Friday, 26 July 2013

Edinburgh

We are in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is in Scotland. There are loads of shops selling kilts but we don't see anyone wearing them. Years and years ago the Scots wore kilts in the clan tartan and they didn't wear anything underneath which would have been cold as it is usually cold and rainy here.
We visited Edinburgh castle where Mary, Queen of Scots lived. She was executed  (killed) by Elizabeth the 1st. She became Queen when she was 9 months old. We saw the Scottish crown jewels which they call the "Honours". The road leading to the castle is called the Royal Mile and at the other end is Holyrood Castle where the Queen sometimes stays.
Some of Edinburgh was built over the top of old Edinburgh and we went on a tour of the old city which is still there underneath the city. We went through Mary Kings Close and saw the old streets and some of the old houses. In one house, people leave toys for the ghost of a little girl who was abandoned there by her parents, maybe because she had the plague. The tour was a bit creepy as it is very dark down there.
Scotland had the plague, like England and Doctors who treated the sick work long leather coats, leather gloves and a mask like a raven to keep out the vapours.
We visited Camera Obscura which was fun. They show how to change your perception (the way you see things), using pinhole camera, 3D, mirrors and lights and mazes and other tricks. If you go to Scotland - visit the Camera Obscura.
We also visited the Brittannia which is the Queens old ship. It was OK.
We went in some plastic bubbles on water. It is really hard to stay up in the bubbles. So much fun.
And we visited the coffee shop where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter.

Random photo of Edinburgh from mum's iPhone
 
Camera Obscura effects
 
Part of Edinburgh Castle
 
Where Harry Potter was written
 
Random photo again
 
The bubbles - our favourite
Below - the underground city

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