July 31, 2009

We woke up early and ate a quick breakfast today before setting off up the Royal Mile! Our first stop was Edinburgh Castle, where we got a guided tour from a local Scott who was missing a front tooth! The view up there was phenominal! We got to see the smallest chapel EVER, the Crown Jewels, and the state apartments where Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to James VI and I and was forced to give up her crown. Her son was the king who created the United Kingdom! We also got to see the war memorial and an exhibit on the prison used to house POWs in the castle. After watching a man play the bagpipes, we went over to the Tartan Weaving Mill. Wow, do they have a lot of plaid! Haha, we made a quick stop at St. Giles Cathedral and the Museum of Scotland. Then, we shopped! I met a man who also had a grandmother named Mitchell! However, Mitchell tartan was quite hard to find throughout the city. I also ended up buying a woman's kilt from a nice man who gave me a biscuit and talked to me for a half an hour. Next, we took a quick nap and then went out for a pasta dinner for a change. We went to bed early because we have an early start tomorrow!!