Thursday morning we woke up in Inverness. Some of us slept in while about half the group visited Culloden Battlefield where the Jacobites fought one last battle against British forces in 1746. We then drove down from the highlands to Edinburgh in the lowlands. After checking in at the Knight Residence, we walked up to the Royal Mile at the foot of the castle for a group dinner at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. Everyone enjoyed the traditional food and some even tried haggis. It was Chelsea’s birthday, so we all signed a card for her. After dinner it sprinkled a bit on Thursday evening, but we still wandered the streets and closes of Edinburgh’s High Street and Grassmarket areas.
Friday morning we headed back up to the castle for an entertaining tour. The castle sits on a high volcanic rock in the middle of the city, so the views are amazing. You can see out over the city and the Firth of Forth. Following the castle, we walked a few blocks down the Royal Mile to the Edinburgh Writers’ Museum to view exhibits on Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Burns, among others. As a group we then walked down to Waverly Bridge to catch a city bus tour. From there, everyone went their separate ways to explore what was most interesting to them.
Paul and I hiked Arthur’s Seat and met Katie P., Allie R., Cynthia G., and Dr. Hill on the way down. We could see all the way to the ocean from the top. Just as we exited the park we were caught in a downpour, though, luckily, it only lasted a few minutes.
Saturday morning we set out for York, stopping at Hadrian’s Wall on the way. While we were at the Roman fort, it was windy and threatening rain, and it rained hard once we go on the bus, though we only had to deal with a few sprinkles once we got to York. Once we checked in at the Huntington House, we explored the walled city of York in the mist. York Minster Cathedral was spectacular. Some of us went there for a prayer and communion service where we followed along in the Book of Common Prayer.
We’re now on our way to the Bronte Parsonage Museum for a walking tour of the village of Haworth where the Bronte sisters spent most their lives. From there, we’ll drive down to Stratford-upon-Avon for the next two nights where we’ll visit Shakespeare sights, a 17th century village, and Warwick Castle.
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