Day 6 - Last Stop - Edinburgh

For the sake of my fatigued mind (and body), I decided I won't post chronologically. There is absolutely no way I will be able to write a giant post right now about everything that has happened from the day I landed in Scotland until now, my last day here! So, right now I will post about just today.

This morning, we left Tiff's friend Rory's place - where we stayed up in the Highlands - around 10:30ish in the morning to catch a train to Edinburgh in Perth. We managed to catch a train just in time, as it was scheduled to leave in a minute. Once we realized we only had a minute, Rory, Tiff, and I booked it across the station and jumped on the train at terminal 5.
The ride to Edinburgh was very nice - very scenic with the views of the Scottish foothills and, later in the journey, a wonderful view of the coast. We arrived in Edinburgh at about  12:30. We weren't due to meet up with others for lunch until 1:30, so we found our way to Hotel Ritz, our lodging for the night. We dropped our luggage off and meandered down Princes Street (which separates Old and New Town), until we got to a nice place named Henderson's for lunch. Here, I shared the Potato Croquette (w/ chutney!) and the Haggis - which were delicious! I suppose I should mention that this bistro is 100% vegetarian - how they make vegetarian haggis, I don't know, but it was pretty awesome (though I did have the real haggis earlier on at Rory's - more on that later!).
After lunching, we separated from the others and headed off for the famous and majestic Edinburgh Castle, which is now being used as headquarters for the Royal Scottish Regiment. Not surprisingly, it was an arm and a leg to get in, but once we did, it was amazing. To know that I was standing on the same ground that so many royals and notable figures from history have stood before is just beyond me. The castle is absolutely huge, too! We wandered around for about 2 hours before I realized that my feet were killing me! Despite the pain, it was a wonderful experience to look around the castle and see so many different exhibits, such as the Crown Jewels/Royal Honours, the evolution through war times, and the history of the kings and queens that ruled Scotland. I must also add that the view from the top towers of the castle were phenomenal. From there, I could see so many amazing structures in Edinburgh, and in the distance, the ocean.

St. Mary's Cathedral (I believe..?) inside Edinburgh Castle

Right now, I'm just settling into our room at Hotel Ritz and am enjoying being connected to the internet again. I think I'm going to snooze for a bit, so tomorrow (hopefully) I'll post about the few days I spent in the Highlands at Rory's!