Another must-see in Scotland is a distillery. They are all over the place and one is quite near Edinburgh in the Scottish Lowlands. Glenkinchie offers a guided tour with transfer which is convenient if you are traveling without a car. To get to the pick-up place we walked all through the city along Princes Street which is also the main shopping street.
On the tour we learned about the different aromas and how they get into the whisky (there is no e in the Scottish Whisky), from the water to the fuel used to germinate the barley. Also a couple of drops of water in the whisky made such a difference that even to me it was palatable. Even though I signed up with the distillery to be a “Friends of Whisky” it will take a while to thoroughly enjoy drinking it.
Glenkinchie distillery @Edinburgh, Scotland
the water of Glenkinchie @Edinburgh, Scotland
the “water of life” at Glenkinchie @Edinburgh, Scotland
Whisky tasting at Glenkinchie distillery @Edinburgh, Scotland
Upon being dropped off again at the North end of the city we decided to walk up on Carlton Hill where we had a spectacular view over the city and Arthur’s Seat. Next time I am in Edinburgh I definitely have to walk up this hill. On Carlton Hill I liked the Scottish National Monument best, this half-finished Parthenon in memory of the fallen soldiers if the Napoleonic Wars. Building it was stopped after three years due to lack of money. The part that has already been erected looked spectacular though.
Nelson Monument at Carlton Hill @Edinburgh, Scotland
Dugald Stewart Monument at Carlton Hill @Edinburgh, Scotland
view over the city with gorse in front and snow in the back @Edinburgh, Scotland
National Monument at Carlton Hill @Edinburgh, Scotland
view from Carlton hill to Arthur’s Seat @Edinburgh, Scotland
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the Museum of the Mound which focuses on banks and money. It’s probably more exciting for children because it offers a lot of interactive games nonetheless we were not too old to crack the vault and leave with the loot (chocolate coins), print out a personalized insurance form the last century or put our head on the money bills.
The Museum of the Mound @Edinburgh, Scotland
Our last morning was again spent in cultural environment, this time at the Scottish National Gallery and the National Scottish Museum. Both were interesting but you need a lot more time to explore them. With free entrance you can come here as often as you like, the perfect program for a rainy day. Yours, Pollybert
National Gallery @Edinburgh, Scotland
Highland scene at National Gallery @Edinburgh, Scotland
National Museum of Scotland @Edinburgh, Scotland
entrance hall at National Museum of Scotland @Edinburgh, Scotland
Lewis chess pieces from the 12th century @Edinburgh, Scotland
