Thurs Aug 22

This was our " see the sights day".  The day started with a wonderful breakfast at our hotel followed by starting our walk on the Royal Mile using Rick Steeves audio walk. We stopped the walk to attend our tour at the Edinburgh Castle and the military museum. Wonderful time. WINDY but clear and no rain. Beautiful views.

Then returning on our walk, we made a coffee stop with a toastie - like a toasted cheese sandwich- at a little Cafe. (The only thing out of place was the country music in the background.)  By the way where did the crowds come from between 9 and 11? Quiet when we began and then.....people everywhere! We continued on the walk stopping at St Giles Cathedral and on down the road to the Holyrood castle. There were festivals EVERYWHERE. Shows, music, buskers.

St Giles Cathedral

                                                                   Holyrood Castle 

Another coffee break and now over to New Town area which is north of the Royal mile. Again another Rick Steeves walk through New Town. 

                              Scott Monument (Sir Walter Scott) in the Princes Garden

                                                                 St Andrew's Square

Back to the hotel for a rest. (We figured we walked about 4 plus miles) 

Tonight was dinner at a pub. Great Steak  and Ale pie ( Denise) and Haggis, Neeps & Tatties (Dennis). Later tonight we are attending the Military Tattoo. 

The tattoo was wonderful. My favorite was the actual pipe and drum groups plus the military drum and bugle bands. They had some other entertainment between the bands which were good, but oh the pipes! I roughly counted. When the groups were combined, there was about 120 pipes plus 5 or 6 rows of drums. We were concerned about possible rain. We got there early and there was about 10 minutes of misty rain. It stopped and never came back. Whoo hooo