Went to Scotland!

We decided our Christmas present to each other this year would be a long weekend in Edinburgh. We had a really excellent weekend, with stupendous food.

Gorgeous sunset over the New Town on Friday night:

An outstanding dinner at Timberyard (quite expensive, but totally worth it). I could eat the bacon & sorrel amuse-bouche or the wild mushrooms or the rhubarb dessert forever.

We stayed in the New Club (top tip: no jeans allowed!), which had a really excellent view of the castle and a gorgeous stained glass window in the stairwell.

On Saturday we visited Edinburgh Castle and walked the Royal Mile. I loved the castle, and we had perfectly Scotland-In-February weather (it was freezing and drizzly).

The stained glass in the war memorial chapel was incredible (no pictures allowed inside, but link here) 

Then we had to stop and take a picture of the Elephant House coffee shop, where JK Rowling wrote most of Harry Potter. We didn't go in as it was mobbed and the reviews were terrible.

On Sunday we drove up to Glamis to visit family, and went on a walk through the castle grounds and surrounding countryside.

 Said hello to a lion:

The castle was gorgeous in the wintry light.

Good job, Scotland!

Our last morning in Edinburgh we hiked up Calton Hill to the National Monument. We said hi to Abe on the way up.

And had a great view of the town

Last stop: Scotland Street! We didn't see Bertie (or Alexander McCall Smith) but it wasn't for lack of trying!