Day 19: Edinburgh / Day 7 2nd Honeymoon

BIG WEATHER CHANGE! 
55 windy, cold and foggy
Be careful what you ask for, you just may get it. 

With jackets on, we headed for Edinburgh Castle. 

The castle is still a headquarters for the Scottish military and has been in some form forever. Dogs seem to be a big part of it too. There is even a cemetery for the dogs. 

This chapel was built by King James IV for his wife Margaret who was later became a Saint.
It is the oldest building at Edinburgh Castle. 

Incredible stained glass windows

The original door

My personal favorite...

The Royal living quarters

The middle of this building (the tower) holds the crown jewels of Scotland. No cameras allowed but trust me, they were a sight to behold. Red velvet with the traditional white spotted fur on the edge. Gold and jewels adorned it. The coronation scepter (with a crystal ball at the top) and coronation sword, also both adorned with jewels. 
The history behind these are so awe inspiring. 
And next to these was "The Stone of Destiny".
This huge boulder has been under the throne of Kings and Queens for hundred of years and was stolen from Scotland many years ago. 
In 1996, it was stolen back 
and here it is in it's rightful home. 
Pretty incredible to see-trust me.

Fireplaces you could walk into

The birthing room. Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to her only child, James VI.
This is the only window in the small room.

A small fireplace and a painting on the wall.

The ceiling

The "great hall" where court would 
have been held.

The ceiling is the hull of a 
ship turned upside down!

Notice how big the swords were. 

We visited the prisoner quarters. There is graffiti on the doors carved by prisoners. Look closely and you will see an American flag. Yes, there were Americans held there.

We had high tea in the tea rooms 
of Edinburgh Castle. I think this is the only tea
party I will ever get Dave to go to :)
He had earl grey and I had blood orange rooibos.
Our favorite-the crumpets 
with strawberry jam and clotted cream.  
Translated- biscuits with butter and jelly.

These materials hung on the walls of the tea room.

Dave has traced his ancestry to France as close back as his great-grandfather Guise. So I like to think the Guise Royal Family 

may be very distant cousins. 

As we left the castle, it sits very high and we saw this view. This is the back of the 
living quarters and the great hall.
If you look close, in the middle of the curve, the first set of 4 windows is the birthing room.

We strolled back to our hotel...which was all downhill. Nice since we logged in 5.65 miles today.