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Edinburgh My first trip away from home was to Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh Castle looms over the whole city. Here you can see how it is perched on this hill. This hill is actually a large mound of basalt -- the remains of an ancient volcano! Fortunately, this volcano has long been extinct.
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| Here I am studying a model of the castle. |
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| This picture was taken from Princes Street Gardens. The Old Town is behind me. |
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| This fantastic structure is the Sir Walter Scott Monument. |
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| Here I am with one of my hosts on Princes Street. Jenners, one of Britain's oldest department stores, is behind us. |
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| This is a statue of Greyfriars Bobby, the Skye terrier so loyal to his master he stood watch over his master's grave for fourteen years until his own death in 1872. |
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| I just had to get a shot of this large mouse bursting out of the ad! |
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| Here I am waving from a phone box. But I was having so much fun, I didn't stop long enough to make a call. |
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| This is the Royal Mile, possibly the oldest street in all of Edinburgh. And, look, the rain clouds are breaking up! |
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| I'm having a blast climbing over this stone wall. Behind me is the Balmoral Hotel, where all discerning rats stay. |
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| I think these are some Scottish Executive buildings. |
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| The tower behind me is the Nelson Monument, dedicated to Admiral Lord Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. I hear there's another monument to him in London; I hope to see it when I'm there! |
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| Am I having a great time or what? This is Holyrood House, the queen's official residence while she is in Scotland. |
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| Here is a close-up of Holyrood House. |
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| This is the new Scottish Parliament building. And, wow, did the sun ever come out! It's so nice to see the city under bright sunlight. |
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| I'm on Braids Hill. Behind me are the Salisbury Crags (to the left) and Arthur's Seat (to the right). |
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| This lovely landscape is interrupted by the Royal Observatory in the background. |
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| Now I'm looking east over the city. Uh oh, the clouds seem to be descending no us once again. |
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| Here is Braids Hill Golf Course. Too bad I don't have time to play a few holes. |
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| A great view of the city and Edinburgh Castle. |
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| It certainly got dark quickly. Oh well! Here I am with Cramond Island in the background. |
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| Behind me is Inchkeith Island. A ruined abbey lies on it. |
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| Cramond Harbor is filled with swans. |
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| One last picture of Cramond Harbor before it gets too dark. Then I'm off on my next adventure. |
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