Mary Queen of Scots was our focus today in Edinburgh. She was such a highly revered royal figure in Scottish history we decided to devote some time to her in the city. Just a quick recommendation, if you haven’t seen the recent movie that was released about the first of the year 2019, it is well worth seeing and explains a lot about the life of Mary Queen of Scots. She had quite a life in the short span she lived.
We started at Holyrood Palace. No photos were allowed in the palace which seems odd because they allow photos in many of the other venues in Edinburgh including the castle. I borrowed a few from other sources so you can see some of the main rooms. This palace is in use today by the current queen and Prince Charles. When they are in residence no public visitors are allowed. We were glad they were spending their Easter holidays in London or at one of their other palaces so we could take a peek inside.
Ancient tapestries hung on walls everywhere, worn from the years and yet amazing that they have lasted this long. Holyrood was built in the 1670’s so some tapestries may date back to that era. Imagine! There is an excellent article on the Royal Collection of Tapestries that explains a lot more than I can.
So much more on Mary Queen of Scots – the marriages, the killings, the prison sentence, the beheading. Oh, the beheading was gruesome according to one guide who said the first whack didn’t sever the neck. Wow! The guides in their Scottish brogue have filled my head with more facts that I’ve forgotten than I can keep straight.
Even though I spent months prior to our trip watching the BBC and British shows to familiarize myself with some of the British and Scottish accents, I still have a hard time clearly hearing the words. Or could it be I need my ears checked when we return? No need to answer that question. 🙂
Poor Mary Queen of Scots laid to rest – a copy of the crypt in the National Museum of Scotland we visited. Edinburgh has many museums that are free or very low cost to visit.
While looking for a place for lunch, we ran into these two pubs.
We had the chance for a quick visit to this National Museum of Scotland before day’s end. We rushed through a few exhibits before they closed.
For our golf-loving friends. This exhibit was just funny when you think back on how golf balls were made. Back in the day they were made out of leather and stuffed with feathers. One good whack and the ball might go flying in a thousand pieces or feathers. How many yards do you think you could get with one of those balls?
Modern day’s round of golf is 18 holes because this is how many holes The Old Course in St. Andrews has. In 1764, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) decided to reduce the number of holes on the course from 22 to 18. Aren’t we lucky? More about Scottish golf origins at GOLF. Dick has been drooling at some of the pristine golf courses we have seen around.
No interesting food photos today as we were hoofing it through museums, and palaces all day. Dinner was a bottle of wine and a bag of almonds back in our room. Pathetic I know, but we were just too tired to go out.
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