Gothic Rocket, Thistle & Whisky

Sir Walter Scott Monument

Today we revisited Calton Hill for some more photos, then moved down to the shopping area. Despite the lines of shops we didn’t find anything much to buy. We did pass the monumental (pun intended) tribute to Sir Walter Scott which dominates the area – a dark victorian gothic four-pointed tower which Bill Bryson has described it as looking like a "gothic rocket ship". You can climb the stairs inside the towers but we decided to pass on the 287 steps.

Crests of Order of the Thistle (not our photo)

We crossed what was once a loch, to the hill that Edinburgh Castle is on. St Giles High Kirk is a church partway up the Royal Mile towards the castle. Inside is the Royal Chapel of the Order of the Thistle (Scotland’s order of chivalry). While tiny, this chapel contains the most exquisitely carved crests of each member. We didn’t pay for permission to take photos but I downloaded an image so you get the idea.

Scotch Whisky Collection

We made our way back up the hill to the Scotch Whisky Experience – 1.5 hours of Scottish Whisky education and some drinking! Other than spelling whisky without an e, Scotch Whisky is different to Irish in that it tends to be smokier (due to the traditional smoking processes) than its Irish cousin. Because this tour wasn’t linked to a specific distillery it was more general and impartial. The highlight of the tour is the Diageo Claive Vidiz Collection with 3,500 different Scotch whisky bottles including some modelled as chess pieces and golf caddies.