Big day playing tourist today in Edinburgh.
After breakfast we begin our adventures aboard the hop on hop off bus. Best way to get a good overview of the city and surrounds. We got off at Palace of Holyrood House which is the official summer palace for the current royal family in Scotland. The queen spends most of August here but that involves a lot of official business so if she wants a holiday she goes to Balmoral.
We are on history overload at the moment but it is so interesting how the families are all entwined some how throughout history. Holyrood is a beautiful palace and again the work by the historians to collect and maintain the collections is amazing. Before we leave the palace we have a cuppa accompanied by crown shaped shortbreads!
It's starting to drizzle but not much in it so we get back on the top deck of the bus to continue this route to Edinburgh Castle. It's now late morning and the crowd heading to the castle is growing. Luckily we have pre purchased passes so we don't have to line up.
Behind the castle walls is a whole village! It's amazing.
Kings and Queens we have read about and learnt about through history have lived, walked and slept in this castle. We were walking the paved roads in the footsteps of Robert the Bruce. We went in the room where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her son James VI. Hard to imagine.
We spend over 2 hours at the castle before heading back down the hill to find lunch.
We get back on a different bus this time to go to the outer areas of the city to view the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Botanic Gardens, New Haven and Leith. Back in the city we stop for a drink at one of the pop up bars near Waverley before walking back towards our hotel. We try out another couple of little bars on the back and then finally settle at the Fiddlers Inn for Steak and Guinness Pie for dinner.
We are off on our next adventure tomorrow. Leaving Scotland at 12 to fly to Iceland.

Apex City Hotel Edinburgh, 90 Grassmarket Edinburgh 2 nights