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LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOOD


Derek Harwood's Walking Records

If you have any queries about the pictures or descriptions e-mail me at: derek@harwoodonline.com


                      Edinburgh, Scotland


Wednesday 5th September 2021 ......................Walk No. 1220


Time Taken:  2.25 hrs               Distance:                Enjoyment:          Weather: Cloudy 
 14:00 pm - 18:15 pm             2.50 miles                     90%              & Sunny Intervals

Temp:      Cloud:        Rain:       Visibility:        Ground Conditions:                 Nature:
 16oC         90%            0%            Good                  Pavement                Birds & Ducks


Total AA:         Total MH:       Total LD:         Total AW:         Other:        Total Distance:
 xxxx.0 mls        xxx.0 mls     xxxx.0 mls       xxx.0 mls         xxxx.0 mls      xxxx.0 miles

Companions:  (Derek)

Points of Interest and LINKS:
Edinburgh			Edinburgh Castle 				Palace of Holyrood 
The Royal Mile         	Princess Street Shopping 		Jacob's Ladder 		 
Arthur's Seat         	 	Holyrood Park 				Calton Hill 
Edinburgh Old Town        Royal Botanical Gardens 		Scottish National Gallery
Edinburgh Zoo         	National Museum of Scotland 	Royal Yacht Britannia 		 
Description:
We drove to Edinburgh from the accommodation and parked at Wallyford Park & Ride. The car park was huge but almost empty. There were no signs of information about the Park & Ride or the bus numbers and routes. A car was driving around the car park, obviously giving a learner driver more experience of how to reverse into a narrow parking space. I stopped the car as it passed me and asked for assistance. The instructor scratched his head and eventually concluded that it was best to drive down the hill into Levenhall Village and catch the bus 26 into Edinburgh. I thanked him and drove into the unknown towards the bus stop he recommended. He was correct; there was plenty of parking on the wide Ravensheugh Road towards Prestonpans. When we reached the centre of Edinburgh I decide to get off the bus at the Catholic Cathedral on Leith Street because I was a complete stranger and didn't know the route of the bus through the City. From the bus stop we saw the very impressive St Paul's and St George's Church to the west across York Place and a huge foot sculpture on the pavement to the east. After several photos we immediately walked past the nearby John Lewis store and decided to have a coffee and use the facilities. From the store we walked towards The Palace of Holyrood, starting at Leith Street where we walked south. At the fork in the road we took Calton Road to the left, leading to Waverley Railway Station. As we walked downhill we passed under the arch carrying the A1 main road, past the entrance to the station and onwards towards Holyrood Palace. The road continued downhill as we approached the Governor's House on the rock high above. Then, at the nearby railway bridge we noticed an opening on the left. We investigated and discovered 'Jacob's Ladder', a long stretch of steps carved into the rock up to the A1 road. At the height of the railway track I was impressed to see the many lines entering the platforms; but I would be, as I am an enthusiastic steam locomotive fan. So, obviously I had to take another photo. We returned to Calton Road and walked towards Holyrood where we came to Abbeyhill. We crossed the road to a public garden with a huge Scottish Thistle, the biggest I've ever seen by a good margin. After a rest for refreshment on one of the many benches, we viewed the Dugald Monument high on Calton Hill, then turned around the corner at Horse Wynd into Abbey Strand where the Palace of Holyrood gates were directly in front of us. The gates were very decorative and lovely and the Palace, viewed through the gates, was delightful. As time didn't allow us for a visit inside the Palace that day, we vowed to return to Edinburgh in the near future, book accommodation nearby to give us a longer day to visit more of the 'not to be missed' attractions. We returned to Horse Wynd and walked past the new Scottish Parliament Building, a very important place for the Scottish democracy. We passed the Queen's Gallery where I had to take a photo of the golden decorative gates. When we reached the Palace southern gates we viewed the impressive Palace again from a different perspective. After more photos of the Palace through the gates we returned to the Holyrood Parliament, passing the very awesome view of Salisbury Cliffs on the northern side of Arthur's Seat. How I wished I'd had more time to see the view from the summit. At the northern end of the Parliament Building we turned the corner with the Holyrood Gift Shop on the opposite side of 'The Royal Mile'. We soon stopped to view the completely different looking building from The Royal Mile. At street level of the Parliament Building, with the wall immediately in front of us, we stopped again to read the local writings chiselled into the stones, another interesting surprise. As we walked up The Royal Mile, called Canongate at this point, we passed an old police box in a school fence (Royal Mile Primary School) which had been turned into an unmanned book exchange facility, but it still reminded me of the 'Doctor Who' TV series. We continued walking up the Royal Mile passing various shops including a 'Flower of Scotland' shop selling Harris Tweed garments, until we reached what we were hunting for, a cafe, Cafe Vivo. We had refreshments but I was served a pint of beer, a pint of Italian beer, which was a 'Lager' and I'd specifically asked for an 'Ale'. We were on holiday so we didn't complain. After the refreshments and a snack we crossed the quiet road to Canon Kirk church where Ann had her photo taken with the Robert Fergusson, a life-sized Statue in Canongate on the Royal Mile pavement. I read the inscription over the main entrance of the church which stated that the order to build the church was given in 1649. Further along Canongate we passed several covered archways along the street forming small arcades, some of which were well decorated. As we passed Cranston Street we had a quick glimpse of Grosvenor's House at Top of the Rock on Calton Hill, which was a pleasant surprise. Then, as we crossed Jeffrey Street and St Mary's Street, we left Canongate and entered High Street where we again passed the Museum of Childhood, Radisson Hotel and wall to wall shops, many selling Scottish products as you would expect, with thousands of tourists passing every day. On our journey up the Royal Mile towards the Castle, we could see a church spire very slowly getting closer and closer. When we reached the A7 Road, Bridge Street, the building was a former church but is now 'Royal Mile Market'. We were very surprised but continued up High Street without a visit because it was closed, with the day being a Sunday. From this point High Street was pedestrianised, so there were three strategically positioned large plant boxes preventing vehicles from straying into the area. The Royal Mile had been relatively quiet until this point but we could see that the atmosphere was about to change with the area becoming much more busy. We were now heading towards St Giles Cathedral, passing many shops and cafes with tables and chairs spilling onto the pavement and road. Here was the time to dance our way ahead through the melee of pedestrians and diners. St Giles Cathedral was impressive but the stone was very dark; was this the result of many decades of weather, or was the stone quarried from Aberdeen Granite? The Statues of Adam Smith and Sir Walter Scott were strategically displayed outside the Cathedral with the plinth of Sir Walter Scott very intricate and high. As we passed there was an Indian Wedding at the City Chambers opposite, with the bride having her photos taken alongside her guests. We were particularly intrigued with the complexity of her dress and the stretch limousine; how was the car driven through the dense crowd? At St Giles Street the Royal Mile changed from High Street to Lawnmarket with the next attraction on the right: the statue of David Hume, a university librarian, another photo a must. We continued up Lawnmarket to Bank Street on the right with the Royal Bank of Scotland, an attractive building with a green dome, at the end of a short street. Again we continued up Lawnmarket to the roundabout where the Royal Mile continued up Castlehill. On the corner was a former church with a very high tower topped with a very tall spire. The building is now the Hub Festival Venue with an unmissable bright red front door. Again we ventured up, this time Castlehill to the high point of the Royal Mile: Castle Esplanade, the home of the world famous, live 'Edinburgh Tattoo' with all its splendour, pomp and ceremony. We walked around the Esplanade observing the sights of the India Cross, the entrance to the castle itself, the panorama of Edinburgh City below and not forgetting the outline of the Pentland hills on the horizon. What surprised me was the number of manhole covers scattered around the Esplanade, it must be a nightmare for security when the Tattoo is on each year. We left the Esplanade via the very long steps of Castle Wynd North leading down to Johnstone Terrace with its nose-to-tail rows of parked cars. We slowly descended down the terrace with the Castle perched high above on the sheer rock, to skirt the Princes Street Gardens. We wished we could have ventured into the gardens but again time didn't allow. Next, a right turn along King Stables Road where we reached the level of Princes Street a short distance away. We passed the Churches of St Cuthbert and St John's, turning right to Lothian Road, then right again to Princes Street with its wall-to-wall shops. But there were problems taking photos of the Castle from Princes Street due to the amount of trees and bushes close to the Princes Street fence and the hazy weather of the day. There were only brief glimpses of the Castle shrouded in mist, until we reached the area near the Scott Memorial. Along the way to the Scott Memorial along Princes Street, we passed the Statue of Sir James Young Simpson, Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial, Wojtek the Solder Bear Memorial, Scottish American Memorial, the Royal Scots Grey Monument, Gardens Floral Clock, The Royal Scottish Academy, Scottish National Gallery and East Princes Street Gardens. Unfortunately time didn't allow us to visit any of the above attractions. As we walked east along Princes Street we checked all the bus numbers for 26 at all the bus stops, but without success. We obviously had to change our plans, so when we passed Waverley Train Station, The Balmoral Hotel and Wellington Statue, we concluded it was best to go to the bus stop where we'd alighted that morning. We continued walking along Princes Street to the nearby Leith Street and turned left to descend to the John Lewis Store and the Catholic Cathedral around the corner to the left. We enquired about Bus 26 to the east and was directed to the bus shelter close-by on York Place near the impressive St Paul's and St George's Church. We reached the car and eventually the accommodation, then sat in comfort and reflected on our adventurous day in Edinburgh. It was absolutely fabulous, not to be missed. We will go back some day and expand our adventure again.

Location Map: - www.streetmap.co.uk, - Start & Finish: at Edinburgh



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