On Saturday, I went on a free walking tour of old city Edinburgh. My overall impression of the city so far is that it is a manageable size and just comfortable in general. People are usually friendly and willing to help with directions. I have not gotten too lost yet!
It is great to see a skyline that is not dominated by skyscrapers, but rather church spires and the Edinburgh castle!
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| Our tour started at the City Chambers. Many buildings are made out of this sandstone. |
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| St. Giles Cathedral |
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| The back of buildings in a close, a small courtyard off the main street. The pipes are always in a row on the chimneys, seen in the top right of the photo. |
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| This is the tallest building in the city. It's no longer a church (or kirk as it's called here), but houses the ticket offices for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and a cafe. |
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| First view of Edinburgh castle from the south. It was built on top of an extinct volcano, steep on three sides and gently sloping on the fourth, making it easy to defend. |
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| Wall of Greyfriars Kirkyard is rumored to contain ashes from the witch burnings of the 16th century. |
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| Sir George Mackenzie's tomb, who apparently haunts this cemetary. Yeahhh, not coming back at night. |
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| It looks like a cage for zombies, but is actually a mortsafe. The cage is meant to protect against grave robbers that would sell fresh bodies to the local medical school. |
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| A monument to Greyfriars Bobby, a dog that sat at his master's grave for 14 years. |
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| Herb gardens in the kirkyard had detailed signs. |
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| A view of the National Museum of Scotland. |
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