The 2025 Morgan Europe Trip

May 19, 2025 The City of Edinburgh; its Museums, Castle, and St. Giles Cathedral

From the title of this post, you can see we had a lot of sites to fit into this day. Edinburgh (correctly pronounced ED'n-burah, not pronounced like "Pittsburgh" we learned), is a big, bustling city. According to travel guru, Rick Steves, "Culturally, Edinburgh has always been the place where Lowland culture (urban and English) met Highland style (rustic and Gaelic). Edinburgh is two cities in one. The Old Town stretches along the Royal Mile, from the grand castle on top to the palace on the bottom. A few hundred yards north of Old Town lies the New Town. It's a magnificent planned neighborhood (from the 1700's)."

A large pedestrian only street.

The back of St. Giles. More on it later.

Tollbooth Kirk (Scottish for "church") built from 1842-45 as a church and meeting place for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

St. Columba's built 1843-1845.

We made our way to the museums. They were a collection of historical and scientific exhibits. Think of our own Smithsonian Museums in Washington D.C. There were tons of exhibits so we were only able to skim the surface. I will post my favorites and move on.

Scottish history between them and the English makes more sense when you enter into the spirit of the Scottish people, and these next two quotes from The Declaration of Arborath in April 1320 sum up that spirit beautifully. As Americans who fought a war for our own independence, one might feel a kinship to the Scottish people whether or not one shares DNA with them.

"For we fight not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, but for freedom alone which no good man gives up except with his life."

"As long as only one hundred of us remain alive we will never on any conditions be brought under English rule."

Mary, Queen of Scots is highly regarded in Scotland.

A necklace of hers dating to the late 16th early 17th century.

See a reproduction of her tomb below.

The details on her were amazing!

It's not know when exactly Christianity reached Scotland, but there is some evidence that it was some time during the second half of the 5th century. St. Andrew was dead by then but the early people had a deep devotion to him as shown by the naming of the town of St. Andrews where we visited the golf course.

St. Andrew.

The Maiden.

Let's move from history to science.

Dolly the Sheep. The first mammal cloned from an adult cell in 1996.

James Watt 1736-1819. Scottish inventor who made improvements to the steam engine.

No museum is complete without a T-Rex skeleton.

A beautiful area of the museum space.

Golf clubs from about 1840 and golf balls made from leather and tightly packed feathers made from 1800-50.

We left the museums and took a lunch break.

Time for the Edinburgh Castle. Google has this to say about its history:

Key Periods and Events:
11th Century:
Humans have occupied Castle Rock, where the castle stands, since at least the Iron Age. Malcolm III's reign saw the establishment of a royal castle.

12th Century:
King David I built the first major castle structure on Castle Rock in 1103.

Medieval Era:
Edinburgh Castle served as Scotland's main royal castle, housing the sheriff of Edinburgh, military troops, and the royal gun train. It also held the crown jewels.

Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1314):
The castle changed hands multiple times during sieges, including being captured by Edward I of England in 1296 and later reclaimed by Sir Thomas Randolph and Robert the Bruce in 1314.

14th-16th Centuries:
Architectural enhancements were made, including the construction of St. Margaret's Chapel and the Great Hall.

16th-18th Centuries:
The castle became more important as a military base, with additions like the Half-Moon Battery and Portcullis Gate. It was the site of numerous conflicts, including the Bishops' Wars and the English Civil War.

19th Century:
The castle's importance as a national monument was recognized, and restoration programs began.

20th Century:
The castle served as a refuge for the British Crown Jewels during World War II.