Another great day done and dusted. We did the Edinburgh Dungeons this morning – 5 star rating for that tour!!! The actors were amazing, the tour was brilliant and worth every penny! Highly recommend doing it if you’re ever in this neck of the woods. The actors display the history brilliantly. It’s the first time I’d heard about the body snatchers, Burke & Hare.
Edinburgh was a leading center for anatomical study back in the 19th century but bodies were in short supply. The practice was that only the cadavers of prisoners, orphans and suicide victims were allowed to be used for medical research. When the legal supply started running short, Burke and Hare got into the business of murder and sold the corpses for a tidy sum. Grave-robbing was also on the menu. Definitely dark times to be hanging around Edinburgh in the 19th century! Burke was eventually hanged and his body dissected. His skeleton is still on display at the Edinburgh Medical School. Oh the sweet irony…
After a quick bite, we headed up the Mound to Edinburgh Castle. It was my 2nd trip to the Castle, the last time being in 2005 with my mom.
The Castle is epic. The amount of history in those walls is incredible. St Margaret’s Chapel was built in the 1100’s. Think about that for a second. Almost 1,000 years ago and it’s still standing! How many people have stood within those walls in that time and how much history exists within those walls? Indescribable.
It was raining when we got there so outside pics were a bit of a problem but it had stopped by the time we left. James was in his element, reading all the history as we went along.
Useful tip: wear sensible shoes. There are cobbled streets, narrow stairs and uphills. Heels will make you wish you were dead. It’s a huge castle, so set aside most of a day to tackle it if you want to get your money’s worth. There’s so much to see that it would be pointless just spending an afternoon there. At £16.50 entrance fee for adults, it’s well worth it if you spend the day. The views over Edinburgh are amazing. You can see England on a clear day. The cannon still fires every day for the 1 o’clock gun.
Pulled over into a pub for a few pints then had dinner at the Hard Rock with some margaritas. I somehow managed to find my way home in the rain. I reckon my beer compass still works just fine.
Another great day with great friends. I’m going to miss them so much when it’s time to go home 🙁
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