Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle

We landed in Edinburgh around 8pm and took a bus into the city. We were all amazed at the beautiful architecture and green hills as we drove through. We were met in the city by fireworks being shot off for a festival that spans the month of August. We walked to our hostel, an old converted church a few minutes off the main street. After meeting our roommates and setting our stuff down we set back into town for the next round of fireworks a local had told us about. 

Scotland is significantly colder than the rest of the UK, we discovered. We stopped in a souvenir shop and dropped £10 on a blanket, picked up some hot chocolate, and plopped down on a bench on Princes Street to watch the show. Apparently our friend had his information wrong and the fireworks were not at 11 or 11:30- by that point we decided to retreat into McDonald's for some warm French fries. The fireworks began just as we started walking back, so we heard them instead of seeing them. 

Sunday was probably the most restful and relaxing day thus far. Jacob's family is Scottish, so we had planned to go to a church in Clunie, Scotland-about an hour and a half outside of Edinburgh-where his great great great great grandpa had been the preacher in the 19th century. His family hired a driver, Tom, who picked us up at our hostel and drove us to Clunie after a quick stop at this famous bridge just outside the city.

We found the grave of Jacob's grandpa, as well as a plaque at the front of the church recognizing his priesthood. The church was from the Reformation era, and the congregation was not much younger. They were all so sweet and thrilled to have young people in the pews, much less from Texas. Jacob even got a round of applause when it was announced why he was visiting.

This was the first time any of us had been to church this summer, but it was so cool to worship first of all in such beautiful surroundings, but also with believers from the opposite side of the globe. We enjoyed tea and cookies and talked to some of the sweet Scots afterwards before getting back in the car with Tom and heading to St. Andrew's. 

We stopped at a grocery store on the way and picked up a picnic lunch to eat by the water. The wind was insane, but the beach and the town itself were beautiful.

Clunie Parish Church: Clunie, Scotland 

The beach at St. Andrew's, Scotland

The women's British Open was going on while we were there, so we weren't able to see the golf course and the town was crawling with golf enthusiasts, but it was still cool to drive through the town, and I'd love to return and spend more time there someday. 

Tom drove us back to our hostel and we took full advantage of naptime for a solid 3 hours. We had our 3rd meal at the always-faithful Pizza Express then walked around on the other side of the park behind the Castle. We found a country bar, of all things, with a guy playing live music. We're talking the good stuff- Van Morrison and Johnny Cash. Plus sitting on hay bales- just what these Texans needed. 

We sat outside the castle and observed the city by night before heading back to our hostel. I wish we'd had a lot more time in Edinburgh, and I know for sure I want to come back someday soon. There was so much more to see and do than I expected, and I wish we'd had more than just a day.