We left the hotel fairly early to get to Edinburgh Castle at opening time.  We’d heard it gets pretty busy, especially if you haven’t bought tickets in advance.  We only waited about 20 minutes in line but when we left (3 hours later) there was a massive line that had to be at least 3 hours long.

The view of Old Calton Hill.

The castle isn’t what you might think of.  It’s a group of several buildings, from different eras, behind heavy fortifications.  And it’s actually still an official posting.

The One O’Clock Gun is shot everyday so the ships in the harbor can synchronize their clocks.

Napoleon’s flag, captured at Waterloo

The castle hill often served as a dungeon or prison over the years.  The prisoners not only left interesting graffiti, they also created very artistic objects.

A forger’s tools

Special dog cemetery

St. Margaret’s chapel dates back to the 1200s

The Great Hall

After the Castle, and a quick photo with the musket guys, we walked down High Street to find some lunch.  We ended up at a great little place called Canonsgate.  And we made reservations for dinner at Wedgewood.

Walking down High Street

The lovely Wedgewood’s restaurant.  I highly recommend the Chicken Caesar Salad Soup.  Yes, you read that right.

More on the second day coming up next!