Short Solo

Scotland liberalized liquor laws in 1976, my birth year. I toasted both milestones in 2016 on my first trip to the tartan nation — birthplace of my maternal grandparents and 53% of my DNA. I’ve returned twice since. However, never have I had a more eventful day.

Opposite ends of the Royal Mile

On Monday, August 29, 2016, I woke to my first full day of vacation in Scotland — and one of the last days of my thirties. My body has never experienced more bruises on vacation – either has my ego.

Edinburgh Castle

I stood alone at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh Castle’s tiny maternity ward.

The advantage of being an early riser is it provides exclusivity to enjoy tourist hot spots before the bus tours arrive.

In 1566, Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to a son in this room – a son who’d become King of Scotland, England and Ireland thirteen months later.

The knowledge I had of the monarchy to this point – and since – is limited. My Scottish grandmother gifted me the Bible years earlier. It came wrapped in a protective cover that said, “The King James Bible,” suggesting I was standing where the author of the Bible was born.

Perhaps I’ve gotten that wrong. King James may have simply commissioned it to be translated / rewritten for political reasons. It’s the version still used 500 years later.

King James finished the modern Bible before he turned forty. I felt just as ambitious knowing I had twenty minutes to walk to the opposite end of the Royal Mile.

Holyrood Palace

I set out to make my timed reservation at The Palace of Holyrood house – Fortunately, a downhill walk the entire way.

Holyrood is the official Scottish residence of the monarchy. The summer of 2016 featured the addition of a special exhibit to self-guided tours – Queen Elizabeth II’s best lingerie was on display – for a limited time only. Perhaps it was her formal ware. Either way, fashion doesn’t interest me.

I went immediately to see the room where Dave Rizzo – the lover of Mary, Queen of Scots (a politically fabricated story at the time) was dragged from dinner and stabbed 57 times. The blood soaked wooden floor is still visible to tourists.

The rest of the Palace visit was short lived – I’d seen what I came to see – and the long lines of pushy bus tourists was testing my patience and anxiety. I’d complete my triple crown of Edinburgh tourism by crossing the street.

Scottish Parliament

In 1997, 74.3% of Scottish voters supported a referendum to bring back a Scottish Parliament, recovering a level of self-governance they lost almost three centuries earlier.

The Queen officially opened the current Parliament Building in 2004. The project was controversial. Initial estimates to build were around £40 million, but the final cost exceeded £400 million. The use of those exorbitant resources helped the designers win the RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture the following year.

It’s 5 o’clock, at 11:30am…in Edinburgh

I was proud that three major tourist attractions were visited – conveniently just as the pubs opened at 11:30 am. I spotted a barman opening a pub less than 100 meters into the uphill walk up the Royal Mile – where I was walking to my hotel for a rest.

The Tollbooth Tavern – part of the original courthouse and prison built in 1591 – was serving cold beer and meat pies.

I was feeling the full effects of multiple pints by 1pm. I had some courage to climb the hill overlooking Edinburgh – and there was no way I was going to waste a trip up the Royal Mile only to come back and do it again. I headed for the hill feeling more confident than I should have been.

HUI – Hiking Under the Influence

Arthur’s Seat is the name of the highest point on Scotland’s extinct volcano in Holyrood Park. The hill rises above the city to a height of 250.5 m (822 ft). It sits exactly one mile from Edinburgh Castle.

The views of the city get wider as you make the hour climb. I made it up without much trouble relative to other climbs.

The way back was more challenging – not because of physical capability, but rather because my legs and mind were operating at different speeds.

The path dropped off into a steep decline with little warning. I stepped toward the shrubbery on the side, searching for better footing in the tangled roots. That’s when I saw it—the corner of a rock jutting up from the dirt.

My mind shouted to stop. My feet were already moving hitting the rock which sent me tumbling.

I flipped end over end, summersaulting down the slope with no control. The fall ended when I crashed into a patch of bushes. If those bushes hadn’t been there, I would have gone right over the face of a cliff.

I didn’t have time to collect my thoughts before I heard a thick Scottish accent, “oh my god, are you okay?” Adrenalin was flowing and I jumped onto my feet with embarrassment before a couple walking up the path. Without assessing the damage, my knee jerk response was, “yeah, all good here, but thanks for asking!”

I continued down the path wanting to keep a good pace to run from that embarrassment – I didn’t stop until I’d made it a good distance to take a photo where I was amazed at how worse the damage could have been.

It was then that I noticed both knees bloodied and pants that looked as tattered as Bruce Banner’s when he transforms into the Hulk. My left elbow was skinned badly.

Once the adrenaline wore off I’d be sore for days. I look back with gratitude that no bones were broken (or worse) as that could have ended the trip on day one.

Nightcap – Symphony Fireworks

The Edinburgh Festival runs through to the end of August. It highlights comedy and other fringe plays. The Festival’s grand finale was also my final activity on this very busy day.

I had tickets to watch the Fireworks Concert synchronized to a live performance by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

These fireworks capped off August 29, 2016 – likely my busiest tourist day ever. Although, Paris on June 25, 2015 was nearly as busy and I got to climb the stairs of the Eiffel Tower (another day to write about in the future).

A few days later I’d turn 40 in Inverness – the birthplace and first home of Grandma Creighton.