In my last post I started to share with you some of my happy memories of our recent trip up North. I have been regularly visiting Edinburgh now for 7 years and if any of you are intending to travel there I have one piece of advice – visit Khublai Khans Mongolian Feast. This incredible buffet allows you to create dishes with the most phenomenal range of meats and spices, including springbok, zebra, camel and kangaroo. I cannot imagine a visit to my father-in-law without an evening here!
Our next rendez vous was Stirling Castle. Unfortunately, the weather and my lack of photography skills have resulted in rather poor images of the castle itself, as it is quite difficult to see much of it at once. (By the look of it the creators of the website had a similar issue, which makes me feel a bit better!) It is an interesting place to visit, very different to Linlithgow. Whereas the splendour of Linlithgow was the sheer scale of the stone shell that survives, Stirling is a collection of buildings that have adapted to suit different functions over the centuries, most recently a military depot for the best part of a century until 1964.
Historic Scotland have since worked hard to restore and recreate many of the original features, including complete restoration of the Great Hall to its Stuart glory. Unfortunately, for me, this makes parts of it feel a bit too ‘new’. Instead, I think Stirling’s true splendour lies in its ramparts, which afford stunning views over the surrounding area.
The fire station reminded me of Fireman Sam!
I love the seaside. Living as far away from the sea as it is possible to be in the UK, the coast represents holidays to me. Whether it be industrial docks and harbours or miles of white sand, I revel in the magic of it all. We took a quick trip to South Queensferry to see the infamous bridge over the Firth of Forth and marvel at the sunlight glinting off the water.
Now for my favourite part of our holiday, the ‘perfect day’ that this post is named after. A few miles down from Edinburgh and we stopped off at North Berwick. I cannot remember a day that says blissful holiday more than this.
Glorious sunshine, walks on the beach, toes wiggling in the sand whilst quickly licking your ice cream as it dribbles down the cone. Perfect.
Stone skimming competition…I was the spectator!
Gotta love the Eiderduck bobbing on the waves!
Rosy Hill 