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 |
Tuesday
I was looking for a burrito. I loved the burritos I could get in California, but after leaving that state, I had yet to find something to take its place. I know that Scotland isn’t exactly prime burrito territory, but it IS a city, and I had hope. And that hope was shattered, restaurant by restaurant. Yes, there were a number of places dedicated to this dish, but Every. Single. One. used “green rice”. And apparently “green rice” just means that it is mixed with cilantro. And I hate cilantro – with a passion. No burritos for me on this trip!
We had no other plans for the day, so we decided to fill it with a walk along the Union Canal. Our hotel was situated at the terminus of the Canal so it really wasn’t difficult to start this adventure.
The Union Canal spans 32 miles, connecting Falkirk to Edinburgh. Originally built to transport coal into the city, it is now a recreational route that allows for pedestrian and cycle traffic, as well as some pleasure boats. The path leading out of the city was packed with incoming commuters, but soon enough we had the trail almost completely to ourselves.
What a great way to spend the morning
Original mile marker – only 30 1/2 miles to go!
Peek summer blooms
The land between Falkirk and Edinburgh is not flat, and the canal does not follow the lowest elevation. So how does one deal with deep ravines and valleys? If trains can bridge the gap, then why not a boat? So they extended the canal bed directly across, keeping the water at a level so that it could continue its slow march to the sea.
Canal built in 1822, rail built in 1842; the rail won in the end
Impressive engineering
Looking down on the natural stream, the Water of Leith
It had only been a couple of miles, but we decided to leave the path of the canal and instead follow the trail along the Water of Leith. There really was no bad choice, but following the Leith would lead us back towards the city and make a nice loop.
Nice views
Descending to the Leith; note the bicycle ramp on the right side of the steps for people to push their bikes on
There was a small Visitors Center here, but we were too early if we had wanted any refreshments. The staff were actually frantic when they saw us at the door, quick to warn us that the coffee wouldn’t be ready for a few minutes. We reassured them that we were not looking for coffee, but “just looking”.
The canal (and rail) crossing from the Leith
The path along the Leith was much wider and tamer than I expected. Dan and I walked along in silence, enjoying the natural corridor so close to the city. The creek wound its way through the greenery, following the natural contours of the landscape.
Pigeon bath time!
Just about a mile later we left the banks of the Leith and were surprised to see a formal garden! We found an entrance and wandered through the summer blossoms. It really was amazing how no matter where we went during this trip, there were so many blooming flowers, bushes, and trees, and the air smelled great.
Saughton Public Park
I have never seen a purple rose before
Another perfect Scottish day
While the weather looks ideal, it was getting too warm. I know: who complains about the heat in Edinburgh? Well, we do. We are Heat Wimps and love cool, cloudy days. But it was still cooler here than at home, so we kept on walking.
In another couple of miles we had reached our goal: Murrayfield Stadium. We had tickets to a game there next week and wanted to grab some items from the shop. And it would be much easier today rather than fight the crowds on game day. It was time to go shopping!
Goodies secured, we directed our feet back to our hotel. But conveniently, the tram that connects the airpot to the city arrived and we hopped on for a quick ride to Haymarket. And between Haymarket and Fountainbridge is a little coffee shop called Throat Punch. Dan had read good things about it, so we stopped in to see what it was all about.
I’m not a fan of the name, but their board was beautiful!
House puppy!
We went back to the room to put our feet up for a while. We had plans that evening: the Everyman Theater was showing The Big Lebowski on the big screen!
Dinner at the Hanging Bat – a cool pub just around the corner from our place
A constantly revolving beer list, based on small batches and what’s available locally
We hopped on a bus to the theater across town, grabbed our popcorn and drinks and settled in for a rousing evening of bowling and rugs!