Hello from Edinburgh! Or, as the Scots would say... Hello from Edinburgh!

We've arrived, albeit later than anticipated. After a flight straight from hell (Newark wouldn't let us leave Toronto, our flight from Newark to Edinburgh had a total of 9 delays & left over 5 hours late, and my bag was one of 25 that the Edinburgh luggage people said hadn't been put on the plane) we dropped the stuff we did have with us at our hotel and headed up the Royal Mile to see Edinburgh Castle. It looks pretty much the same as it did the last time I saw it (in 2001) but I'd forgotten so much, it might as well have been my first visit. After that, it was back to the hotel to get checked in and changed for dinner and our whisky tour. Happily, my bag that was supposed to still be in Newark for another 12 hours had been delivered and I was reunited with my toothbrush.

Dinner was at the Witchery, which was such a delightful little spot, it felt like we were in Harry Potter. It was also very busy and we barely had time for our pudding selection before going next door for our tour at the Scotch Whisky Experience. Our tour started with a barrel ride, which explained the whisky process and then we learned about the five whisky regions in Scotland, complete with a scratch & sniff card. Then, it was on to tasting. We started with three whiskys - Lowlands, Highlands and Speyside - learning about legs and finish and why a Glencairn glass is the best for drinking from (hint: it's very hard to spill anything out of one.) Then it was on to the world's largest private whisky collection and a taste of a whisky from Campbeltown before finishing up with an Islay and a parting gift (a Glencairn glass!) Then, we headed off down the Mile to a whisky bar recommended by the front desk clerk where I had a Taste of Scotland flight to end the night.

That, of course, led to a slow start for me today. But, soon enough, we were heading down the mile to the Scottish Parliament for a tour. It was a really interesting building, with themes of openness and transparency running throughout and symbols of Scotland everywhere you turned. The architect designed everything himself, including the carpets. You'd think he'd have delegated some of that stuff away but nope, he did it all. After a stop for a snack in the cafe, we strained for a glimpse of Hollyrood, which is closed right now because Princess Anne is arriving for a stay tomorrow. Then, it was up to the top of Carlton Hill for the best views in the city. And they were excellent! The hill is the highest point in the city so you could see everything for miles. After that, it was off to the National Museum to take in their Scottish History galleries, which were packed with everything you could possibly think of from coins from when Romans lived here to clips of KT Tunstall singing. That worked up our appetites so we had an early dinner, followed by some time with our feet up before heading back out to get some takeaway dessert (yum, strawberry tart!) and now it's time for bed.

Tomorrow, we're visiting Craigmillar Castle before picking up our car and making the drive down to Wigtown. Let the bookish adventure begin!!

Yeah, we get it, Edinburgh, you're gorgeous. You can stop showing off now.