July 15-30, 2023
| 15th - Arrival | 16th - Dean Village | 17th - Portabello Beach | 18th - Union Canal | 19th - Baird & Blackford |
| 20th - Mercat Cross | 21st - Cramond Beach | 22nd - Botanical Gardens | 23rd - Stirling | 24th - Scottish Museum |
| 25th - Duddingston | 26th - Pentland Hills | 27th - Glasgow | 28th - Gardens | 29th - Rugby game |
Thursday
Near our lodgings was the Fountain Cafe. We had eaten here before and enjoyed the simple-yet-tasty menu. We visited for breakfast and enjoyed pancakes as I reminisced over the posters on the walls: Blue, Verve, Leftfield, Stone Roses, Oasis, Portishead. I felt like I was back in University.
Today we would start by exploring the Leith waterfront. A new tram that runs from the airport to Leith, running through Haymarket, opened just a month before, and we were excited to take it. I’m always happy when public transportation is expanded and well-received by the population. The trams were well-used from what I could see, and I really happy to overhear a phone conversation during one ride. The woman was on the phone with her Mom and she said “I’m on the tram. It is so much faster!” That is a pretty good endorsement!
The waterfront here isn’t very photogenic. I took a couple of pictures but most of them turned out poorly, and the ones that were good are rather uninteresting. So we explored the streets of Leith instead.
Fresh tram tracks!
Tracks leading to Edinburgh city center
We had a “date” this afternoon: we had signed up for Mercat’s Edinburgh Historical (vault) tour. This tour would take us under some of the old bridges that had been walled in, creating living space underneath them. It sounded interesting, and not something that you’d normally see in the city. The vaults of the South Bridge date back to the 1700s and are made up of 19 huge arches and numerous rooms and passageways, tucked in between the supports of the bridge.
Originally the city constructed these vaults to expand the city outwards to the north and south to deal with the population problems within the city. Overpopulation was a major problem, and vaults were seen as a solution to put the poor underground so the city could use more space. The subterranean caverns became like a second underground city — sometimes three- and four-storeys deep. Not surprisingly, life in the vaults was unhealthy and hazardous. Over the years, they have been used for different purposes including storage rooms, taverns, pubs, and more. Business tried to use them for storage under the shops, but the conditions didn’t always favor the storage of foodstuffs, and the area eventually became a popular place for criminals and prostitutes.
A lot more information can be found at “The Tour Guy.”
The City of Steps
Map of Old Edinburgh (full size link)
Our guide described the living conditions in these subterranean rooms and their uses. Some people lived here, but most of the area was used for crafting items for daily use. Shoe makers, dress makers, thieves, gambling and prostitution – the uses were as varied as the people who lived in the city.
I took a couple of photos but my camera was not up to the low light situations.
Storage area
Cobbler’s shop – I can’t imagine working in these conditions
After the tour we enjoyed the rest of the evening, preparing for another day of adventure. We also enjoyed the antics of our fledgling seagull neighbors across the street.
