Clouds over Edinburgh castle

The weather returned to seasonal form today, with the skies gray and drizzling rain coming and going at random.

Click an image to see a larger version.

On the walk to the castle, a small crowd watched as two folks prepared to do something--I didn't stay long enough to find out what--with two live owls.

Owls are even more gorgeous in person than in photos.

My lunch was steak pie and tatties, though I believe the yellow lump is in fact a pile of neeps, not tatties.

I didn't finish it all, but I am sticking to my belief that the menu was accurate and the contents of the pie included steak.  Yup, must be true.

The entrance to the castle was appropriately grand--and old.

The grounds were large and contained many buildings of various ages.  The castle has seen a lot time and a great many uses--including its current primary role as a tourist attraction.

The views over the city were stunning.

From the entry point, to see the best bits, you had to climb stairs or winding roads.

I particularly liked St. Margaret's Chapel, a small building that was the oldest on the grounds.  Built in about 1130, it's still standing and felt, to my irrational self, quite a lovely place.

The inside is obviously restored but evocative of what it once was.

I enjoyed seeing and learning about the "Honours of Scotland," which are the Scottish symbols of sovereignty:  the crown, the sceptre, and the sword.  I have no photos, though, because the rules forbid camera use.  I also got to the see the Stone of Scone, the large stone on which Scottish monarchs sat as they took the throne.

The Great Hall, notable for having the largest hammerbeam roof extant, was a lovely room now restored probably beyond any splendor it once enjoyed.

Late in the day, blue skies made a stunning return, though the temperature stayed low.

Tomorrow, I train to London.