Day 16 Last Full Day in Scotland

This is our last full day in Scotland.  It's been a great trip, but I'm ready to go home.  After so many days of wonderful food, wonderful scenery, wonderful people, and fascinating history, I'm ready to go home.  As Dorothy says, "There's no place like home."

We made the most of our last day.  After a delicious breakfast of eggs benedict at our B&B we returned via taxi to Edinburgh Castle where we followed Rick Steeves' audio tour of the Royal Mile.  His audio tours are very informative and witty too.  His travel books are the best.

As you'll notice in many of these pix, it was a beautiful day with plenty of sun.   Without question this was the nicest weather we've had in the past 16 days.

Robert the Bruce

The good weather probably made the crowds even larger than yesterday, but fortunately our walk down the Royal Mile would take us away from the masses.  The Royal Mile itself is lined with tacky souvenir shops, all selling fine tartans...made in China.  However, the Rick Steeves audio tour is filled with great anecdotes so it's definitely worth seeing, if for only once in your lifetime.

Scottish schools don't go on summer vacation 'til July.

Deacon Brodie was a successful business man by day, but a scoundrel at night who robbed many to feed his gambling habit.  He was the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"

Princes Street Gardens

Holyrood Park, which is adjacent to Holyrood Castle

At the end of the Royal Mile are Scotland's new Parliament building and the Royal Family's official residence in Scotland, Holyrood Castle.

This modern building is Parliament.  After being dissolved in the late 1700's, Scotland did not have its own governing body until late in the 1990's when this was built.  

The debating chamber.