Edinburgh

Booked back in January a 2 night stay at Spylaw Bank House, Colinton - 4.6 miles from Edinburgh Castle. Booked Edinburgh Military Tattoo Friday 26th August 2022 at 9pm.

Friday - Set off from Longridge at 10am, managed to avoid a huge traffic delay at Lancaster, managed to get off the M6 then back on further up - found out later that it was 6 hours before they opened the road.

Stopped off at Moffat for our packed lunch and a walk around the town which we did 2 years ago when we went to Scotland with Janet and Terry. Quick photo outside The Balmoral Hotel!

Arrived at our B&B at 1:50pm. It was a very old house (quirky), the owner David gave us a tour and we had a wonderful bedroom with a very high bed! The key to the room was a massive one which David asked us not to take out of the building as it would cost a couple of hundred pounds to replace.

We had to get the No.44 bus into Edinburgh and advised to get off at the furthest stop on Princes' Street. Raining so another quick photo op of The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh - would have loved to go in but felt scruffy. Sadly the binmen were on strike and there was rubbish everywhere and a slight stink. Such a shame for a beautiful City. We put on our poncho's to try and keep dry, not sure how to describe what we looked like!

Found where the tour buses were and booked on £15 each. Over an hour with a brilliant guide Johnny giving a knowledgeable account of the City and advice for the best places to eat (The Bee Hive) and where to go to get into the Tattoo later that night.

When we got to the castle for entrance into the Tattoo there wasn't too long a queue and a bit of rain (ponchos on again). Very organised, got a programme (£10 a bit steep) and straight to our seats. 

Photo by Penny Green.

Dot on 9:30pm the Typhoon did a fly past over the castle and then The Military Tattoo began. Wow all the Scots Bagpipe Bands marched in together - goose bump moment. Then 50 Highland girl dancers came in all smiling (even though they had already done an earlier show) and one of the dances they spun around and changed the colours of the skirts, amazing to see. 

An American Military Gun Precision (USAF Honor Guard Drill Team) were spinning rifles with bayonets on and one man walked through them spinning. The place was silent until they finished, uproar in cheers.

Aztec Warriors / Banda Mexican / New Zealand Kiwi's (only when we watched it on TV a week later did we see that all the members arranged to spell out KIWI that could only be seen from above). Electro Bagpipes and then my favourite Top Secret Swiss Drum Corps, they were fabulous, managed to video a small clip with lit up drum sticks before my phone ran out of battery, amazing. Then fireworks and the finale with all the cast. Brilliant, well worth the money and the wait. We ran for the bus (alright walked quickly) and chatted to a couple from The Netherlands at the bus stop while waiting for the No. 44 back to Colinton. Because it was after midnight we had to look out for our bus stop and got off, so did this couple who had been at the Tattoo, then they walked down the driveway and into our B&B! That means that they booked tickets to the Tattoo and booked into Spylaw Bank House at the same time as us and we had breakfast with them the following morning (a fabulous fry up from David) - what a co-incidence! 

Saturday - We went back into Edinburgh on the No. 44 bus again and went to do part 2 of the bus tour because yesterday it was restricted around the Castle and the Royal Mile due to the Tattoo, and our tickets were for 24 hours. We really did miss quite a lot, a very sunny today and absolutely packed. We decided to do the Portrait Museum (not too busy), as we had heard that there was one of Billy Connelly which we would have liked to see but it was no longer there. We were going to get a cake and a coffee in there but the prices were extortionate. Got a butty and a drink from Sainsbury's and sat in the park. 

Back to the B&B for a rest, kept sliding off the bed trying to get into it and had to clamber up by my knees (very elegant). 

That evening we could use the car to get to Falkirk, first to see the famous Falkirk wheel. Absolutely fabulous piece of engineering, you can watch it operating on youtube. 

Photo by Penny Green

Then we went to see the amazing sculptures called The Kelpies. Both fantastic to see, we waited until dusk to see them light up. Really lovely, so glad we went. Then Colin treated me to a famous Scottish meal - McDonalds (love their coffee). My phone only just had enough battery left to get us back to Colinton on Google Maps. 

Photo by Colin Green

Packed up early and had another fabulous fry up ready for the trip home. The A1 to Berwick-upon-Tweed which is on the border and actually classed as England (not sure if they like that). 

We drove through a gate in the wall but the tide was out and it stunk! So quick exit out of there and we ended up going over a 1 way bridge and back onto the A1 - we checked the tide timetable for Holy Island causeway, safe until 2:30pm. There was a massive pay & display car park but charged £5 for 3 hours (rip off)! Had a lovely walk around and saw Lindisfarne castle ahead but lots of tourists all going that way so we headed for the Abbey. An ambulance came onto the island and up to the castle - some incident! Took some photos and saw the war memorial and will check out on Find A Grave if they are listed. 

                                                                                      Snipped copy from Google Maps

We carried on down the A1 past Bamburgh Castle and down to Alnwick (Harry Potter Castle) but just went into the town and had a scone and a budweiser for one of us! and a tea. Then 'Kerrys' banana ice cream for Colin and Blueberry for me. Lovely.

Now we start to cross the country to get over to the West, this was on small B roads to Rothbury then Otterburn - we were following a small blue car  and couldn't overtake as he/she kept moving into the middle of the road - finally we got a chance and sped off over the moors, they couldn't see us for dust. Next head to Corbridge but the sign said Edinburgh (we've just come from there), turn around but the next sign said Jedburgh which is North (wrong way turn around again), it was the Edinburgh way and then a turn off, back on track - who was in front of us - the little blue car ahhh!!! Anyway we got past them again and we turned off to Haltwhistle and followed Hadrians Wall (what is remaining). We stopped off at the car park known as The Sill and saw an extensive part of the wall.

Photo by Penny Green

Next headed to Brampton an area where Colin's 'Green family' are from and onto Carlisle then M6 home.

Total 16.5 miles Completed 347.4 miles and we are now in Gowerton, Swansea.