So Many Things to See
Today was my first full day in Edinburgh. I started off the day with breakfast in the beautiful backyard of the guesthouse before walking a half an hour to the National Museum of Scotland. This museum was huge! There were so many different exhibits and a number of incredible objects. To start, I went through an exhibit with a wide variety of animals and creatures from the sea, learning about animals that I had never even seen before. Then, I got a see a great deal of traditional pieces from a number of countries, as well as watch some videos on their customs. In another area, I walked through a science exhibit, which really wasn't my cup of tea, but it was still interesting to see all of the objects.
On the third floor, I was welcomed by an exhibit that had just opened the day before. It was called 'Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites.' The exhibit took you through the history of royalty in Scotland and England before describing the way in which the struggle for Scotland had begun. Finally, you learned about the prince and the actions that he took leading up to the uprising in 1745. In one section, you were met by the grizzly story of the Battle of Culloden. In another, you were met with the saddening reality of what the loss had meant for the highland clans. All in all, it was a very well put together exhibit and it displayed a number of interesting objects, portraits, and videos. The funny part, though, was what I found once I had just exited the exhibit. Right outside the doors was a small gift shop displaying the normal selection of plaid accessories, postcards with depictions of the exhibit, and traditional Scottish candy. What I found amusing, though, was the bookshelf where they displayed a number of books on the subject of Prince Charlie, the Battle of Culloden, and Butcher Cumberland. In the corner, though, was the entire Outlander Series, propped up and ready for purchase. This only amused me because I generally assume that these books are not something that you would often find in a museum, however, I do know that they are widely popular and contain some pieces of historical fiction.
Anyway, after a quick snack in the museum's cafe, I began the trek up to the castle. After a wrong turn and what seemed to be a hundred or so stairs, I reached the castle entrance only to be met with hundreds of people. The queue for the castle was at least an hour long and the crowds were entering non-stop. So, after a bit of thought, I decided that my time would be much better spent in a place where I could take in the city. My first stop was Princes Park, a beautiful park situated down below the castle. From the park benches, you can get a spectacular view of the castle, as well as the beautiful town as it travels down from the castle.
After a stroll through the park, I went up to the Galleries, which is located just at the top of the gardens, and had the opportunity to see a number of different works. While I am not extremely keen on art, some of the pieces were absolutely stunning. Plus, it was much easier to maneuver through than I imagined the castle to be.
In the evening, I took a bus back to the guesthouse in order to freshen up before finding a good place for dinner. Once, I was done, I turned in for the night and enjoyed getting to sleep early.
The next morning, after breakfast, I slowly made the walk back towards the train station. I looked to see what the castle was like, and was once again met with an unbelievably large crowd, so I decided to spend some of the day looking in the small shops along the streets of Edinburgh. Just after lunch, I caught a train and made the 2 hour journey back to New Lanark. This was my last weekend away in Scotland and I don't think that I could have chosen a better place. Even though it is a busy, bustling city, the garden was beautiful and the museum was massive.
I honestly can't wait to come back here in the future and see more of the sights!
