Edinburgh, Scotland & the British Open!!

Micah and I just got back from Scotland yesterday, and despite the wet, rainy weather - we had a fantastic time! We stayed outside of the city center in a small Bed & Breakfast called the Belford House (see photo of me in front of it!)

Edinburgh is Scotlands captial city and is a fun one to explore. The old part of town is called the Royal Mile (which is actually one mile and 200 yards long!). It begins at the top of the hill, where Ediburgh Castle is (see photo below) and ends at Holyrood Palace - plenty of medieval skyscrapers, coutyards, and tourist stores to explore!

The other section of town is called New Town, which is a Georgrian-influences section of town centering around Princess Street where shopping is the highlight of the day. Below is Micah, testing out the Scottish style for himself! Ediburgh Castle: 1,300 years ago, this was the birthplace of Ediburgh. Since the 11th century it has been a fort and royal residence, and even today most of hte buildings are used for military purposes! Outside the castle gate stands two memorial statues: William Wallace (pictured below) and Robert the Bruce. See Braveheart for more information about those historical characters!

St. Margaret's Cathedral is the oldest standing (complete) building in the castle (the rest have been refinished or recreated as they've deteriorated). In the photo below, Micah is standing in the doorway to the church!! Ummm... watch your head Micah.

These few photos are examples of the extravagant architecture and design on the Royal Mile... beautiful!

Here we are, with the castle in the background! (We are on the roof-top terrace of the National Museum of Scotland).

No blog about Scotland would be complete without this: a Scottish man wearing a kilt and playing the bagpipes... classic.

One of the best things that Micah and I did was hike to the highest points in all of Scotland: Arthur's Seat, which is 250 meters high and is actually, an extict volcano. It was quite a climb, but the views were worth it!!

Here we are, looking back at our accomplishment.. yes - we hiked to the highest point, way up there!

About the British Open: We went to the famous gold tournament - the British Open at Carnoustie on Saturday. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed on tournament days, so I don't have any photos of it! We had a fantastic time though... we saw Tiger Woods up close (he actually hit a woman on the head with a golf ball, causing her to get 2 stiches!!!), Padriag Harrington (an Irish man who ended up winning the thing!), and many, many other pro golfers. It was a blustery cold day, slightly wet, but an inceredible experience!! If you want more info and first hand stories about it... give Micah a call! :)