Day 116 (63): From Lowlands To The Highlands
Aaron
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Sunday, August 8, 2010
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My day started with me reaching Liverpool, on the way to pick up some TARCians in Atlantic Point who are also on a trip to Scotland. Before the bus arrived in that city, I already got to know few new friends - Jacky (tour leader), QiRen, Cindy, Alice and MeiHua. Had I not went on a trip alone, I would not have been so dogmama.
We continued our journey and reached Scotland's capital - Edinburgh early in the morning. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted with this amazingly beautiful scenery. Never had I ever thought such a view existed in real life. Those beauty apart, we headed to the nearest train station to get ourselves cleaned.
After some refreshing wash, we got on our road to our first destination - Calton Hill, housing a few memorials and observatory.
On our way there, we stopped at a few spots to take some photos of the beautiful morning of Edinburgh. The morning cemetery was such a pleasant place to walk. =.= It's not so creepy considering the sun had risen quite high. LOLx We also passed by some (many) Victorian style buildings on both sides of the road.
Reaching Calton Hill, we climbed up the steps and took some shots of the memorials up there. The memorials come in different designs, with the National Monument is designed to be similar to the Roman Pantheon (the work did not complete due to lack of funds). Another monument in sight was the Nelson Monument.
From this small hill, we also got to see the scenic view of the capital of Scotland. From the sea view on the north, to the city view on the west and to the highland view of Arthur's Seat on the south.
After taking much photos, we continued our journey to the Palace of Holyrood, the official residence of Queen E II on visits to Edinburgh. It's small if being compared to other larger ones in England. We were not able to get good pictures here with the place heavily guarded.
We did took some pictures around the area before walking up the Royal Mile towards the magnificent Edinburgh Castle. ^^ Along the road, there were many shops selling local specialty goods and foods.
Walking nearer to the castle, we also encountered several awesome buildings, such as St Giles Cathedral and the Hub. With the Military Tattoo going on, there are many Scottish pipe bands rehearsing along the road too. Men in skirts (kilts) are found all the way up. =.=
After some time, we reached the end of the Royal Mile and entered the most notable complex in the city - the Edinburgh Castle. Details about my visit in this post: Edinburgh Castle.
Exiting the castle due to time constraint, I rushed my ass back to the St Giles Cathedral to take some photos of its interior (which we missed earlier due to a wedding being held there). Along the road, I also took some buildings that I felt special.
The street here today was also being closed for the Pipefest. No cars on some streets but those were even jammed more than a normal street. Visitors crowded it, so can be said to the various street performers. Too bad I was not given enough time to explore the festival.
Boarded the bus and got to know another 3 new friends - Stanley and co. The bus sent us to Inverness where we would spent our night at the hotel there. The Travelodge at Inverness was exceptionally big. Very comfortable.
We got to explore the night view of the capital of the Scottish Highlands. With the darkness and effects of beautiful lights, the relatively small city seems lively. ^^ Visited a castle and also took some pictures along the river. It was an amazing place to be at night.
Returned to our hotel to rest before beginning our journey across Scotland. What a wonderful day visiting so many places, and knowing so many friends.
We continued our journey and reached Scotland's capital - Edinburgh early in the morning. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted with this amazingly beautiful scenery. Never had I ever thought such a view existed in real life. Those beauty apart, we headed to the nearest train station to get ourselves cleaned.
After some refreshing wash, we got on our road to our first destination - Calton Hill, housing a few memorials and observatory.
On our way there, we stopped at a few spots to take some photos of the beautiful morning of Edinburgh. The morning cemetery was such a pleasant place to walk. =.= It's not so creepy considering the sun had risen quite high. LOLx We also passed by some (many) Victorian style buildings on both sides of the road.
Reaching Calton Hill, we climbed up the steps and took some shots of the memorials up there. The memorials come in different designs, with the National Monument is designed to be similar to the Roman Pantheon (the work did not complete due to lack of funds). Another monument in sight was the Nelson Monument.
From this small hill, we also got to see the scenic view of the capital of Scotland. From the sea view on the north, to the city view on the west and to the highland view of Arthur's Seat on the south.
After taking much photos, we continued our journey to the Palace of Holyrood, the official residence of Queen E II on visits to Edinburgh. It's small if being compared to other larger ones in England. We were not able to get good pictures here with the place heavily guarded.
We did took some pictures around the area before walking up the Royal Mile towards the magnificent Edinburgh Castle. ^^ Along the road, there were many shops selling local specialty goods and foods.
Walking nearer to the castle, we also encountered several awesome buildings, such as St Giles Cathedral and the Hub. With the Military Tattoo going on, there are many Scottish pipe bands rehearsing along the road too. Men in skirts (kilts) are found all the way up. =.=
After some time, we reached the end of the Royal Mile and entered the most notable complex in the city - the Edinburgh Castle. Details about my visit in this post: Edinburgh Castle.
Exiting the castle due to time constraint, I rushed my ass back to the St Giles Cathedral to take some photos of its interior (which we missed earlier due to a wedding being held there). Along the road, I also took some buildings that I felt special.
The street here today was also being closed for the Pipefest. No cars on some streets but those were even jammed more than a normal street. Visitors crowded it, so can be said to the various street performers. Too bad I was not given enough time to explore the festival.
Boarded the bus and got to know another 3 new friends - Stanley and co. The bus sent us to Inverness where we would spent our night at the hotel there. The Travelodge at Inverness was exceptionally big. Very comfortable.
We got to explore the night view of the capital of the Scottish Highlands. With the darkness and effects of beautiful lights, the relatively small city seems lively. ^^ Visited a castle and also took some pictures along the river. It was an amazing place to be at night.
Returned to our hotel to rest before beginning our journey across Scotland. What a wonderful day visiting so many places, and knowing so many friends.
Filed Under: Diaries , Featured
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