Have had a most enjoyable time making my way up to Scotland after leaving Liverpool a few days ago. Since then I’ve stayed in Carlisle and enjoyed a walk along Hadrian’s Wall as we drove up the Reiver’s trail into Scotland yesterday. We did manage to stop along the way to watch the England vs. Germany game in Hawick, in a pub with a group at one end supporting Germany and another at the other end supporting England. Somehow we managed to remain in the middle and come out unscathed 🙂

Today we enjoyed the sights of Edinburgh – taking in the usual tourist haunts around Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum of Scotland and all the other sights along the Royal Mile. We also took the bus out to Ocean Terminal where the ex-Royal Yacht Britannia is now moored, and enjoyed a great seafood lunch at Newhaven with Ewan McIntosh.

Edinburgh is a fabulous city of stone buildings – very austere and imposing – and steeped in history. One of the highlights was a one hour tour of some underground streets in the centre of Edinburgh – where it is possible to walk through and experience what life might have been like in the 17th century in Edinburgh, around the time of the plagues etc. and before the more modern, 18th and 19th century buildings appeared over the top of them.

• Top photo: Edinburgh castle
• Middle photo: me on Hadrian’s wall
• Lower photo: Ewan and me

More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/derekw/