The Ham Nomads

6 Aug 2014. <GB-SCT> Edinburgh —

Once again into Edinburgh. Not such a promising day — fog and mist about, and a light rain right from the outset.

This time we went straight down to near the Greyfriars Church, where there is a famous little statue that any dog lover couldn't resist. It's the sad but beautiful story of Greyfriars Bobby, who when his master was buried in the Greyfriars Churchyard in 1858, took up a vigil near the grave and remained there until his own death, 14 years later, in 1872. The patrons of the nearby pub fed the dog, and he became a national celebrity. The statue was erected by the Baronet Burdett Coutts. You will notice that the nose of the statue is very well polished — it is traditional to touch the nose for luck.

We then walked up the road, past "The Elephant House". This is an inn frequented by authors, including J K Rowling (Harry Potter), Ian Rankin (Rebus) and Alexander McColl Smith (The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency).

Next, into "Gladstone's Land", a 17th century apartment house on the Royal Mile. A fascinating glimpse of life in that period. Thomas Gladstone (or Gledstanes) was a merchant in Edinburgh who bought and moved into this property in 1617. He made a number of alterations to the building, virtually doubling its habitable area, that were complete by 1620. The whole place has been put back in time to its original appearance (though, fortunately with modern sanitation, not its original rather ripe aroma!). There was a cloth shop in the front on the ground level, and this has been reproduced. A most interesting hour or so!

We then went out. It was getting a little late to get over to the docks and the Royal Yacht 'Britannia' as we had planned, so instead we went into Debenham's for lunch, and then on to No.7 Charlotte Square. The buildings around this square were designed by Robert Adam, and are wonderful examples of the Georgian House. No.7 has come into the hands of the National Trust of Scotland, and so has been put back into its Georgian form, and is a delightful example of the home of a wealthy merchant of Edinburgh in the early 1800s. We had the added benefit, presumably because of the Edinburgh Festival, of a guitar duo sitting in the Drawing Room playing music of Scarlatti and his contemporaries. If you have read the books of the Brontë sisters — or watched the BBC dramatisations of them — you will be aware of the Sense and Sensibilities of the time.

From there we went into the West End Craft Market (part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) to explore the more than 100 stalls there — the craft work is beautiful, with some really novel ideas.

Then we returned to Mortonhall and the van. Tomorrow, hopefully, we will catch up with the Britannia, and then leave Edinburgh and start to turn our attention from Scotland to England!

Distance driven — today, nil ; to date, 5,422 miles ( 8,726 km )