Scotch Corner - Edinburgh, Scotland
We left early and our first stop was a section of Hadrian's Wall, the Roman coast-to-coast defense against marauding northern tribes, then we continued through wild Northumberland National Park to the Scottish border. The border had a large boulder with Scotland written on it and a man playing the bagpipes entertained visitors crossing from England to Scotland. Stopped for photos at Jedburgh, with glimpses of the house of Mary, Queen of Scots, and then Melrose with its 12th-century abbey ruins and connections with Robert the Bruce. We arrived at Edinburgh in the afternoon where we had a unique experience: boarded the former Royal Yacht Britannia, which for the Queen was once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Toured five decks and saw how the Royal Family and crew of 240 lived and worked on board. We had dinner on the harbour and retired to our hotel room at the Capital Hotel Edinburgh.