We finally made it up to the land of Lynn’s ancestors, the Macdonalds. Although we didn’t make it as far west as the Scottish isles that the Macdonald clan controlled for several centuries, we did spend time in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. It was an exciting time to be there; there is a movement in the Scottish Parliament to declare independence from the United Kingdom. Rather than focusing on the new, we opted for the old by spending most of our time in the old city.
Just after arriving and checking into the youth hostel, we hiked up Arthur’s Seat, the apex of the craggy cliffs that overlook Edinburgh. It was about a two kilometer hike but offers a tremendous view of the city, some of the surrounding area, and the Firth of Forth. Here’s a shot of Brian and some of his friends on Arthur’s Seat.
Edinburgh Castle was impressive; it dates back to 1130 when David I was on the Scottish throne. It has only been successfully stormed a couple of times, although for a fee any old tourist can now enter its gates. Here’s a view of the castle from a park far below.
Brian took this picture just as the castle guards fired the guns.
We also hiked up Calton Hill on the other side of the old city. There is an observatory, a monument to Lord Nelson, and a Grecian acropolis. Here are Lynn and the boys, with our friend James, at a point that overlooks the old city from the east.
Some of the young men in our group bought Scottish kilts. We couldn’t resist this picture of Brian trying one on.
After leaving Edinburgh, we headed south for the city of York. York has a history of Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norman influences. Here’s a picture of a wall that was built by the Romans more than 1700 years ago. The top portion was added during the Medieval period and, as you can see, the wall is in surprisingly good shape.
In the middle of the city is the York Minster, the largest European Gothic cathedral north of Rome. It is the seat of the Archbishop of York, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury in the hierarchy of the Anglican Church.
Brandon, Curtis, and their friend Julie decided to pose on some old stones. We weren’t sure if they were Roman soldiers or pirates.
Brandon and Curtis found the longest street name in York. Interestingly, the longest name was given to the shortest street. We’re not sure why.
We also took a tour of York, walking along the ancient walls, strolling through the old city, and going on a ghost tour in the evening.
