On our last day in Edinburgh we decided to hike Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano. We had been advised by a number of locals to do this earlier in our visit to take advantage of the nice weather while it lasted. However, we decided to stick to our original itinerary. This may have been a mistake. Though it did not rain (thank goodness!), it was incredibly windy. The winds were gusting so strongly that we nearly fell over a few times, but the view of Edinburgh was breathtaking.
We did climb all the way to the peak, though we don't have any photos from there as we were holding on for dear life to not be blown off the mountain!
We made it safely, albeit windswept, back down the mountain and retuned to our B&B to freshen up before heading out for the afternoon. We hopped on a bus in search of the Leith Tea Company- a company that makes their own tea blends. Unfortunately they had moved locations and we didn't have the new address. So we caught the bus back up to the Royal Mile and went to Oink for lunch. It was so good!!
After that we walked up the Royal Mile and crossed over to Grassmarket. This area was originally the city's garage for horses and cows and was the sight for Edinburgh's hangings. Now it has been turned into a pedestrian-friendly plaza full of pubs and funky shops. We had fun looking through Armstrongs vintage emporium and had a delicious treat at Mary's Milk Bar.
We also went into a true British hat shop! OK, guys. You've already heard me talk about how obsessed I am with afternoon tea and how much I love French Macarons. Let's add one more thing to the list: I just die over British hats and fascinators. They are fantastic! We had such fun with the shopkeeper who encouraged us to try everything on and insisted we take photos. Doesn't this one just scream Downton Abbey hunting scene??
In the end I settled for something a little more practical. (You know I couldn't pass it up!!)
In the evening we finally made it to the Whiskey tasting with Mark of Cadenhead's Whiskey Shop!
I am definitely not a whiskey drinker (it all tasted a bit like burnt rubber to me...), but Russ enjoyed it and we had a lot of fun. We were paired with a great, lively group of people, including two locals and regulars, a father-son duo who knew what they were doing. Turns out that the son, Donald, and his wife will be honeymooning in San Diego right after we return from our trip. What a coincidence! I told them to look me up at the Museum if they have time, though Russ and I know firsthand how difficult it is to fit everything into a vacation!
Tomorrow we leave Edinburgh for Inverness. We are sad to leave Edinburgh. We both really enjoy this city and still feel like there is much to do. At the same time, we are very excited to explore the highlands!
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