Saturday was our free day and we were determined to make it count. We planned out a full day and got an early start so that we could do as much as possible. I traveled with Kelsey, Rose, Katie, and Brian. We caught the bus from Bread St., where we were able to visit a local thrift store while we waited (much more expensive there than here). When the bus arrived, we rode right to the Royal Mile and walked down to the palace, called Holyroodhouse. Major destination number 1...but it was closed. Apparently, Prince Charles and his wife were coming to the palace for a visit, so it was closed to prepare. Not the best start to the day, but we took lots of pictures of the outside of the palace, as well as the new Parliament building right across the street (talk about a clash of styles!).
We continued up the Royal Mile, stopping the many tourist shops along the way. I got some jewelry and we all bought some postcards to send home. We checked out the Edinburgh Museum, which was located in a restored old house and had some lovely exhibits. I had to sign a release to be allowed to take pictures and unfortunately I can't publish them online. We got separated from Brian and Katie, so we went on as a group of 3 to the Museum of Childhood. That place had toys from the 1950s through modern times, with a carousel horse, dolls, and intricate miniatures. Some of the dollhouses were so intricate that it would take 20 years to make them. We got photos at the puppet show booth and then continued on to lunch and then the museum. We stopped at a Quiznos, which was not exactly local fare, but we were hungry and it was right there.
The Scottish Royal Museum was definitely a highlight of the trip. The exhibits and artifacts were absolutely gorgeous, especially the items from the Church. There was a 3 story stained glass window that was just incredible. I struggled to get pictures of the whole thing and was pleasantly surprised when we got to the third floor and saw the top close up. The colors were beautiful!
The museum also had places on each floor where you could dress up in period clothing and pretend you were a viking or a revolutionary hero. We thought at first that the clothes were intended for children, but they were plenty big enough for us. We took turns dressing as Vikings on the first floor, wearing the goofy helmet and using our huge audio tour devices as swords. I can't imagine why the museum didn't include broadswords with the exhibit :-)
We dressed as revolutionary war era people on the third floor, with an unintended audience. We were having fun and posing for photos, with me in a lovely red velvet waistcoat and a tricorn hat, when a tour guide came around the corner. I remember thinking "Oh, no..." and sure enough, 30 tourists followed her into the room, where she proceeded to explain the exhibit we were standing in and the clothing we were so thoughtfully modeling. Glad to help. A few floors later, we took turns wearing a beret and playing the bagpipes, when the same tour walked in. Rose was the one on display this time, and a nice woman stepped out of the tour and showed her how to hold the bagpipes properly. After they left, Kelsey dressed in a peasant girl outfit and looked miserable while she pretended to scrub the floor. I've never had so much fun at a museum in my life.
The roof of the museum was open to the public, so we went up there to see the city from 6 stories up. You could see in every direction, so I got some great views of the Edinburgh skyline. We finished up the museum by checking out the interactive section on the way out. There was a space suit you could stand in, robot to control, and a game to test your reaction time. Rose beat both me and Kelsey. I'm definitely going back to the museum the next time I'm in Scotland!