EDINBURGH & ENVIRONS

THE ROYAL MILE
	The John Knox House with its period furnishings dates from the 1500's. His statue in St. Giles' Cathedral commemorates his service as Minister from 1560 to 1572 and his leadership in the Protestant Reformation.
	St. Giles' Cathedral was founded about 1120 by Alexander I (the oldest parts being the four massive central pillars), and its Crown Spire was built in 1495. The Thistle Chapel was completed by Sir Robert Lorimer in 1911 for Scotland's order of chivalry, the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. Pat and I discovered the Lower Aisle Restaurant (a cafeteria) immediately below the Thistle Chapel. Another highly recommended spot was the World's End pub on the Royal Mile on the SW corner at St. Mary's Street; brass markers in the pavement indicate where the gate of the old city was located.
	The Robert Burns memorial window was installed above the entrance to St. Giles' in 1985.
	Pat took this picture of the buildings near the Camera Obscura on the Royal Mile. The nearby churches have become commercial establishments.
	From the roof of the Camera Obscura building, the crown of St. Giles' Cathedral can be seen down the Royal Mile.
	During the Edinburgh Festival, sections of the Royal Mile were closed to traffic, and street performers took over.
	Near the entrance/exit to the Camera Obscura, Pat took this photo of our sideways image produced by a Kaleidoscope.

PRINCES STREET
	Here is a view of the Waverley Station yards from North Bridge. The entrance is around the corner on Princes Street. We took trains to Glasgow & Johnstone (the Growlies bear shop), twice to Falkirk (Grangemouth) and later to Inverness (Culloden & the Black Isle).
	This is the famous floral clock at the east end of the gardens. By Act of Parliament in 1816, the North Loch was filled in and the business proprietors along Princes Street accepted the responsibility for completing the gardens by 1820.
	Pat took a long-view picture of the floral designs beside the gate to the gardens.
	A few people ventured to the top of the Scott Monument during the Festival by climbing the 287 steps. Aside from shop doorways, one of the favourite locations of the buskers and beggars was at this monument overlooking Princes Gardens. When we arrived on August 17, a piper and 4 drummers drew large crowds at this site. Most of Edinburgh's streets were closed for the fireworks display at the end of the Festival on the night of September 1.
	In 1869, Edinburgh citizen and gunmaker, David Ross, arranged for the Ross Fountain to be purchased at an exhibition in London and reassembled in the Princes Gardens below the Edinburgh Castle.
	At the west end of Princes Street, our final visit in Scotland was paid to St. John's Episcopal Church. Pat took pictures of the inside. Following our visit, we were reminded of the underground shops and vaults which we toured at South Bridge (mainly on the South West and the North East corners). There were shops beneath the church and vaults for storing supplies under the bridge.
	There were many stained glass windows in the church, such as this example.
	The stained glass window #9, entitled Resurrected Christ (Mark 16 v9), was dedicated to George Swinton (1781 - 1854). An inscription reads, "Family Swinton takes its name from the lands of Swinton, Berwickshire, which it held for more than 8½ centuries." Other records state that George was born in 1780. CLICK HERE.