Edinburgh Castle, Jupiter Artland, Leith
Day 51 to 53 June 1st to 3rd 2018
A wee spell in Edinburgh – and the castle features prominently – both its physical presence and throughout our itinerary.
The prime reason for being here – straight from Ethiopia – was a friend’s 50th birthday party, which was to be held at the Castle. It was also the reason we wandered the city – loving it, but contemplating the loss of African light, colour and sound.
A Walking tour of Edinburgh had shown not only history of this gorgeous city but also the crowds of visitors to the Castle. To arrive for the celebration and find we were the only 2 people (suited and smarted up as we were) being piped in to the castle was exciting.
All the standard clichés came to mind when viewing the castle – towering, magnificent, imposing, dark – all fitting descriptions as the dusk with cloud and fine rain highlighted the shadows and stone of the dark castle walls contrasting the low line of misty cloud and city below.
An earlier tour of local Op shops had us suitable suited for a wonderf7l night at the Castel surrounded by kilts and tartan. We both commented after the party about the unusually wonderful conversations we had over the night combine with the setting displaying the castle and the city through the windows surrounding the Jacobite (party) room. All this combined with a perfect 3 course Scottish themed meal (Haggis – of course, Lamb – of course) – a perfect night.
Holly suggested she needed to see “old shit”. So we took to the streets bumping into familiar spots we had covered on the walking tour along with a range of castle photo op angles always new and surprising.
Everything seemed only a short walk from our tinny very cute AirBnb Auld Reekie – Local pubs, the Castle, the Royal Mile, Op Shops, Cafes, and on and on.
A bonus treat was a visit to the Edinburgh College of the Arts where a friend of Hollys – Isaac Moss was exhibiting as part of a college exhibition. The old building housed rooms of artworks by students with castle glimpses framed by the large windows.
We ventured out of the city centre on two days. One to the Pitt Street Food Market in Leith, that I had read about in glowing terms. The bus trip was a double-decker-upstairs-journey across Edinburgh and through suburbs. The market was disappointing particularly the £2 entry fee for 5 food stall choices!
The second trip outside the city was more exciting – a bus out to Jupiter Artland. The story of how it came to be HERE. I had discovered it in an article a few years ago, then was reminded in the Ethiopia Air flight magazine to Edinburgh. So glad.
More photos of JUPITER ARTLAND
Chris was not 100% so stayed home leaving Holly and I to tramp around the exhibits spread across the green and beautiful farmland. Sculpture exhibits – large, small, long term, temporary, famous, new – all displayed throughout the property. Including Andy Goldsworthy – he of many books housed at home!
