So we have a day and a half in Edinburgh before we head home and there is so much to do. We arrive shortly before noon and say goodbye to our guides and shuttle driver when they drop us at the Radison Hotel which is located in about the middle of the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle at one end, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the other. We can’t check in yet so we start wandering along the street.

It’s a weekend and although none of the frequent festivals for which Edinburgh is known are currently underway, it’s busy and the street is crowded. About every block we see and hear a piper and about every block is a crowd gathered around a street performer. We finally make it up to Edinburgh Castle.

Tickets are sold out for several days and this was not necessarily a place we wanted to spend our time anyway. We go into a nearby mill to check out the tartan items.

Next stop is lunch and we stop at Luckenbooths Hotel and eat outside so we can people watch on this busy day. We were also drawn in by their sign of “Sunday Roast” but I think most of us ordered fish and chips.

After lunch, the kids have a scheduled Harry Potter tour and Ross and I head back to the hotel to check in and rest. Later that afternoon everybody does a little souvenir shopping and then we regroup that evening and have dinner at the nearby Ciao Roma which has a definite Robert Louis Stevenson/Treasure Island/Kidnapped theme going. Stevenson was born and lived in Edinburgh and there was a photo of him in the restaurant as well as one of the house where he lived in Samoa.

We very much like our big table, Italian food, and desserts.

The next morning we are on a mission to climb Arthur’s seat. We walk down the Royal Mile, passing the Parliament House.

Then Holyroodhouse and enter Holyrood Park.

Before us we see Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano that stands 822 feet high with a panoramic view of Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth. Relatively easy to climb and because it’s there, you do. Trip up is usually 30 minutes to an hour, depending on path, age, ability, etc.

There are several routes up. On the left side it’s slightly more grassy and on the right, more rocky steps but regardless of which route, near the top is always a scramble over rock face to make it to the very top. Going up the rockier side.

This photo was taken at “Ross’ Seat.” Firth of forth behind them. I had already turned around. Knees too stiff.

Nearer the top with lots of other climbers on this nice, sunny day.

Girls at the top.

Grandkids at the top.

Heading down.

Part of the easier path going down.

I had already made it back to Holyroodhouse and stopped to check out the gift shop. Then I went to the cafe for a coke and another excellent Scottish treat, Millionaire Shortbread. Just had a wee piece of this confection of shortbread crust, caramel, and chocolate.

Then I headed back up the Royal Mile and stopped to look at this barbecued pig in the shop window.

I also stopped at a couple of other shops but for the most part, it seems the street had been taken over by typical souvenir shops selling items related to Highland cows, tartans, and shortbread. One more stop, however, was at the Fudge House, well known for varieties of fudge and Tablet. I purchased some to take home.

I then went to the hotel to await the arrival of the rest of the group.That night we were in the mood, at least some of us were, for Thai food, and went to Chaophraya for dinner. It was a 20-minute walk and a couple of the older members of the group, ahem, elected to arrange for two cabs to take all of us there. While waiting for the cabs, two events happened. First a piper walks through our lobby and Ross tries to escape the loud bagpipes.

Then one granddaughter who usually eats gluten free, except in Europe where the wheat is different, apparently had something at lunch that made her sick. She, unfortunately, missed dinner. The restaurant was on the top floor with a nice view of Edinburgh Castle. Reviews, however, are still out on the food; my Thai Green Curry Chicken was nowhere near as good as what I had in Glencoe. Disappointment, major time.

We walked back to the hotel after dinner, below the castle then uphill to get back to the Royal Mile. One of the grandkids took this photo of the much quieter street in the evening.

Once again, not enough time in Edinburgh. Would have liked to go back to the National Museum and wander along many of the side streets but maybe another time? Our trip home was not uneventful. First, our flight out of Edinburgh was delayed, then delayed some more, and then canceled and there were ten of us to rebook. No chance to get back to the States that same day but we were able to get a flight into London. The airline put us up at an airport hotel overnight and although we considered ourselves lucky to have flights home the next day, we were not all on the same flight. Half on one and half about three hours later. Those in the first group got to the States and made their connecting flight okay, but the second group after getting to the U.S., had an eight-hour layover before their connecting flight because of weather. Glad to be home and hoping the good Scottish memories outweigh the frustrations of travel.