy

On the first full day of Sinead and Buffum's visit, we decided to check out our first rugby game. Now, I don't know much about the sport. Going in, I only knew the word 'scrum' and wasn't even entirely sure what that was. We started off the day with Scotland's finest pastime -- day drinking. Before we caught the bus to the game, we stopped by a local pub for a good, old fashioned pint.

One of the first things I noticed about Murray Field was the massive beer tents that surrounded the stadium. In the stadiums that I've been to in the States, food and drink are all available at little kiosks and stands inside. Instead, the ground surrounding were massive. There was a stage with a pre-game concert, massive food tents where you could get any food imaginable, and gourds of people sporting their team colors.

Once we settled into our seats, we looked out over the green field. In true Scottish fashion, the spectacle started with a band of bagpipers. To roaring applause, they entered the field. After a rousing song, they paused to allow the Italian team to take the field. Now, one thing that I loved was how well Italy traveled. The Italian fans took turns chanting "Iiiii-taaaaa-li----aaaaa!" Below is a video of the Scottish team entering the pitch:

This was immediately followed by Scotland's National Anthem:

Now, I am perfectly familiar with England's National Anthem - "God Bless the Queen." I don't have many opportunities, however, to catch Scotland's. It may have actually been the first time I've ever heard it. I hope that doesn't mean I'm a bad Scottish resident. It even came up again during the game, this time completely spontaneously and led by the crowd:

The game ended up great. At half, Scotland was losing to Italy 8-6. Scotland ended up winning 21-6. Luckily, they had many runs like this one: 

I left the game understanding like 50% of the rules, which is a 50% increase from where I was when the game started. So, I would say my first rugby experience was a great success.

Sinead and Buffum Come To Town

This past week I was lucky enough to host Sinead and Buffum. Both in my sorority, they came over for their spring break to frolick with me in Scotland. They arrived on Friday, just as I was stepping into my last class. Sami was kind enough to navigate them from the airport and we met up at Doctors for lunch. This always seems to be the first stop in my tour around Edinburgh -- but I'm not complaining! It's just so delicious. Plus, it was so integral to my last study abroad experience that I can't help but want to show it off.


From there, we headed off to explore Greyfriars and meet Bobby. For those of you who don't know, Bobby is a tiny little dog that is idolized here in Edinburgh. As legend has it, he held vigil at his master's grave for 14 years. He was fed from the local pubs and was even given the key to the city. Now, his grave is one of the most visited sites in Edinburgh. People and dog-lovers alike leave flowers and plush dog toys for him daily. Oh, and did I mention that there is a statue of him on George IV bridge? The quirkiness of Bobby's story is just one of the many reasons why I love Edinburgh.


After a quick pint on the Royal Mile and a little walk around Princes Street Gardens, we made our way to the top of Calton Hill. Now, I have mentioned this before in passing, but I don't think I've really explained what it is. Apparently, Calton Hill is Edinburgh's version of the Acropolis. It is billed as the "Athens of the North" -- by Scotland, I am sure. On the top of this hill are a bunch of monuments to famous Scottish thinkers and writers. A couple of them are unfinished because the builders ran out of money, so it just adds to the charm. Anyways, from the top there is an amazing view of the city. We were able to time it out so we could catch the sun setting behind the castle.

On Saturday was the rugby game and the Big Cheese, which I will post about separately another time. Both deserve special attention.


We woke up a bit late on Sunday, so we decided that a day in Edinburgh would be best. We headed out to Holyrood Palace. Holyrood is the Queen's official residence in Scotland. The Royal Mile is bookended by the castle on one end and the palace on the other. The day was beautiful, so it ended up being a good choice. At the end of the tour is the Abbey, which is one of my favorite things ever. It is largely in ruins now, but it was gorgeous in its day. It was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland. Legend has it that King David I was hunting in the forests surrounding Edinburgh when he was thrown from his horse. Apparently, he was then saved from a charging animal when it was scared away by a holy cross coming down from the skies. Hence the name Holyrood, which can loosely be translated to "Holy Cross."

Monday was our trip to Stirling -- which I've already mentioned briefly in a previous post. I'll post about it some other time, because there is some really cool history involving William Wallace aka Braveheart.


On Tuesday we finally made it to Edinburgh Castle. It is the very center of the city and it can best be described as a massive fortress. There were even Americans held there during the American War of Independence. We spent a good few hours at the castle, it's that big. There has been a castle on that site since the 9th century, although the buildings currently standing were built anywhere between the 12th and 21st centuries. I will post more about the castle another time, as there is a lot involved and it is the center of the city.

After a stop at the Elephant House (birthplace of Harry Potter!) for a quick bite to eat and a cup of coffee, we made our way to the National Gallery. A smaller art museum, it only takes about an hour to see the whole thing. The real highlight that night was the Ghost and Ghouls tour. Edinburgh is considered to be the most haunted city in the UK. This was my 4th time on the tour -- that's how much I love it. For the tour, we are brought underneath South Bridge to the vaults. There, under the cloak of darkness, we are told of the ghosts that apparently haunt the vaults. There is Mr. Boots, who stalks the rooms and slightly terrorizes the guests. There's the cobbler who is a benign presence and the only ghost that Mr. Boots does not go near. Then there's the crying woman surrounded by bloody rags and apparently leaves scratch marks on the women who enter her room. Finally, there is little Jack who will grab the outstretched hands of visitors and tug at their shirt tails. Now, I don't mean to be cynical, but I can't help but not believe. Despite my inability to believe that any of these sightings are real, I still always have a good time listening to the spooky stories underground.

The next logical step was to grab a deep fried mars bar. Did you know that deep fried mars bars are one of Scotland's finest delicacies? My uncle once joked that all Scottish food was made on a dare. He may have a point...

The next day was spent in St. Andrews. Again, I'll post about St. Andrews separately some other time. It's a wonderful little village that sits right on the North Sea. It deserves its own attention. After arriving back into Edinburgh, we immediately made our way to a fish and chips shop on the Royal Mile. There is no way you can come to the UK without sampling some fish and chips smothered in vinegar. 

From there we found ourselves back at Finnegan's Wake for the second night in a row. This is an adorable pub in Grassmarket. There is live music every night, so it has a great atmosphere. Plus, pints are only 1.75, so that's a big plus. Rachael, another girl from our sorority, was swinging through town so she met us there. It was really cool having four Chi Omegas in the same international city. It kinda boggles my mind that we're all so lucky to travel like this. Towards the end of the night we met some lovely Irish gentlemen. They were thrilled to be in the presence of so many American gals and they kept us entertained with their lilting accepts and willingness to buy rounds. 

The next day we woke up nice and late. We were so...uh, tired....from the night before. This day ended up being the most beautiful day of their entire trip. It was a warm 60 degrees, the sky was a pristine blue, and the sun was shining brightly. We decided that since the weather was so nice, we would explore Princes Street and loll in the gardens. After a bit of shopping, we plopped onto a bench and commenced with some good old fashioned people watching. We particularly enjoyed the little kid who kept wandering into a game of rugby unbeknownst to him and a tiny little dog that looked like a wombat. The best part about the gardens, really, were how lush and green they were. Daffodils had sprung up everywhere, which just gave it that little extra touch of beauty.

It was a really great visit. I always love having people to visit. I love showing off the city that I fell in love with years ago, and I especially love having a little taste of home.The week was filled with fun and laughter, as I am sure you can gather from the videos. For the posts I promised, look for them over the next couple of weeks. I am in the midst of writing my final term papers, so I'm going to be writing my blog posts during my study breaks.

Mom Picture

Pronunciation: [mom pik-cher]

Definition: (noun) a type of photograph that is taken solely for the pleasure of one's mother. It usually involves standing in front/on top of famous monuments and/or landmarks. These pictures can often be found hanging on one's family refrigerator back home. Note: May be modified for the father, known as the Dad Picture. These pictures mainly involve sporting events or beer.

Warning: Some of these examples are awkward. Be prepared.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Grand Place, Brussels

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Stirling Castle, Scotland

Eiffel Tower, Paris

Big Ben, London

Colosseum, Rome

Leaning Tower, Pisa

Duomo, Florence

Blarney Castle, Ireland

Loch Ness, Scotland

Melrose Abbey, Scotland

Modification: Dad Picture

Hofbräuhaus, Munich

St. Andrews Clubhouse, Scotland

St. Andrews Old Course, Scotland

Scotland vs. Italy Rugby Game