Edinburgh - Edinburgh Castle

We arrived nice and early to Edinburgh Castle, which opens at 9.30am. Already there were long queue already! Tickets are a little expensive (£16.50 for an adult ticket) but this is a must see attraction if you visit the city. There is the option of the audio tour for a little extra cost, but we chose to go on the free guided tour. Our tour guide, Liz, was a friendly and knowledgeable guide who took the group around the key highlights of the castle grounds and their historical backgrounds.The tour took about 30 minutes, after which we perused the castle at our own leisure.

There is so much history encapsulated in Edinburgh Castle. St Margaret’s Chapel is the oldest building in the city, built in honour of one of the Scottish royals’ wives. She was famed for her benevolence and generosity, always seeking to make sure the poorer people were well fed and clothed. After her death, she was made a saint.

The War Monument contains books dedicated to those who fought bravely in battle, and the war and regimental museums provide an insight into what conditions were like. The castle also features a pet cemetery for soldiers’ pets, which I thought was quite interesting. It places quite a big importance on animals and their relationship to the soldiers.

The War Monument

The Pet Cemetery

There is also the opportunity to view the military prisons, the Scottish Crown Jewels and so much more. I couldn't possibly fit everything in one post - there is too much to see!

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Edinburgh - Eteaket Tea Room and Ibis Hotel

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The National Museum of Scotland is a vast building filled with exhibitions and displays covering nature, history, art, literature and science. There are also sections dedicated to Scottish history and culture. There is so much to see, I could possibly see one spending the entire day here! Another bonus is that it is free admittance. We were only here for a few hours, so unfortunately we didn’t get to see everything. My particular favourites were seeing the displays on different world cultures, natural history and the environment and the pivotal role Scotland has played in popular culture and art through the ages.

Thomas Carr at the Olive Room, Ilfracombe - Christmas Lunch!

Thomas Carr at the Olive Room was recently rewarded a Michelin Star for its use of fresh, local ingredients and superb flavours, and it is certainly very popular. I was wanting to try the food here, but the restaurant is currently closed at lunchtimes and closed on my only day off! So…I have been waiting a long time! On their Facebook page last year, they announced they had late cancellations for Christmas lunch, so why not try something different to your usual Christmas fare? When you arrive, it is not what you would expect a Michelin Star restaurant to be like. It is quite a small restaurant, we almost drove past it! Inside there were only two other tables and the owner’s family seated for Christmas lunch. I can’t imagine a lot of people can be seated on a weekend night. The other Michelin restaurant I have visited was Castle Terrace Restaurant in Edinburgh, where the restaurant was huge, grand and the staff professionally trained. The Olive Room resembles a more smaller and cosie...

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