UK Day 4: Auld Reekie Edinburgh

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we made the 1 hour trek into the heart of Edinburgh’s “Old Town”. The city was built along a “spine” of rock which was originally the plug of a long-extinct volcano. This means the topography of the city is unusual and requires getting used to when exploring the many Closes (streets) which taper off from the Royal Mile.

A walk with a view

First up was to consider the hike up to Arthur’s seat. After an easy walk to an old chapel on the same hill, we realised that if we were to do the climb, it is unlikely we would have much energy left for the rest of what we planned to do in the day. So, we climbed back down and walked towards the palace.

The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is the road that runs from Edinburgh Castle to Edinburgh Palace. Whilst we didn’t measure, we suspect it’s close to being a mile long, given the name! In the 16th century, the city was walled off which means that the buildings that are well preserved are crammed-packed. It was also observed that newer buildings kept within the style so all along the Royal Mile is this consistent architecture. It’s very beautiful and needs to be witnessed in person to give it any justice.

Along the Mile we found a cafe (next to Starbucks) which advertised locally roasted coffee beans from Brazil. This was the best coffee we have had so far in all of the UK (sorry Kath!) and chatting to the barista, we found that it is cheaper for Irish students to study in Edinburgh than in Ireland currently. This is likely due to the all-round poor economic conditions that the UK is experiencing.

We saw several notable spots, including the Close where Adam Smith resided and his subsequent statue. Adam Smith was a Scottish philosopher and is often dubbed the grandfather of economics / grandfather of capitalism, with this seminal work: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. His 18th century works formed part of what has been dubbed the Scottish Enlightenment. Coincidentally, we are staying in a hotel on the university campus grounds of a university which was established as part of this Scottish Enlightenment as the world’s first mechanics’ institute.

Mary Kings Close

We did an educational experience called the Real Mary Kings Close. As mentioned, Closes are like streets which come off the Royal Mile. Mary Kings Close is a notable Close because it was named after a business woman plus it was one of several Closes which were altered in the 18th century for the Royal Exchange.

It was a creepy but fun tour of the underground of the old Royal Exchange building. It isn’t technically under ground but is now under the building. Our tour guide, Isaac, assumed a character and there was fantastic audience interaction as well as a high attention to detail to the story-telling.

On Hunt for the Clan Tartan

We discovered that there is a register of Scottish tartans. The clan for Chantal is the Macnaucton/Macnaughton in which her surname, McNaught, is derived. Tartans are a type of plaid which has association with a clan.

The Macnaughton tartan has a base of red, with bottle green and navy. It looks similar to the Stewart tartan except that the Stewart tartan has yellow. You may start your travel in Scotland thinking that plaid is plaid, but we realise that it is easy to leave with the knowledge of clan tartan, as you pick this knowledge up along the way.