London Vacation
1999

Monday, August 16

Edinburgh, Scotland

Start | Day 1| Day 2 | Day 3
Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Blue Bells of Scotland Midi

train.jpg (4154 bytes)

On Monday, we traveled from London to Edinburgh on a one-day rail excursion. We boarded the high-speed train at Kings Cross Station in London and watched the countryside and coastline of Britain speed past our window. We arrived in Edinburgh at approximately 11:30 a.m.


Edinburgh

Scotland's Capital City.

 
The United Kingdom or Great Britain?


United Kingdom

United Kingdom -  The island of Great Britain, (comprising England, Scotland, and Wales) and the province of Northern Ireland (occupying part of the island of Ireland) form the country officially known as "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" or simply the United Kingdom (in yellow on left map).


 
 

 


England


Scotland


Wales

Great Britain - The term "Great Britain" is used for the island containing the contiguous principalities of England, Scotland, and Wales.

 

England - The term "England" is sometimes erroneously used by both natives of England and foreigners to refer to the United Kingdom.  Natives of the other constituent nations of the U.K. find such usage offensive, so it is best avoided!

 

 

Scotland - Scotland is one of four constituent nations that form the United Kingdom (the other three are England, Wales, and Northern Ireland). Scotland forms the northern part of the island of Great Britain.

 

 

Wales - Wales, part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, forming administratively a part of England and occupying a broad peninsula on the western side of the island of Great Britain.  Wales also includes the island of Anglesey, which is separated from the mainland by the narrow Menai Strait.


Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland, is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, situated in the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland. Northern Ireland is also known as Ulster.


The Gaelic Language

The official language is English, although Gaelic is spoken, primarily in the North and West of Scotland

The Gaelic Language is spoken by around 86,000 individuals primarily in the North of Scotland and in the Western Isles (eg. Skye, Lewis, Harris). The vast majority of gaelic speakers are bilingual Gaelic / English. Today there are very few people who do not speak English. 

Edinburgh Castle

edinburgh1.jpg (31384 bytes)
Edinburgh Castle

We enjoyed spectacular views from Carlton Hill. as we visited Scotland's top visitor attraction Edinburgh Castle standing high above the city.



View of Edinburgh from Castle

The Royal Castle of Edinburgh is a most powerful symbol of Scotland. For centuries, this mighty fortress has dominated its surroundings with a majesty that has deeply impressed many generations.


Edinburgh Castle

Today, Edinburgh Castle continues to attract hundreds of thousands or people to its rocky perch. They are captivated by the ancient buildings overawed by the marvelous views from the battlements, and spellbound by its wonderful story.

 

edinburghtown.jpg (26386 bytes)
Edinburgh

Whilst in Edinburgh we enjoyed a tour of the city, visiting Edinburgh Castle with its fine state apartments and ancient Scottish crown jewels.

The Royal Mile


St. Giles' Cathedral


Palace of Holyroodhouse

We then descended Castle Hill along the cobbled Royal Mile, seeing St. Giles' Cathedral with its crown-shaped spire and continued past the Queen's Palace of Holyroodhouse.
 

Queen's Bedchamber 

Mary, Queen of Scots' Bedchamber.

The Palace of Holyrood

Floodlit for the first time during the European Heads of Government Meeting in December 1992.

The Great Gallery

An investiture.

 

Lurking at the bottom of the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse serves as a reminder of Scotland's volatile history. Famous incidents include the murder of the secretary of Mary Queen of Scots. The Palace of Holyroodhouse, founded as a monastery in 1128, is The Queen's official residence in Scotland. Today, the Palace is the setting for a wide range of Royal events, including an annual Garden Party and the Investiture, held in the Great Gallery.

 


Princes Street

Princes Street, Edinburgh's main thoroughfare, has been described as one of the most beautiful streets in the world. Its fame springs, of course, not primarily from its architecture but from the street's incomparable setting. It is as fine a boulevard as will be encountered anywhere. We had time to shop for tartan blankets on Princes Street--where Alan researched his maternal roots--Clan Ross----before returning to London (see below).



Scotland Countryside

The area surrounding Edinburgh forms the beautiful lowlands of Scotland. The farmland of East Lothian, some of the richest in the country, rises to windswept hills. On the way back to London, we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner on the train, complete with white linen table cloth and small cozy table lamp. And of course, gorgeous views of the North Sea and countryside were to be seen along the way.


Clan Ross
(Source of Tartans: The Official Register of All Publicly Known Tartans)

History

Gaelic Name:  Ros
Motto: Spem Successus alit (Success nourishes hope)
Badge: Juniper
Lands: Ross-shire, Ayrshire and Renfreire
Origin of Name: Placename, Ross-shire
Pipe Music:  The Earl of Ross’ March

The name Ross derives from the ancient Celtic word "Ros," meaning "a promontory," in this case the lands of Easter Ross.  The clan is known to Highlanders as Clann Aindreas - the sons of Andrew.

Ross Clan
Crest

Ross Clan
Tartan


This sett first appeared in Grant (No 62) and was then repeated by W & A K  Johnston in 1906, compounding possible errors by earlier illustrators, including Logan and MacIan. (The tie that we purchased is of this pattern but with a darker shade of blue.)

Ross Clan
Hunting
Tartan

[ Top of Page ]
[ Back ] [ Next ]
[ Return to Photo Albums ]
[ Return to Nancy Ford's Home Page ]