Santa Visits St. Columba's

Craigmillar Castle

We got visitors for the Christmas season, and headed out in our warmest clothes to explore Craigmillar Castle and give our American guests a taste of Scottish history.  Highlights included the awesome inner courtyard and the snow-covered crags of Arthur's Seat in the distance.  Craigmillar Castle was once the brief home of Mary, Queen of Scots and was a very popular destination for hunting and leisure among the Edinburgh nobility of times past.

 

St. Andrew's Day--Our First Haggis

St. Andrew's Day is a Scottish holiday, and our city group decided to have a Burns Supper to commemorate it--haggis, neeps, and tatties, a hearty Scottish meal.  Here we have documented our reactions to our first haggis, as well as my first taste of Scottish whisky (that's how they spell it).  Yes, they are laughing at me.  Here is the text of the poem that Mash read. It is indeed a poem about haggis.

Lighting the Christmas Tree

This is what we got of the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the Mound, where the famous Norwegian Christmas tree and all of the Princes Street lights get turned on.  We missed most of it just trying to find a good place to stand.

Edinburgh Zoo and the Penguin Parade

Our video from our zoo visit.  We get up close with some chimps, watch some monkeys annoying their mom, and witness the legendary Penguin Parade.  Not featured in the parade, but still around, is Sir Nils Olav, the knighted penguin.

Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle, set right against the dramatic cliffs of the Forth, was the home of the powerful Red Douglas family.  When the Douglases rebelled, James V successfully beseiged the castle in 1528, later fortifying it against further assault.  This is where the distinctive green facing comes from.  The castle was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in 1650.  The large rock in the distance is called Bass Rock, and it was once a prison.

Dirleton Castle

Dirleton Castle is a very well preserved castle a short train ride's distance from Edinburgh.  It was the home of four different families over the years, begun around 1240 and inhabited periodically.  We had wonderfully perfect weather during our visit.

Edinburgh Castle

At long last, we made it to the imposing Edinburgh Castle!  This is the first of (hopefully) many times we will visit, as we missed out on the guided tours and didn't manage to hit all of the highlights.

Water of Leith Walkway, Dean Village

The Water of Leith is a river flowing into the Firth.  It runs through Dean Village, a small community within Edinburgh that used to be, well, a village.  We went here a while ago to check out the famous well in the area.

A Tour of New College

This is the successor to my walk to school video.  In this I give a short, inglorious tour of the interior of New College, to give you a feel for the ins and outs of my day at school.

Climbing Arthur's Seat

Arthur's Seat is a very dramatic hill set right in the middle of Edinburgh in Holyrood Park.  Some people give it as a possible location for Camelot, and it is certain that a hill fort once stood at the peak.  It was nice and sunny so we gave it a go.

Princes Street, and a bit of the Castle

St. Columba's--Our Church

St. Columba's Free Church of Scotland is where we worship while we're in Scotland!  It's a smaller congregation, but very closely-knit, and the church has a lot of history.  Here are some short videos to give you a feel of the place.

Church website

Calton Hill

Calton Hill has been a favorite vantage point for artists, photographers, and city-dwellers for decades.  Check out our Youtube video from our climb up.

                                            

First Real Post--My Walk to School

Sorry to everyone who has been waiting patiently for updates from us, but we still don't have internet access in our flat.  I am currently at the school waiting for class to start, and have decided to upload this video to tide you over and get the ball rolling.  You can click the Youtube logo for a bigger video. 

The Road Goes Ever On And On

Hello to all of our friends and families!  We wanted to create a place for everyone interested in our adventures to  be able to come and stay updated on what's going on with us.  So we made this blog.  We will periodically update it with details on our life and travels.  Thanks for supporting us with your prayers and encouragement.