Edinburgh; Saturday, 26 November, 2011

The hotel bed turned out to be particularly comfortable, and it was only the sound of the wind howling that finally woke me up around 10.

After a leisurely and very large breakfast I headed out of the hotel to the station, and caught the train into Edinburgh.

First stop of the morning was Carlton Hill. An area I had gone past on so many occasions previously but never bothered visiting, which is a shame as the views over Edinburgh are some of the most stunning. I had a long wander around the top of the Hill, taking in the views from the top of the Nelson Tower.

I then wandered down the hill and along to Holyrood Palace, another place I had not visited before, in spite having been through Edinburgh on a number of occasions.

After taking in the palace I wandered over to Our Dynamic Earth to have a look around that and then wandered up the Royal Mile to the castle, just in time to reach it as it was being closed as the winds had become so strong.

I had a long wander around the city centre, including a walk around the city’s German Christmas market, before heading back up to Carlton Hill to take in some views of the city at night, with the flood lights and Christmas lights out.

By now the weather had deteriorated to strong winds and increasingly heavy rain, so I retreated back to the station and caught the train back to the hotel, warmth, a good meal and a stunning bath.