Edinburgh; Wednesday, 19 December, 2001

First on the list of things to do in Edinburgh must really be the castle. So at 10 o'clock sharp I was almost at the head of the queue for tickets (just behind an American couple and ahead of a small Japanese tour party).

The castle itself is quite breathtaking and amazingly still partly in use.

After spending a couple of hours wandering around the castle I left and started to walk down the royal mile about 50 yards to the Camera Obscurer for a more novel tour or Edinburgh and a museum of optical illusion.

Then a little further down to the main church in Edinburgh for a quick look around.

After that back to the hotel to drop off the souvenirs and then back out.

After a quick climb up the Sir Walter Scott Monument for a breathtaking view of Edinburgh and a quick go on the Ferris wheel that had been erected next to it in time for Christmas it was time to wander back up to the castle to go on the Mercat tour of the ghosts of Edinburgh which ended up in the vaults beneath the south bridge of Edinburgh.

The vaults are creepy and when you have had someone telling you ghost stories for the previous hour it doesn't take much to make you feel freaked out!