I'm a Bonnie Lass!

I arrived in Edinburgh tired. The train had been delayed several times for unknown reasons. But the scenery was gorgeous! I walked up and ungodly steep stair case (bear in mind that i have all my stuff), and made my way to the Tourist Information Office. There, I got info on what to see and do, maps, and booked my hostel since I was a couple of days early! I chose a place in the old town right on the Royal Mile! So, I headed over there and got checked in. After dropping off my bags, I hit the streets of Edinburgh! It's a fabulous city! VERY hilly with LOTS of steep stairs!! But that's ok! There are all these narrow alleys and streets called Closes and Wynds that are amazing! You look down into them, and it is like you are looking into the entrance to another place and/or time! So, I walked all around Old Town Edinburgh for awhile and did some shopping. I started to look for somewhere to eat, but it was futile. I found nothing for less than £12. So, I broke down and went to Subway. It was just as disgusting as in the US. But, it was relatively cheap. and that was pretty much my first night in the capital of Scotland!

The next was BUSY! I headed out early, walking up the Royal Mile to the Castle. I got there just as they were opening. WOW! The Castle is amazing! I saw the Crown Jewels, the Prisons of War, museums, and STUNNING views of all around Edinburgh! After the castle, I stopped in a Mary Kin's Close! How fun! It's more of a history tour, but they did have a cheesy ghost story towards the end. The real ghost in the Close is that of little Annie. You are supposed to bring a doll to leave for her. I left 50p in the basket for the Children's Fund instead. It was incredible to wind through this underground city!

Speaking of ghosts, Edinburgh is like the World Capitol of ghosts! And you know that I LOVE that! So, I had decided to make the evening entirely about ghosts! I started at the City of the Dead tour, which starts at St. Giles Cathedral and ends in the Greyfriar's Cemetery. It was AWESOME! Jerry, the tour guide, certainly helped - cute little Scottish boy! Once in the cemetery, I immediately felt funny. As I walked a bit further in, I felt like I was being watched and when I past by this open crypt, I felt like something grabbed my wrists from behind and it left this tingling sensation that lasted for quite awhile. It was like the sensation you get when holding dry ice. I did NOT want to go near this one crypt and after we all were in the Black Mausoleum, I found out why! It was where the main ghost of the graveyard was last seen as a full figured entity! It completely freaked me out! But it was great! I then headed back to the Royal Mile to catch the 10:30 pm Terror Tour. This one was just OK. It walked around to St. Gile's Cathedral - this was the site of all the torture and witch burning - and up and down VERY steep Wynds and Closes before going into the Torture room. It was really just a cheap display of old torture implements. then we went down into the underground and saw the working wiccan temple and the area of the south Bank poltergeist. The tour ended at Nichols Pub. Now they say that it's the most haunted pub in Scotland, but whatever. I wish that i had just done the underground tour.... would have saved a couple of quid. But all in all, it was a great day! And i am really enjoying Edinburgh! Tomorrow, I move over to the New Town, which is where I will stay through Sunday night!