We’re becoming more organised each day. Kevin has learnt how to sauté the onion, tomato & spinach, make 3 holes and drop in the eggs, cover with a plate - fry pan has no lid, then make the coffee and toast while I blog or make-up. He keeps up with all the Taranaki news on stuff.

Make sure we catch our tours on time, eg: we had a 20 min wait for the tour, that was after a 15min walk from 7 Canongate to Waverley St bus tours, not like me! I prebooked a 48hr 3Bus tour + Boat. Overcast slightly chilly day, rain later.  Double decker fully enclosed bus, we up top and plugged in. Amazing commentary, surprises us how many tourists don’t bother to listen in, we laugh & point enjoy, probably think we’re loopy. We arrived at south Queensferry right under the big red rail bridge (one of the 3 Queensferry bridges). Cold & drizzly, AND no terminal for shelter. The ferry seated 150+/- (we counted) and three tour buses arrived AND NO TERMINAL OR SHELTER!!!

Another fabulous commentary, informative, direct, no waffle. Passed the Hound Point 

Just after noon we arrived at Inchcolm island, (see the pic, someone has named a rocky outcrop Inch Gnome). I had read about The Abbey, it’s an Historic Scotland property, actually the whole island is managed by Historic Scotland. I purchased joint membership for us before we left NZ - about $150-160, covers free fast- track entry into Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and about 300 other properties managed by them. Some, such as Holyrood Palace is 20% discount. 

A TIP: traveling overseas, sign up with our Heritage NZ $50, it reciprocates with National Trust of Scotland, England etc etc google it, allows free or reduced admission to hundreds of historic properties. 

There is an amazing history of this small island, this gives a good brief: https://www.maidoftheforth.co.uk/inchcolm-island We had a great time, sussing out the Abbey, much of which is still standing - never ever in NZ would a place like this be open to the public to wander and explore as we did. Ruins, precarious crumbling ruins in places. The souvenir guide booklet we bought gave such an insight into the life of monk, terrible! They prayed all day and were fed once a day in the winter and twice a day in the summer, a strick vegetarian diet, but the elderly and infirm were given meat.

There is a lot of evidence of gun batteries from WW1 & WW2, the Island sits in the middle of the Firth of Forth. 

On the ferry ride back, a very long pause was taken at an “island” to view a Seal colony, Kevin & I sat looking bored at each other and wondered what the fuss was about, but said, well some people have never seen a seal, remember them at the NP port? Ty & Kahn were little and we'd take our fish n chip with us and go fishing around Paritutu.

Arrived back in Edinburgh and decided to walk back up Cockburn Street, stopped off at a pub for a beer & a cider (not mixed Vicki - but I did have to look up what a snake bite was!!!) we left just at the right time as a fringe entertainer was setting up outsode. He had convinced this dear little girl, Maddison, 5yr old to help him with his act, she was gorgeous and played along so naively that people were rolling with laughter, - even her father who was standing with us (he had his 2yr son in a pushchair). He had a dog, very well trained, we thought it was to be a part of the act - but no. Eventually the act lead to him putting his body thru a stringless tennis rack! He managed to get one arm & his head thru it, then with a click he DISLOCATED his shoulder, it was the most terrible sight, unimaginable, he was spinning his arm in all directions, the crowd were horrified, he stuffed it thru the racket frame then clicked it back in place. He then went on to thank Maddison and tease her with her £5 assistants fee, she really made his show.

We went to Tesco on the way “home”, food is cheap here, 1kg spuds £1, Quality grain bread 75p, tonic water 45p, bought eggs, cheese, tomatoes, milk is 50p 1/2ltr. We were very pleasantly surprised.

In bed by 9pm, the legs are protesting at all this walking!!!