Slept so well in our beautiful hostile we were afraid we’d miss our 10AM tour. Shoveling down the inexpensive breakfast provided by the hostel, we sauntered to the meet up spot for our free Edinburgh highlights tour only to find we had, indeed, missed it. No matter. We moseyed back to our hostel to get ready more completely (grab umbrellas, etc.) and check in on the results of the Brexit vote. Alas.

Round two of our free tour, we were guided by a native Edinburgher through the streets, alleyways, kirkyards, wynds, and closes of the beautiful town of Edinburgh. I just found myself saying, over and over, “This CITY!” It is literally the stuff of fairytales.

Midway through the tour, we stopped off at a cafe for a break and figured we ought to try Irn Bru, an energy drink that is outlawed in the US. It tasted like bubble gum.

We figured we couldn’t possibly come all this way, have a hostel at the foot of the castle and not tour it, so we purchased tour tickets for the castle and “Dark Side of Edinburgh,” which meant we were in for a day of walking and touring. Here at the end of the day, my head is so packed full of new bits of information, I am struggling to find words to express my own thoughts (thankfully Ray is good at interpreting my hand gestures!)

At the recommendation of our guide, we grabbed lunch at “Baked Potato” and got a giant potato stuffed with guac and cheese before setting off for our next tour.
The castle was very interesting, especially given the fact that it had very little signage around to describe what you were seeing (for fear of disturbing the original building walls). Our guide was helpful in pointing out what each of the different buildings were, when they were built (the oldest circa 1100, the most recent in the late-1800s by Queen Victoria who wanted the castle to be “prettier” and less fortress-y). It’s neat at the end of the day to be able to gaze up at the castle and be able to point out the different buildings.

We popped back at our hostel to bundle up for the evening before making our way down the Royal Mile toward the beginning of our final tour. On the way we grabbed a cup of tea at the former workshop of cabinet-maker Brodie, father of Deacon Brodie, the locksmith upon whom Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was based.

Further along we got to witness a rally of people protesting the outcome of the Brexit vote outside St. Giles Cathedral and their subsequent march down the Royal Mile.

Amidst all this, it was a bit tricky to shift our attentions back to our guide and his stories of the darker side of Edinburgh. We heard fascinating tales of “Resurrectionists” (professional body-snatchers), of Arthur, the giant and main character of a folk tale for which “Arthur’s Seat” is named, the witch hunts initiated by King James; and descended “Jacob’s Ladder” (super steep rocky steps – I was kicking myself for going first for fear someone would trip and bowl us all over!), traversed over Calton Hill, and traipsed through a graveyard.

After the tour, Ray and I sauntered over to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (the Queen’s residence when she’s in town), walked along the base of Arthur’s Seat, and then back up the Royal Mile. Stopped off at OX184 for a dinner of burgers, whisky, and some local gin.

We took a walk to Princes street to see the castle lit up at night and then headed “home” to the sounds of college boys singing I Vow To Thee, My Country, a British patriotic song as we wound our way up and down the wynds toward our hostel (it boggles my mind that some folks just live in these beautiful, old buildings) just before the heavy rains set in.