Edinburgh: Day 4
Plan of the Day: Rosslyn Chapel, Pentland Hike, Sheep Heid Inn (lunch) and return to the Top Hat House for dinner.
Rosslyn Chapel
Rosslyn Chapel contains some of the most intricate stone carvings anywhere in the world. It’s almost like a “where’s Waldo” in stone carvings. Throughout the chapel there are lots of heads, faces, and “little green men” gnome-like figures to find.
Our guide required little volume as the harmonics allowed her to speak in normal tones and carried throughout the chapel. (Even though Karen thought she must have a microphone.) The inside had been restored, and to my disappointment photographs were NOT allowed.
One of the things that makes Rosslyn Chapel so unique is its air of mystery. Thanks to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, it's now famous as a possible hiding place for the Holy Grail. They didn’t promise you'd find the Grail, but the sealed crypt beneath the chapel certainly sparked the imagination!
Pentland Hike
Our hike of the Pentland Hills started near the Swanson Golf course. After visiting a few Hairy Coos we started the climb. For most of our group it was an up and back. Our guide gave us some directions, and then sent us off on our own. We skirted the plastic ski slope hills, and made our way back down to the meeting point. Jack (my brother-in-law) making the trek without proper footwear still, was not as lucky on the descent. Just as Karen bragged about his skill in saving himself from crash on the muddy path of Arthur’s Seat, she looked over to see him hit the turf. Ego repairs to come at the pub, luckily no other injuries suffered.
Sheep Heid Inn
The Sheep Heid Inn in Edinburgh is reputed to be Scotland's oldest pub, with a history dating back to 1360. Its name likely comes from a ram's head snuff box that King James VI gifted to the inn in 1580, and it has hosted notable patrons like Bonnie Prince Charlie, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Robert Burns.
After our wonderful lunch (to include sticky toffee pudding) we decided to hike back to the Top Hat House. It wasn’t just that the trip would be long, after our hike in the Pentlands, but Great Scot, it started with an epic climb up a few hundred steps!
