Edinburgh Day 14

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(Note: Ian went for a long walk from Morningside to Edinburgh New Town and back on Day 13, but there are no photos).

Edinburgh: Day 14

Today, Ian and Caroline went by bus to the Royal Mile in the Old Town of Edinburgh. This is one of the main tourist attractions of Edinburgh, with many historic buildings, churches, statues and other landmarks, souvenir shops, buskers playing bagpipes, etc. along a pedestrianised street. Ian had already been there (see Edinburgh Day 3), but Caroline hadn’t. It was very busy, so we only walked along part of it, and then along North Bridge which crosses above Waverley station and links Edinburgh Old Town to Edinburgh New Town. We then walked through some alleyways to St Andrew Square, and further on to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, which is housed in a lovely old building and has some fascinating historic and modern paintings of Scottish people.

Later in the afternoon, Ian met up with E and they had a long walk around parts of Edinburgh University, while Caroline made a second trip to Marks and Spencer on Princes Street, and then went back home.

Royal Mile to Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Royal Mile with St Giles Cathedral

Statue of David Hume (1711-1776) – Scottish philosopher and historian

Adam Smith statue outside St. Giles

The Mercat Cross with unicorn on top, Parliament Square

City Chambers

Royal Mile

View from North Bridge towards Calton Hill

North Bridge and Princes Street intersection. General Register House, with spiral-roofed W Edinburgh – St James Quarter behind

Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel

St Andrew Square…

Houses next to St Andrew Square

Scottish National Portrait Gallery – Great Hall…

Great hall upstairs

Staircase window depicting gallery’s renovation donors

Top: Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne, 1766 – 1845. Songwriter (With her son William Murray Nairne, later 6th Lord Nairne, 1808 – 1837). Oil on canvas by Sir John Watson Gordon, painted about 1818.

Bottom: Robert Burns (1759-1796). Oil on canvas by Alexander Nasmyth, painted about 1787.