Free day! Jan and I set off early to head to Holyrood Palace. Alas, we found it closed to visitors because of a visiting dignitary from the Church of Scotland representing the queen. So we decided instead to tour the Scottish Parliament.
The gorgeous modern building that houses the newest government in the world proved to be a great substitute. Scotland voted in 1997 to create a separate government, and it officially started its work the next year. The building had great art exhibitions and explanatory panels regarding how the government operates, a neat interactive timeline about important moments in its history and much more. We walked up to the debating chambers and watched several school groups tour the facility.
A wonderful man explained how the 129-member body, who were all meeting in committees when we arrived, operates. The gallery had comfortable modern seats, and the special LED lighting had 129 modern human figures etched into the covers. The symbols representing the country and government were repeated throughout the building, which opened in 2004.
The vote to secede from the United Kingdom a few years ago did not pass, and it is important to note that the Scottish people voted against leaving the European Union. It will be interesting to watch what happens over the next few years.
Tours of the parliament building are offered at no cost, something the vast majority of museums offer to visitors here as well as residents. It’s a great concept to get people to come within the doors. Donations are encouraged, and we certainly made sure we did that. Most of them have amazing gift shops, and I made many a purchase to help the cause. My hope is the free admission brings more people in. I love museums, and I hope others learn to do so as well.
As we made our way back to the center of town, we found a People’s Museum, a lovely little place that told the story of how 55,000 people lived in the very area we were strolling. We had heard that from Allan Lyons, our tour guide here, and this place confirmed that fact and told us more.
We decided to head over to Prince’s Street, to see that side of the city. We walked past the beautiful Balmoral Hotel and found the memorial to Sir Walter Scott, the famous author, said to be the largest in the world. We stopped in a department store, Jenners, that is in a lovely building. You can’t walk for more than a block without seeing some impressive architecture, one structure more interesting than another. Buildings have lovely friezes and decorations.
We wanted to walk through the Prince’s Street Gardens, but time was ticking away. So we headed back up the hill, past the Scottish National Gallery, looking for the Writers Museum Allan had pointed out our first day here. We located it and spied a neat restaurant, Makars Mash Bar. The Scots love their mash, but we loved the food we had here. I took a chance on pulled pork over a rosti, which was more like a hash brown but thankfully not fried. Jan decided on a chicken burger, and we both were given sides of cole slaw and some greens. Just delicioso, as Jan loves to say. The atmosphere and service were top notch as well.
We made it quickly up to the Writers Museum, which focuses on the big three – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. This small space houses tons of information, wonderful displays of their belonging – from pipes and gloves and journals to furniture. How wonderful that this is all saved and preserved. We had a delightful chat with a volunteer about Stevenson. Another volunteer steered us to the top floor to watch a video about young girls who serve as caregivers for their families. It was so well done, touching and poignant.
We made a few more stops – the two libraries and the Elephant House , the café where J.K. Rowlings wrote her Harry Potter books over coffee and cake. She is beloved here. Our regret is the place was so hot we couldn’t bear to stay. Some of the students had breakfast there today, and others made their pilgrimage to it earlier.
Before our group dinner tonight, Jan led the students in our final group meeting and reflection about our journey. They reviewed the Manchester and Edinburgh professional visits and offered their big take away from the trip and class. It’s an exercise we look forward to and share our own personal responses to the trip and area.
I know we made the right decision to go to the UK this year and journey around this marvelous country. It is just not seeing it in total if we stayed just in London. Every other city – Stratford, Liverpool, Manchester and now Edinburgh – offers more of a look into this country and its many assets, a word we heard a number of times and used in a number of ways. I know I want to come back and see even more. I hope the students feel that way and have that opportunity.
We ended the night with a final group dinner at Howies, followed by a Haunted Edinburgh tour. Then back to pack and get ready to leave early tomorrow and head back to Pittsburgh. These trips always seem to end too soon and leave me wanting to return.