Edinburgh

So, I’m back from my trip to Edinburgh… There’s just never enough time to see everything, we needed to have stayed longer.

The one full day we had in this amazing city was spent:

Shopping on Princes Street… Mmm, might’ve spent a little too much, but I try to tell myself I really needed those clothes though. And seriously, I did!

A quick tour around the National Gallery of Scotland, which has an Impressionist Gardens Exhibition, with works by Artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, Pissaro, Klimt, Renoir and Cezanne.

We popped back to the hotel and considered our options and since neither of us have ever done it, we chose to go on a tour bus! This particular tour was the ‘mystical’ tour which stops at The Royal Botanic Gardens, The Royal Yacht Britannia and Palace of Hollyroodhouse. We chose to get off at the Royal Botanic Gardens (obviously, c’mon who am I kidding here, of course I’d go there!).

First off I took a few quick snaps as we waited for the tour to begin – we were the only ones on for around 15 minutes and sat right at the front like geeks giggling away feeling really rather touristy.

Being no stranger to Edinburgh and knowing most of the key aspects as we regularly stayed in the old Hilton hotel as a child (which has now, sadly changed hands, but it was an amazing hotel).

The bus driver’s driving skills really left something to be desired as we careered around corners, almost got whip-lash and sped through the city! I quickly gave up on taking any photos because he was really testing my skills lol.

So at least you’ll all be thrilled to know the only photos I took of the whole visit were from this tour and the visit to the Botanic Gardens.

I’ll not mention I took almost 400 shots of the gardens then, shall I???

Be warned, there are plenty of photos.

We start the tour with a shot of the Balmoral hotel

And the National Galleries and Princes Street gardens

Sadly I was a little too slow, these tourists were having their photo taken with the bagpipe player. I wonder how many people he’s had photos with?? I would imagine thousands.

Sir Walter Scott in the Scott Monument on Princes Street.

A nice view down towards the Firth of Forth… And then I gave up trying to take photos after almost crashing through the windscreen on the top of the bus!

After a bite to eat we made our way around the Botanic Gardens…

I was like a child high on sugar, whizzing around this garden taking photos… I imagine people in the restaurant were watching me flit around like a demented Bee.

I loved this grass… shame I was too lazy to take note of its name!

A case of de ja vu anyone? Chasing Butterflies every chance I get!

Lookie what I spied. Carex Buchanii! This garden is almost like being in my own…

No idea what this is, but I liked it.

Nor this, but it’s a must for next year, assuming I can find out what it is!!!

Teasel and Verbena Hastata. Me loves. My garden would have this combination… That is if I ever manage to successfully grow some teasel from seed! They had different shades of the Verbena too, which I didn’t know you could have.

That reminds me, I haven’t seen my creeping phlox flowering yet…

Leaving this garden we moved onto the ‘Chinese hillside’ and came across this Long-Tailed Tits. There were lots of them flying around, I’d estimate around 20. They were all in a tree to the left of the path and they hadn’t noticed us until my camera clicked, when they all flew out… It was only then we realised just how many there were.

I’m loving this Rowan, I love the small fern-like leaves. If I ever have the space, I definitely want this type. Wonderful.

Just this one tree appears to believe it’s Autumn, it did look amazing though.

And moving onto the ‘Rock Garden’ which was inspired by various impressionist pieces. I was too busy ‘in the zone’ taking photos to pay too much attention ha ha.

Cyclamen already!

There were masses of these everywhere, my beloved Dierama… If only I’d gone a few weeks sooner, I would’ve been in heaven!

Edinburgh Castle in the distance.

Autumn Crocus too!

On to the tour bus again, it was getting late… I loved that we went down to the Forth, even if we didn’t get to see a great deal of it.

Sorry I’m not sure what this building is, or if it’s even used. It’s something you don’t usually get to see unless you’re on the top deck of a tour bus!

Same with this, this is on the Royal mile, and I decided to take a shot whilst stuck in traffic.

And finally, looking up from Canon gate up the Royal Mile, you can see our hotel on the left.

I won't be around much for the next week, doing work experience and being somewhat busier than normal is eating into my time on the net. I've barely seen the garden for the past week, I set off around the same time in the mornings as I always do, but am getting back a couple of hours later.
It was a nice surprise to go out today and see two Coma Butterflies, they must be here for the Asters next door and popping in to feed on my Scabious and Coneflowers. Photos will come another day.