Edinburgh, Scotland

After our lovely boat trip, we said goodbye to Casey at London's Gatwick and flew to Edinburgh, Scotland. First, I can't say enough about British Airways. Their staff is so polite and goes out of their way in customer service. Unlike airlines at home where staff acts annoyed by passengers, these employees treat every passenger like they are flying first class.

We rented a car at the Edinburgh airport and were happy it included a navigation system. It is hard enough driving on the left, but with the steering wheel on the right and the added stress of a foreign city, it was a relief to have built-in directions. Our hotel, The Caledonian, was located downtown and we were lucky to have a view of Edinburgh castle from our room.

We spent the next morning touring the castle. It sits high on volcanic rock a far reach from would-be attackers. The oldest part dates back to the twelfth century. The palace itself was built in 1430 and it includes the bedchamber where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI, who later became King of England. We strolled through Old Town, the medieval mile long street that links the castle with Holyrood, the royal residence which was cozier than the large palace situate on a windy rock.
We could have spent more time in this city, but we were anxious to get out to the famously beautiful Scottish countryside.