We arranged with the proprietor of the B&B for an 8:30 breakfast on Thursday morning. We sit down to a full Scottish breakfast with proper tea and coffee. It is quite tasty and filling. This morning the proprietor is in a bright, talkative mood and the conversation turns to health care systems and then nutrition. Soon she finds a kindred soul in William as they discuss natural alternatives to medications. She definitely has lost the cool attitude toward us. After we check out her husband pleasantly surprises us and announces that they will drive us to the train station. We pile our bags into their two cars and 10 minutes later we are at the ScotRail station.
The train takes us largely along the coast with some wonderful views. I am amazed how close some the oil drilling platforms are to the shore. During the quiet times we are entertained by 2 year old George, who is seated in front of us with his mother.
We arrive at Edinburgh's Waverley Station mid-afternoon and catch a taxi to the apartment. It is amazing how the cabbie fits the six pieces of luggage, two backpacks and four of us into the traditional English cab. The apartment we have rented is directly on the Royal Mile approximately 5 blocks from Edinburgh Castle. The front door to the building is in an ally between a Harris Tweed store and a store specializing in cashmere. Access to the apartment is via a circular stone stairway. We develop a human chain to move the luggage up to the 1st floor where the apartment is located. The front windows allow us to watch the tourists below and across the street. It is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with a nice sitting room and a small galley kitchen. Fergus and Merida are gracious and give us the bedroom in the back of the apartment with the ensuite.
We do some exploring of the extended neighborhood and find a Sainsbury for provisions for breakfasts and snacking. We dine this evening a few blocks down the Royal Mile at the Whiski Bar which has good pub fare. For dessert William and I decide to share a flight of whisky's. It seems only appropriate given the name of the pub.
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