British Castle Tour-Edinburgh

Picture: Military Tattoo in front of Edinburgh Castle

Speaking of Scotland, we can't help but think of plaid skirts, whiskey, melodious bagpipes...Edinburgh is a famous cultural ancient city in the UK. It is named after the Scottish royal castle built in the sixth century in the center of the city. As the capital of Scotland, it is the city with the most historical and cultural charm in Scotland and best embodies the Scottish style.

Home to many ancient churches and gorgeous Victorian buildings, the Old Town and New Town are both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Edinburgh Castle was once a royal palace, a military barracks, and even a state prison for prisoners of war. The castle's terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a battleground for military strategists. England and Scotland have been separated and reunited for thousands of years, and the history of Edinburgh is basically a condensed version of the history of Scotland.

Edinburgh Castle is even a symbol of the spirit of Scotland. It stands on the top of a dark extinct volcanic granite, overlooking the city of Edinburgh. The Military Tattoo is held here every August, which further reveals the solemn and majestic atmosphere of Edinburgh Castle. Nothing left. It happened to be August when we went, and we were very lucky to watch the Edinburgh Military Tattoo live.

The performance of the Swiss Legion was solemn but also a little lively. The background was Einstein's mass-energy equivalence formula, E = mc2. Einstein graduated from the Zurich University of Technology.

If the mysterious ancient buildings are the unique face of Edinburgh, then the various art festivals are her extremely interesting soul. Edinburgh is very lively in August. In addition to the famous Edinburgh International Arts Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival, there are 11 art festivals, allowing people to feel the unique style and charm of Edinburgh!

Left: Edinburgh International Arts Festival; Right: Edinburgh Fringe Festival

There are so many tourists in Edinburgh, and it is normal to not see anyone on a street in Glasgow. Suddenly, I feel a little uncomfortable seeing the huge crowds.

Pictured: A vibrant city center that combines ancient and modern

After Lao Wang returned to Hong Kong with his children, I continued to stay in Edinburgh to attend company meetings. We stayed at the Balmoral Hotel in the city center. To the left of the hotel is the famous Princes Street, where the Scott Memorial Tower, a Gothic building with a history of more than 170 years, is located.

The Balmoral Hotel where I stayed in Edinburgh this time is a local landmark with an extremely strategic location. Eight of the top ten attractions in Edinburgh are within walking distance from the hotel. The hotel itself has many restaurants, an outdoor beer festival is being held next to it, and there are performances and flea markets a few steps away.

I live in Room 551. Room 552 diagonally opposite is the room where Rowling wrote Harry Potter. Now the door is painted purple and decorated with a golden owl.

 

 

The National Gallery of Scotland is one of the national galleries of Scotland and is located on Princes Street. The gallery collects paintings from around the world from the early Renaissance to the 1900s and Scottish paintings from 1600-1900. In front of the National Gallery is the world's largest tower commemorating a writer. This 61-meter-high Gothic spire is used to commemorate the novelist and poet Sir Scott. A guided tour is required to enter the tower.

Pictured: Scott Monument

Places we've been to:

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle stands on the gray-black volcanic rock, integrating seamlessly with the surrounding ancient buildings, towering and majestic. The serious weathering of the stone can tell a full sense of age.

This 900-year-old castle has witnessed many wars. He once held out for two years under the siege of the British army and was finally defeated and surrendered. He is a symbol of the Scottish spirit.

The exhibitions in the castle are mainly related to Scotland's military history, telling the glorious achievements of the British army in history. The castle stands at the highest point of the old city, and you can overlook the whole city from the observation deck.

Address: Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK

National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland is a comprehensive museum with many interesting elements. From dinosaur fossils to chess sets, mummies to cars, the collection explores the diversity of nature, culture, industry, science and design in Scotland and around the world. Specimens of the first cloned sheep, various high-tech exhibits... The National Museum of Scotland is more like a children's science and biology museum, with many facilities for children to interact.

The museum's appearance is grand and simple, with three floors. It is considered the greatest building in Scotland in the 20th century. The interior design is very artistic, with a white dome and light green walls. Because the dome can transmit light, the entire space is bright and elegant.

Address: Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF, Scotland

 

The welcome dinner organized by the company was also held at the National Museum of Scotland. After the museum is closed, there is no one around, and it is a wonderful experience to quietly admire the exhibits.

University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh is the capital university of Scotland and one of the oldest universities in the world. The University of Edinburgh is composed of old and new school buildings. The most attractive one is of course the old school building. Most of the teaching buildings were converted from ancient castles. It is a fully open school, and the locations of each college are scattered. Charles Darwin and Alexander Bell both graduated from the University of Edinburgh.

Address: Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which began in 1950, is Scotland's largest annual performance festival. It is only held for three weeks in August. Each performance has more than 1,000 performers and an audience of 210,000. One billion viewers watch it on TV throughout the year. broadcast.

The magnificent scene, the solemn and beautiful music, the cheerful folk dance, the ever-changing patterns on the castle, and my seat were also perfect, everything was perfect.

But it was too cold. The temperature dropped by less than 10 degrees at night. The wind was blowing, and it became colder the more I sat there. If the company hadn’t given me a wind-up blanket before entering the venue, I would have frozen to death.

Military music performances can be included in once-in-a-lifetime experiences, so remember! A hat, scarf, cashmere sweater, long johns and a thick down jacket are standard.

Arthur’s Seat

When you come to Arthur's Seat to climb, the mountain road is very steep, there is no protection, and there are no complete steps. There is only the path that people walk out. The vertical height is quite high, and the higher you climb, the stronger the wind becomes. From the top of the mountain, you can have a panoramic view of Edinburgh, surrounded by the sea on three sides and with the Swan Lake at the foot of the mountain. This is also the filming location of "One Day". With my colleagues, I took more photos in one day than I had in the previous two weeks.

Tips: You must wear sportswear and sneakers when hiking.

Address: Arthur’s Seat Edinburgh EH8 8AL UK

old Town

Edinburgh is an ancient city.

After climbing Arthur's Seat, I was half freezing after descending the mountain, so I went to a cafe to warm up and stroll around the old town.

Walking on the ancient cobblestone streets of the old city, castles, churches, ancient buildings... all give people the illusion of being in the Middle Ages. Personalized shops, neat restaurants, wonderful street performances... this is an ancient and vibrant old city. There are no buildings that are more than a hundred years old that are not dark, but here, many walls are painted with colorful colors, and the originally gloomy atmosphere immediately becomes brighter.

Picture: The majestic royal lion on the palace gate is so cute, and the key parts are cleverly coded.

Calton Hill

Calton Hill is a hill on the east side of Edinburgh's New Town and is known as the "Athens of the North". There are many iconic monuments and buildings on the mountain. The National Monument and Nelson Monument are two world-renowned monuments.

The national monument imitates the style of the Parthenon in ancient Greece, with more than a dozen exquisite stone pillars standing under the blue sky, looking particularly majestic and solemn. It was built in memory of the Scottish soldiers who died in the wars with Napoleon.

The Nelson Monument faces the National Monument not far away. It was built to commemorate the British admiral Horatio Nelson who died in the battle. The Nelson Monument looks like an old-fashioned single-barrel telescope and is 32 meters high. When the cannon is fired from Edinburgh Castle at 1 pm every day, the small ball at the top of the Nelson Monument will lower.

Address: Calton HillEdinburgh EH7 UK

Scottish National Gallery

The Scottish National Art Gallery has two floors. It is not large in scale and does not have a large collection, but it is of high quality and covers a wide range. Classical art from the 14th to the 19th century is displayed here. You can see paintings by Scottish artists and internationally famous painters, such as Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, Monet, etc.

Tips: Tickets are free, but you need to make a reservation on the official website in advance.

Address: The Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL, Scotland

 

See below for details:

Edinburgh Castle

One o’clock Gun. In the past, the cannon was fired to allow sailors on ships in the Firth of Forth to check the time. Now the cannon still fires on time at one o'clock every day, attracting a large number of tourists.

The Mons Meg cannon on the city wall weighs six tons and was produced in Mons, Belgium in 1449.

Interior view of St. Margaret's Chapel.

Other exhibition halls.

Leave the castle.

National Museum of Scotland

A big clock that chimes the hour.

Company dinner after closing.

University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Arthur’s Seat

See what's in the grass?

old Town

Take a break at the cafe.

Stroll around the streets.

Flea market in front of the National Gallery.

Calton Hill

Scottish National Gallery