The previous day was so tiring that I decided to take my time getting out of bed. I must say that the bed and the apartment I stayed in were incredibly comfortable and peaceful. I got out of bed around 10 a.m.
Right below the apartment was a coffee shop that I had frequented several times and so I decided to stop in. I grabbed a hot coffee and made my way around Leith. I hadn’t really ventured into my immediate surroundings and so today was the day.
I walked over where the Royal Britannica cruise ship was docked and took several photos. Then I walked into the mall garage that overlooked the ship and the rest of the port and took photos. It really was a pretty area. While on top of the garage, I ran into an older couple and struck up a conversation. They said they had a daughter who lived in Pennsylvania.
BACK TO OLD TOWN EDINBURGH
After I finished taking photos in Leith, I took the bus back into Old Town Edinburgh. After getting off the bus, I walked toward the Edinburgh Castle and took several more photos of this epic place.
Then I ventured to the Parish Church of St. Cuthbert, which proved to be Edbinburgh's oldest church.
I walked inside and took a number of photos after being given a minor tour.
I then went inside a smaller chapel inside the church that appeared to be a war memorial for those who had fought in the World Wars. The speaking platform was very small with a bright gold arraignment with two candles, a Bible, and a prayer altar.
Afterward, I walked slightly northwest of the Edinburgh Castle and walked smack dab into the place I was hoping to venture. I had planned to visit three specific pubs before I left: The White Hart Inn, The Elephant House, and Frankenstein (more on those later).
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND
I walked over to the National Museum of Scotland. I took a few photos around it and then realized it was free to the public. Lucky me. This place was absolutely amazing.
There were about five or six levels to the museum with artifacts and exhibits dating all the way back to the beginning of Scotland. Walking through this museum made me realize (again) how much the Scottish people have impacted human history and the modern world. I say again because before I left, I read the book How the Scots Invented the Modern World, which was a fascinating read.
I was thinking while walking around the museum of how much my nephew Cayden would have loved seeing all of it. I think his mind would have been blown with this entire trip. There were old swords, muskets, trains, engravings, statues, old church stuff, the casket of Queen Mary of Scots, the letter from King William to the Campbells ordering the massacre of the MacDonald clan, planes, ships (model versions), motorcycles, cars, telephone booths, and a ton of other stuff.
I was there for quite some time and soon realized that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. I figured it was time to eat, but before I left, I needed to grab some souvenirs. They had replica chess pieces of the original Lewis set discovered from the 12th century. I grabbed some of those (the king and queen for my dad and mom), and two bookend versions for myself.
THE THREE PUBS
From there, I went straight to The White Hart Inn, which is a pub that was established in 1516. Yes. Longer than America has been around. Twenty-four years after Columbus landed. Insane that a pub is that old. It was a really cool spot. I grabbed a burger and the White Hart Ale. As I walked out, I passed two busts of William Burke and William Hare. If you haven’t read their story, you should. That was the pub they would frequent to find victims to murder in order to sell the bodies as cadavers.
After that, I went to Frankenstein, which was an absolute mindblower. It was designed to look exactly like Dr. Frankenstein’s lab from the original movie. It was so awesome. I grabbed a pint and went upstairs to take photos. They had several TV screens playing the original Frankenstein movie and then followed it up with Frankenstein and The Wolfman movie.
My next stop was The Elephant House where J.K. Rowling had written the Harry Potter series (or at least began the series). It was a neat place. I grabbed a café au lait and a brownie. They were both delicious.
I then decided to go to one more spot. The Greyfriar’s Bobby, a pub established in 1774. It was named after a loyal dog. There is even a statue of the dog across the street right in front of the pub. It was a neat little place. I grabbed a pint and then two shots of Talisker whiskey, which is from the distillery in the Isle of Skye where our MacDonald clan comes from.
After my personal pub-crawl was complete, I made my way back home, taking photos along the way. I grabbed a pizza down the street from the apartment and began packing my bags. Time to go home.