We started our day of exploring Edinburgh by walking from our hotel to the Royal Mile.
Along the way, we saw evidence of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which takes place every August. Described as one of the greatest "celebrations of art and culture" that takes place in the world, the Fringe Festival was started in 1947. Artists and performers take to hundreds of stages all across the city including many pop-up performances and non traditional spaces. The energy and artsy vibe is everywhere!
Our first stop in the Royal Mile was at St. Giles Cathedral. The Cathedral was founded in 1124 and has served as a backdrop to Scottish history for 900 years. While originally a Roman Catholic Church, St. Giles Cathedral became a Presbyterian Church during the Scottish Reformation in 1560.
The church was the home church of John Knox, the leader of the Scottish Reformation which was a decisive event in Scottish history. The Scottish Reformation is seen as a revolution against the Catholic Church as well as a political act against the threat of rule by France (a Catholic Country). The Scottish insistence on remaining Presbyterian plays an important part of ongoing history with not only France, but with England over the subsequent years.
Our next stop was the National Scottish Museum where we spent several hours "boning up" on Scottish history in preparation for our Roads Scholar trip which starts Friday night.
After our brains were filled, we went for an early dinner at Deacon Brodie's Tavern, a famous pub.
There we tried a Haggis Starter plate that has Haggis paired with mashed potatoes (mashed tatties) and turnips (bashed neeps). Our waiter explained that while Haggis is traditionally made from organ meats cooked in a sheep's stomach, now it is more like a meat hash. As someone who doesn't like organ meats at all, I didn't gag when I tried this famous Scottish delicacy.
Our day concluded with a Fringe Festival performance with Brog, a group that plays traditional
Scottish music. The venue was small so it felt just like going to a house concert.
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