Edinburgh

Scotland and The Royals

Oct 272022

October 2022

Holyrood Castle

The first thing you see when entering the courtyard at Holyrood Palace

Holyrood Palace (sometimes called Holyrood House) is the official residence of the British monarchy in Scotland. The palace has served as the principal royal residence in Scotland since the 16th century and is a setting for state occasions and official entertaining.

Taking a tour of Holyrood is a walk through royal history with all its marriages, murders, mayhem, and intrigue.

Holyrood Abbey

The history of the palace is much older than the 16th century, however. The first building on the site was built in the year 1128. This structure is the now-ruined Augustinian Holyrood Abbey and was commissioned by King David I of Scotland.

Robert the Bruce (1274-1329) held a parliament here in 1326 after which it was probably used as a royal residence. Both Kings David II and James II were buried at the abbey.

The marriage of James III and Margaret of Denmark took place here in 1469 and the guesthouse of the abbey served as the royal residence before the first version of the palace was constructed.

The original version of the palace was commissioned by King James IV and was completed between 1501 and 1505. It was built right next to the abbey in the Gothic architectural style. The Gothic palace featured a chapel, gallery, royal apartments, and a great hall and was most probably built because of his marriage with Margaret Tudor, an event that took place in the abbey in 1503. The palace was expanded by James V between 1528 and 1536. This project added additional royal apartments and included those in the northwest tower which are still in the palace today, Sadly no photography is allowed in the house, the rooms are stunning and the history is amazing.

One of several magnificent gates surrounding the property

Mary Queen of Scotts figures prominently in the Palace tour. She married the Dauphin of France in 1558 and was Queen consort of France from 1559 until the King’s death in December 1560. Upon his death, she returned to Scotland and lived in the royal apartments of the northwest tower between 1561 and 1567, the year of her forced abdication.

During her 6-year stay, the poor woman was also married in Holyrood Palace, twice. She married Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, in 1565 in the chapel of the palace, and James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, in 1567 in the Great Hall.

The front entry to Holyrood Palace

A big highlight of the tour is about murder. Shortly after marrying Lord Darnley in 1565, Darnley became extremely jealous of Mary’s close relationship with her personal secretary, an Italian man named David Rizzio.

So, on the night of March 9, 1566, while Mary was having dinner with Rizzio and several female courtiers, Darnley joined them and accused Mary of adultery. Then men hiding nearby dashed up the stairs and stabbed Rizzio a total of 57 times. All of this took place in the northwest tower.

The house is still used today by the Royal Family.

The garden surrounding the palace covers an area of about 10 acres and is part of a much larger park referred to as “Holyrood Park” or “Queen’s or King’s Park.”

This park covers an area of 650 acres and originally served as a royal hunting estate. One of the most famous features of this park is Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano and the highest point in Edinburgh at 823 feet above sea level.

The Royal Yacht Britannia

The Britannia is the former royal yacht of the British monarchy. She was in service from 1954 until 1997. She was the 83rd such vessel since King Charles II acceded to the throne in 1660, and is the second royal yacht to bear the name, the first being the racing cutter built for the Prince of Wales in 1893. She will also be the last Royal Yacht.

Semaphor Flags of the Royal Britannia

Pictures are allowed everywhere on the Royal Britannia, but due to her size, and the fact she is moored behind a giant shopping mall, an overall picture of her is rather impossible to take.

The official bell of Britannia

Cars were brought aboard for royal visits. It was not an easy task.

The sitting room

The Dining Room

You can visit the Queen’s study, her bedroom, and many other interesting rooms, but they are all behind glass and impossible to photograph appropriately.

I was most impressed with the laundry

A visit to the yacht is with a free audio guide that does a wonderful job of explaining all the nooks and crannies of the ship, as well as, what life was like aboard for the staff, the sailors, the Royals, and guests.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland

Oct 222022

October 21, 2022

My first day in Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh Castle

You can not miss the castle when in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle stands on Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. The castle has served a royal purpose since the reign of David I in the 12th century and remained so until 1633. From the 15th century, the castle’s residential role declined, and by the 17th century, it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison. This is why the tour, with the exception of the royal jewels (no photos allowed), is primarily of military items and military history.

The drains with royal insignias, the rose, and the thistle.

The heraldic lion from the royal arms with its Union Jack shield standing in front of the Scottish National War Memorial

The back side of the Scottish National War Memorial (no photos allowed inside)

Soldiers Dog Cemetery dates from 1837

Views from Edinburgh Castle

The dome of Usher Hall. Constructed in 1914 it can hold approximately 2,200 patrons and has hosted hundreds of very famous entertainers.

Usher Hall from the street

Parish Church of St. Cuthbert

The copper-clad Ribbon Hotel in the far distance

Looking towards Calton Hill where you can see the National Monument, inspired by the Parthenon. Intended to commemorate the Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars, it was never completed leaving just the twelve columns you see. to the right of the National Monument is Nelson’s Monument.

The next day was cold and rainy and I walked to Calton Hill to see the National Monument and the Nelson Monument up close.

The Nelson Monument was built between 1807 and 1816 to commemorate Nelson’s victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar

Wandering the Town around Edinburgh Castle

The Witches Well at the lower end of the castle esplanade. The Witches’ Well is a monument to accused witches burned at the stake in Edinburgh.

On a door near the Witches’ Well

The item that appears to be a door knocker is an ironmongery, a pre-Georgian latch similar to a door knocker. This is an excellent example of a rare and yet surviving tirling pin.

A guest would move the ring up and down, making a rattling sound to announce their arrival. This type of mechanism is one that the Scottish poet, William Miller, most likely thought of when he wrote the Nursery Rhyme, Wee Willie Winkie:

Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon,’

Up stairs an’ doon stairs in his nicht-gown,

Tirlin’ at the window, crying at the lock,

are the weans in their bed, for it’s now ten o’clock?

An ornament outside of a store I found fun and beautiful

The Heart of Midlothian

The Heart of Midlothian marks, what once was, the entrance to the UK’s most heinous prison, the Old Tolbooth. Its conditions were so bad that Mary, Queen of Scots ordered it torn down and rebuilt. The prison and its heart are memorialized in Sir Walter Scott’s The Heart of Midlothian, about a fictionalized riot at the Old Tolbooth.

Statue of David Hume

David Hume (1711-1776) was a Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, historian, economist, librarian, and essayist who hailed from Edinburgh.

You can find homages to David Hume all over town.

St Giles Church

Gravestone of John Knox

While this stone sits in the middle of a parking lot, it was not always the case. John Knox was a 16th-century preacher who demanded that his people be able to read the Bible in their own language. He was a key figure in the Protestant Movement. It is said that Knox wanted to be buried within 20 feet of Saint Giles, so he was laid to rest right outside the church in what was once a proper graveyard.

Greyfriar Kirkyard

Greyfriars Bobby

This Skye-terrier is Greyfriars Bobby. It is said that he stood vigil at his owner’s grave, for 14 years after his owner’s death. When he finally died in January 1872, he was laid to rest in Greyfriars Kirkyard, not far from his owner’s grave.

Greyfriars Kirkyard wall ornamentation

Burials have been taking place in Greyfriars Kirkyard since the 1600s.

Mortsafes in Greyfriar Kirkyard

This is a mortsafe, a very popular way to ensure that after you died you stayed put, and not on the table of an anatomy class.

George McKenzie’s Mausoleum in Greyfriar Kirkyard

Sir George “Bloody” McKenzie was a lawyer and the Lord Advocate during the rule of Charles II and one of Edinburgh’s most famous figures.

He earned the “bloody” nickname for sending hundreds of Protestant Covenanters to their deaths and imprisoning over 1,000 in a field next to the graveyard he is now interned in. He delighted in the torture of the condemned; guards were allowed to beat the Covenanters at will, and eventually, their heads would adorn the spiked gate.

In 2003 two teenage boys entered the tomb via a ventilation slot in the back. They reached the lower vault (containing the coffins), broke the coffins open, and stole a skull. Police arrived as they were playing football with the skull on the grass. The pair narrowly escaped imprisonment on the little-used but still extant charge of violating sepulchers.

Buildings in the Grassmarket area

The ubiquitous bag pipe player entertaining the tourists.

Edinburgh Continued

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Oct 222022

October 22, 2022

Today was rainy and foggy making picture-taking problematic. But there is so much to see in Edinburgh I couldn’t let a little weather deter me. Day 2:

Edinburgh is notorious for its unsavory past and has been called the most haunted city in all of Europe. Add to that the dark stone buildings and my love of the macabre was just bouncing with glee.

The Macabre

I have already introduced Greyfriars Kirkyard, here are two more cemeteries I came across.

The graveyard at The Parish of St Cuthbert in the heart of the city just off Princess Park.

Companions on St. Cuthbert’s Parish grounds.

Tucked away on the grounds of St. Cuthbert’s Parish is this lovely dog sculpture.

Edinburgh and San Diego, California each are home to a famous dog. Edinburgh’s is Greyfriars Bobby that I talked about yesterday and San Diego’s is a vagabond dog named Bum. A statue of Bobby was given to San Diego and this statue of Bum was gifted in return.

David Hume’s grave at the Old Calton Hill Cemetery

The Old Calton Burial Ground opened in 1718, and is the resting place of several notable Scots, including philosopher David Hume. The cemetery is small and yet it is very difficult to determine the locations of various graves. There were two, in particular, I was hoping to find.

Marion Laurie Sutherland who lost her leg and buried it in her grave 23 years before her death. When working on the grounds of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, many graves were found holding body parts of people waiting the rest of the body to be laid to rest.

The other was Peter Williamson (1730-1799) Peter was stolen and sold into slavery in the US. Freed as an adult he was captured first by the Cherokee and then by the French Army. He returned to Britain and wrote his memories, which caused his hometown of Aberdeen to ban him, due to his insinuation that the authorities were involved in his original kidnapping. He successfully sued them and used his compensation to establish Edinburgh’s first penny post and street directory.

Bakehouse Close

James “Balloon” Tyler”s Rangers Impartial List was a guidebook that helped gentlemen tourists select a particular lady based on a range of criteria, including her age, physical characteristics, and temperament. It also noted if the woman possessed certain skills and attributes, such as; “She regards neither decency or decorum, and would be willing to lie with a chimney-sweep as with a Lord.” This particular publication contained nearly 70 women and listed where to find them.

One place to do so was The Cock and Trumpet Pub located just off Bakehouse Close. This establishment was often frequented by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Tolbooth Tavern

This remarkable building was originally constructed in 1591, and contains The Tolbooth Tavern. The tavern was used to collect tolls from travelers who wished to enter the city. It also functioned as a council chamber, police court, and prison.

In the middle of the 1600s, Oliver Cromwell’s army detained several Scottish enemies of the state within the structure. Ten years later the cells would be filled with Covenanters who objected to the king being the Head of the Church – if they weren’t sent to Greyfriars.

The building didn’t become a drinking establishment until 1820. The clock structure was added in 1884.

Beyond the Macabre

The Caledonian

The Caledonian Hotel opened in December 1903 as part of Princes Street Railway Station. Its creation was a direct response to the North British (The Balmoral) Hotel which had opened on the opposite side of Princes Park, the previous year.

The Caledonian Hotel was built directly above the existing V-shaped railway station building and towered over the main shed. In 1965 nationalization of Britain’s railways forced the closure of Princes Street Station. The giant terminal was demolished allowing for the hotel to be extended over the former concourse.

The Balmoral Hotel

The Balmoral Hotel clock has been maintained by the Scottish clockmakers James Ritchie & Son since 1902, the hotel’s clock is set three minutes fast to ensure that people catch their trains. The only day it runs on time is December 31st (Hogmanay), for the city’s New Year celebrations.

Gates to the Old Meat Market

Edinburgh Meat Market’s distinctive arches were designed by city architect Peter Henderson. they feature two sculpted bull heads which are hard to miss. The slaughterhouse was moved in 1909 as the idea of slaughtering cattle close to residential areas grew rather unpopular.

McEwan Hall on the University of Edinburgh campus

McEwan Hall is the graduation hall of the University of Edinburgh. It was presented to the University in 1897 by William McEwan, brewer and politician, at a cost of £115,000 and designed by George Mackie Watson.

St Andrews House

Saint Andrews House is the center of the Scottish Government. The building was designed by Thomas S. Tait of Burnet, Tait, and Lorne Architects. Construction began in November 1935 and was completed in 1939. The heraldic sculpture on the front is by John Marshall.

The entry facade of St. Andrews House

Flodden Wall

Like so many ancient cities there have been several town walls around Edinburgh dating from the 12th century. It is thought that some form of wall probably existed from the foundation of the royal burgh in around 1125. In the 16th century, the more extensive Flodden Wall was erected, following the Scots’ defeat at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

Sanctuary Stone

This is a Sanctuary Stone, which marked the five-mile boundary known as Abbey Sanctuary that gave protection to debtors seeking refuge from their creditors, and like many holy places of its time, it also offered sanctuary to criminals.

However, when the land came under the control of the crown in the late 16th century the right to claim sanctuary was restricted to financial debtors only. In 1880 a law was passed that debtors could no longer be thrown in prison and which rendered sanctuary unnecessary.

The top of the Scott Monument

The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It is the second largest monument to a writer in the world after the José Martí monument in Havana. There are 68 statues on the monument, not counting Scott and his dog.

Field of Remembrance in anticipation of Remembrance Day on November 11th at the foot of the Scott Monument

Random Art

I can find nothing about this unique sculpture

Sculpture by William Darrell

The sign near the Rhinocerous reads: This sculpture by William Darrell is in celebration of the cultural richness of Jim Hayne’s Paperback Bookshop (1959-66_ and of the merger between the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art (2011) which extends that richness many-fold.

The Scotsman’s Steps

The Scotsman Steps were built between 1899 and 1902 by architects Dunn & Findlay as part of the construction of the building housing The Scotsman newspaper. As part of a planned renovation, the Fruitmarket Gallery commissioned a new public installation by artist Martin Creed to help improve the public perception of the steps. The installation, titled Work No. 1059, clad each of the 104 steps in a different type of marble, with all major marble quarries of the world represented.

This is just a small look at downtown Edinburgh, there is so much to see and do, that I know I must return.