Out and About

Today we took a bit of a neighborhood tour around Jen and Kate's old school areas. That included walking through the University of Edinburgh and around some of its buildings that are centuries old. We walked through The Meadows, another beautiful park which was green and vibrant on yet another sunny day.

Pub Number One today was the Canny Man's Pub in the Morningside neighborhood. Like most (all?) of the pubs we've visited, this was one of Jen and Kate's regulars when they lived here. This place really looks (and smells) like an old locals pub and even at noon we weren't the first ones at the bar.

Mates!

Second pub stop was The Doctors located just across the street from the University medical school buildings and built in the 1870s when the Royal Infirmary was opened. There are medical odds and ends around the bar including some very old looking vials of weird medicines and a life-size replica spine and pelvis hangs on the wall. Another pint and a little lunch and we were on our way. 

We walked through the Greyfriars Kirkyard, a cemetery dating back to the sixteenth century with some really interesting stones and great views of Old Town buildings. The cemetery holds several notable historic Edinburgh residents, but is also the resting place of Greyfriars Bobby, a devoted terrier who, after his owner died in the 1850s, reportedly spent 14 years at the gravesite before he (Bobby) finally died and was buried nearby (Dog lovers begin crying now). The cemetery also has the grave of a real man named Thomas Riddell who inspired the not real Harry Potter character of the same name. I didn't take photos of either of those tombstones but here are some other shots:

I feel like a ghost tour in this kirkyard would be pretty scary. And that maybe I'd see a ghost. 

Our final afternoon stop was The Last Drop in the Grassmarket (shot of it in yesterday's post), named for the last hanging that occurred in 1864 at the gallows located outside. Inside are lots of grisly illustrations of hangings and pictures of the two men who murdered 16 people in the 1820s to make money selling the corpses to the medical school. Jen and Kate know the story well and told me the details over a pint (obviously). The Burke and Hare Murders are fascinating and if you're reading this blog be sure to click on the link to find out more!  

Clearly the best way to learn about Scottish history is to visit as many pubs as possible!

Ended the evening meeting up with another one of Jen's relatives, this time one of her Scottish cousins. I think the family reunions are over, but who knows- we still have three more days...