Grey overcast clouds to be seen this morning Richard said there is meant to be rain today here’s hoping there it’s. Well the rain stayed away we had a lovely walk down an overgrown laneway by the local rugby field through the housing estate lots of high rise council flats, this is the poor area of East Lothian no use going to the Shopping Centre nearly all the shops are empty looks derelict and littered with rubbish.

Met up with the French couple pitched next to us at the bus stop, they are going to the Edinburgh Castle as well. From the outer suburbs the Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline and as you get closer you go down rows and rows of Georgian townhouses to pass by the Queens Gardens into the neoclassical grandeur New Town (two centuries old) over Princes Street where the only trams are, for a scenic ride out past the airport. You can get lost in the beautiful Princes Street Gardens, you can understand why Edinburgh is Europe’s first literary capitol and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What a maddening crowd we are standing in George IV Bridge street about to walk the narrow wynds and cobbled street of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile which is bookended by a rugged medieval fortress the Edinburgh Castle perched atop an extinct volcano and the stately royal residence the Palace of Holyroodhouse which is framed by the spectacular backdrop of Arthur’s Seat an ancient volcano.

You feel like you are in a tin of sardines virtually being pushed up the hill past all the Tartan, Whiskey and other variety shops to the Castle Esplanade which is now setup for the Edinburgh Tattoo and Festivals through security past the long queues for tickets (we paid at Stirling Castle) to finally reach the entrance to the castle.

A bit of history - Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position on the Castle Rock. Archaeologists have established human occupation of the rock since at least the Iron Age (2nd century AD), although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until 1633. From the 15th century the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison. Its importance as a part of Scotland's national heritage was recognized increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programs have been carried out over the past century and a half. As one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1100-year-old history, giving it a claim to having been "the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world".

Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of the 16th century, when the medieval defenses were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment. The most notable exceptions are St Margaret's Chapel from the early 12th century, which is regarded as the oldest building in Edinburgh, the Royal Palace and the early-16th-century Great Hall, although the interiors have been much altered from the mid-Victorian period onwards. The castle also houses the Scottish regalia, known as the Honours of Scotland and is the site of the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum of Scotland. The British Army is still responsible for some parts of the castle, although its presence is now largely ceremonial and administrative. Some of the castle buildings house regimental museums which contribute to its presentation as a tourist attraction

I am sorry to say we didn’t really enjoy our visit to the castle you were not given a brochure at the gate to explain or at least tell you what you are looking at like we had at Stirling Castle, plus the signage or direction wasn’t that good. Half the time we didn’t know what we were looking at, plus the audio headsets take too long to listen too that’s why we don’t get them. Half the buildings open are military museums and the small palace, Crown Jewels, Great Hall and prisons were so crowded with tourists you felt claustrophobic and couldn’t see much let alone video or take photos. The 6 ton medieval cannon Mons Meg was interesting its cannon ball could bombard and destroy castles walls two miles away.

Time to leave have a late lunch and explore part of the city where there are no tourists and it is a big city to get lost in the many streets. Feeling cold and tired we caught the No. 27 back to the caravan site for a relaxing cuppa before the rain set in. Hope tomorrow is better and not raining to have a relaxing day on the Hop on Hop off bus touring Edinburgh.