Edinburgh

This is the capitol and intellectual center of Scotland. The major historic district starts at Edinburgh Castle and progresses down the royal mile to Holyrood Palace. The Castle is well worth a visit and I would recommend one of the complementary tours which are very good. Check out the Palace section of the castle to see the “Royal Honors” (aka crown jewels of Scotland). The Holyrood Palace and Abbey ruins at the other end of the royal mile is well worth a visit as well, although may be closed if the Queen or another member of the Royal family is visiting. The audio tour is very good, but do not be afraid to ask the Docents in various rooms questions. They can give you a lot more information if asked. We also went on the “underground” tour of Edinburgh which runs from the Mercat Statue next to St Giles Cathedral. The historic vault tour give the facts without the scary/spooky dialog of the other tours. For example, the rooms and tunnels you visit was at the bottom of 18 story apartment buildings in the 17th century and used for manufacturing/storage/bars/brothels over 100 or so years until they were sealed off. I find the concept of walking up 18 flights of stairs every day mind blowing…. Another place to visit is Georgian House in the “new” town. It is restored to the 1760s with a starter movie that gives a good idea of how the gentry and their servants lived. The audio tour is very good, but do not be afraid to ask the Docents in various rooms question. They are a wealth of information.