Scotland-Day 1, September 30

We headed off for Scotland on a warm and sunny Friday.  We had planned to leave on Oct 1 but were advised that the train system is diverted to buses in many places on the weekends for repair work (the National Rail's version of orange barrels) so we opted for weekday travel instead.  The trip is about 5 1/4 hours long to Edinburgh so there was lots of time for reading and checking out the scenery.  We first headed northwest to Peterborough and then caught the connection for Edinburgh leaving the flat fields of Cambridgeshire behind for more rolling hills, sheep, and a view of the North Sea.  We had a few quick stops at some major cities where the landmarks were hard to miss.

Durham's impressive cathedral

Bridge over River Tyne in Newcastle

Sage Gateshead, Music Venue, Newcastle

And in the distance, a view of the North Sea

Walking out of the train station in Edinburgh and heading to the Tourist Information Center for maps of the city and local buses, we were greeted by a huge Gothic monument--our first acquaintance with one of Scotland's favorite sons--Sir Walter Scott, author of Ivanhoe and books about local characters like Rob Roy. 

    

The Memorial is in a lovely park right in the heart of the city between the Old Town (medieval) and New Town.  It's possible to climb to the top for great views of the city but considering we had backpacks and a suitcase, we didn't.

As it was, the views we had from the area around the Information Center were impressive in themselves.

  

Bank of Scotland

Balmoral Hotel

The size of the buildings indicates wealth; the discoloration...coal?  Edinburgh has a gritty appearance.  I was reminded of Pittsburgh and how sooty the buildings were there in the height of its industrial past.  

After gathering our maps and getting directions for the bus, we headed off to our B&B, Dorstan's just off the Dalkeith Road and not far from downtown.  Rick Steves' recommendations have been valuable.  The room was tiny but clean and the proprietors outgoing.  After dinner at a local pub where we met a couple traveling from Toronto, we organized ourselves for the next day's assault on Edinburgh's favorite tourist spot, the Royal Mile.