In the previous post, we talked about Sir Walter Scott. The monument to Scott is, by far, one of the most impressive monuments I have ever seen. Located on Princes Street in downtown Edinburgh, the Victorian Gothic spire measures more than 195 feet.
Here is St Giles Cathedral, the pre-eminent house of worship for the Church of Scotland .. I wish that I could have captured the crown shaped steeple in this picture.
Situated on the corner of Candlemaker Row and George IV Bridge sits the statue commemorating Greyfriars Bobby. This loyal Cairn Terrier guarded the grave of Old Jock, his vagabond master, for 14 years until his death. I shall expect no less from my own loyal companion ... Jeff.
The Royal Mile runs between Edinburgh Castle on one end and Holyrood Abbey on the other. We visited Edinburgh Castle which sits atop Castle Rock and is visible from just about everywhere in Edinburgh.
The castle was originally an encampment of military significance dating back to the 9th century.
Here's Jeff standing next to the battery of cannons. Our tour guide shared that these cannons were never even fired, but placed here because a castle should have cannons.
Here is Mom, me, and Jeff in the Palace Yard.
The entry to the Scottish National War Memorial.
This is Mom standing next to a Scottish Claymore. As a point of reference, my mother is 5'4" and this sword is taller than she is ... so remember that the next time you watch Braveheart and 5'10" tall Mel Gibson reaches back and unsheathes his sword with one hand ... Hollywood magic.
I certainly developed an affinity for the guys in uniform .. Beefeaters, Bobbys, and how I wish I could have found a member of the Royal Dragoons in his full regalia. This is the best I could do.
As we were headed back to our hotel, we encountered a street performer or Busker.
And the statue of David Hume. I never heard of David Hume, but Wiki identifies him as a Scottish Philosopher. According to Glen, our tour guide from Stirling, rubbing the toe of the statue will bring you good luck.
Admittedly, I'm a short guy, at least that's what Mitch Becker tells me - but, how exactly does one go about unsheathing a sword where the blade is 44 to 50 inches long? The mechanics of this seem insurmountable to me!
ReplyDeleteThe story of the loyal Cairn Terrier is illustrative of why dogs have always been, are now, and forever will be, better than cats!
ReplyDeleteJeff .. Legend has it that William Wallace was a giant of a man and he handled his claymore with two hands; and although Rob Roy was not a tall man, he is said to have had really long arms, but also handled his weapon with two hands. As for Greyfriars Bobby .. tell me a cat that might display one-tenth that level of loyalty
ReplyDeleteThe Macpherson Clan Coat of Arms displays a scowling Scottish Wildcat, now an endangered specie. The Clan motto "Touch not the cat lest the glove" says don't touch said kitty unless its claws are sheathed. I wouldn't want to put my furry grandson Cluny anywhere near one of those small but ferocioua felines.
ReplyDeleteMa.. don't worry about C, he can hold his own!
ReplyDelete