Edinburgh
Our third day at the Kirklands broke with a sense of excited melancholy. The excitement of awaking in one of the most beautiful places on earth was dampened with the realization that by nightfall we would be leaving. Gill and Peter again prepared a delicious breakfast that I still miss today. Our plans for the day called for driving to Edinburgh, touring the castle, and then shopping on the royal mile until about 4:00 when we had to leave to catch our plane back to England.
Before we left Kirklands, my wife took the opportunity to take some pictures of my daughter around the gardens. She donned her tartan skirt and they took about 25 photos. A beautiful young lady in a beautiful setting yields beautiful pictures. We said our goodbyes to Gill, Peter, and Harley, packed our things into the rental car and started for Edinburgh. As I drove, I reflected on the things that I had marveled at while here. The charming village of Luss, the splendor of Stirling, and the unquenchable thirst for freedom and self-rule at the Wallace monument. As I realized that our time here was terminal, I knew that I have to one day return because we had only scratched the surface of this amazing country.
We could see the castle high on the crag as we drove into the city. The GPS navigator took us right to a car park only a few blocks from the royal mile. I had to keep the family focused because the shops along the street beckoned for our attention but I knew that if we didn't tour the castle early, we would feel rushed and I wanted to enjoy every second of the experience.
We paid our admission and joined up with a tour group. I was able to strike up a friendly conversation with the guide because of my military background. As a former member, he was lamenting the recent decision to combine the regiments and I was able to understand. A person of an elite unit is always proud of his military heritage and when that is diluted it is a bit like a death. My impression of Edinburgh castle is that it was indeed a fortress. Where Stirling was a palace, this was a secure refuge. We wound our way to the top and explored each of the buildings.
I can't express the emotions that I felt as we were able to view the honors of Scotland. They do not have the rich splendor of the English crown jewels but their magnificence shown all the more brighter because of the blood that was spilt to preserve them. I can't fathom the news that many Scots are ambivalent toward their history and nationalism. Every Scot should take the opportunity to explore the nature of the honors and reflect on the price that was paid for them. Not just of Wallace and Bruce, but also remember nameless people who struggled through the centuries to win Scottish independence. Even today the fight continues, not on the battlefields but in the halls of parliament, in the pubs, universities, and on the streets. Only when the people of Scotland demand truly independent governance will freedom be realized.
These emotions come flooding back almost a year later as I write this. This is the power of the honors. This is the essence of Scotland. We continued our tour of Edinburgh castle and felt a sense that our time was complete. None of us wanted to leave because I think that we realized that once we did, the magical visit to this magical land would end. We left the castle and made our way through the shops of the royal mile. We visited a mill where they were manufacturing tartan. It really is an amazing operation. At lunchtime, the boys and I ate in a restaurant called "Wanna Burger." It may have been the best hamburger I've ever eaten. It certainly was not what we expected when we entered. It was so good that I sent my youngest son to bring his mother and sister so that they could enjoy this last new discovery.
We at last ordered my oldest son a kilt for his graduation present and made our way back to the car. We were a little earlier than planned but this worked out quite well as we had a traffic delay in Glasgow. We arrived at the airport with precious few minutes to spare. I turned in the rental car and we boarded our flight back to Stansted. We were able to catch a late bus back to Mildenhall and arrived back at the base around 5 in the morning. From there it took us a couple of days to get out of England but we fortunately did and we were able to meet up with our friends in Germany.
I'll wrap up our vacation tomorrow.
Before we left Kirklands, my wife took the opportunity to take some pictures of my daughter around the gardens. She donned her tartan skirt and they took about 25 photos. A beautiful young lady in a beautiful setting yields beautiful pictures. We said our goodbyes to Gill, Peter, and Harley, packed our things into the rental car and started for Edinburgh. As I drove, I reflected on the things that I had marveled at while here. The charming village of Luss, the splendor of Stirling, and the unquenchable thirst for freedom and self-rule at the Wallace monument. As I realized that our time here was terminal, I knew that I have to one day return because we had only scratched the surface of this amazing country.
We could see the castle high on the crag as we drove into the city. The GPS navigator took us right to a car park only a few blocks from the royal mile. I had to keep the family focused because the shops along the street beckoned for our attention but I knew that if we didn't tour the castle early, we would feel rushed and I wanted to enjoy every second of the experience.
We paid our admission and joined up with a tour group. I was able to strike up a friendly conversation with the guide because of my military background. As a former member, he was lamenting the recent decision to combine the regiments and I was able to understand. A person of an elite unit is always proud of his military heritage and when that is diluted it is a bit like a death. My impression of Edinburgh castle is that it was indeed a fortress. Where Stirling was a palace, this was a secure refuge. We wound our way to the top and explored each of the buildings.
I can't express the emotions that I felt as we were able to view the honors of Scotland. They do not have the rich splendor of the English crown jewels but their magnificence shown all the more brighter because of the blood that was spilt to preserve them. I can't fathom the news that many Scots are ambivalent toward their history and nationalism. Every Scot should take the opportunity to explore the nature of the honors and reflect on the price that was paid for them. Not just of Wallace and Bruce, but also remember nameless people who struggled through the centuries to win Scottish independence. Even today the fight continues, not on the battlefields but in the halls of parliament, in the pubs, universities, and on the streets. Only when the people of Scotland demand truly independent governance will freedom be realized.
These emotions come flooding back almost a year later as I write this. This is the power of the honors. This is the essence of Scotland. We continued our tour of Edinburgh castle and felt a sense that our time was complete. None of us wanted to leave because I think that we realized that once we did, the magical visit to this magical land would end. We left the castle and made our way through the shops of the royal mile. We visited a mill where they were manufacturing tartan. It really is an amazing operation. At lunchtime, the boys and I ate in a restaurant called "Wanna Burger." It may have been the best hamburger I've ever eaten. It certainly was not what we expected when we entered. It was so good that I sent my youngest son to bring his mother and sister so that they could enjoy this last new discovery.
We at last ordered my oldest son a kilt for his graduation present and made our way back to the car. We were a little earlier than planned but this worked out quite well as we had a traffic delay in Glasgow. We arrived at the airport with precious few minutes to spare. I turned in the rental car and we boarded our flight back to Stansted. We were able to catch a late bus back to Mildenhall and arrived back at the base around 5 in the morning. From there it took us a couple of days to get out of England but we fortunately did and we were able to meet up with our friends in Germany.
I'll wrap up our vacation tomorrow.
posted by Moneyman at 7:09 AM
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