Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

 Edinburgh Castle is an impressive landmark fortress atop Castle Hill in Edinburgh Scotland.

Castle Hill has been a military site at least since the Iron Age. There has been a castle here at least since the reign of David I in the 1100s. 

We enter through the Portcullis Gate

If you are nearby at 1.00 pm, you'll hear the 105 mm field gun, which replaced the original 64-pounder. The tradition began in 1861-- ships on the Firth of Forth could set the ship's clocks.

The next stop on the included audio tour is the Argyle Battery.

Looking over the walls, you can see fabulous views of the city and the obvious advantage of the castle's location for defense.

Prisoners were kept here since the 1700s. There were pirates of the Caribbean, POWs from the Battle of Trafalgar, and rebel colonists captured in the American War of Independence. We bent our heads and entered the dark passage ways to view their bunks and places where the ate and played games.

After exiting from the prison into Crown Square, there are a few places to visit.

There's a place of reflection honouring those who died in the defense of the nation. Photos are not permitted inside the National War Memorial.

There are fabulous crown jewels.

But photos were not permitted. In 2022, the Stone of Scone was on display. That's the stone upon which the Kings and Queens have been crowned for centuries. For hundreds of years it was in Westminster Abbey in London but it has been returned to the Scots.

The Great Hall is a stunning display of colour constructed for King James IV in 1511. When Cromwell captured the castle in 1650, he turned it into a barracks. Check out the amazing wooden ceiling.

We work our way toward the top of the castle where we find a tribute to Mons Meg.

The Mons Meg has different origin stories. It appears to have come from Flanders and dates from the 1400s. It takes 386 pound cannonballs. It had been taken to the Tower of London in 1754 but was returned in 1829. 

Nearby is Edinburgh's oldest building, St Margaret's Chapel. It was built by King David I about 1130 and dedicated to his mother. Margaret was a Saxon princess who escaped England during the Norman invasion.

Following are a few views of Edinburgh from the castle walls.

Notes

There is an entrance fee.

Our English Heritage card was honoured 

The audio guide is worth having. You enter the numbers found on various locations throughout the castle.

You can eat in the Tea Rooms in Crown Square or have a meal in the Redcoat Café.

There are shops at the castle and online.

Learn more at the website https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/

St Margaret's Church, Westminster London England UK

St Margaret's Church, East side

 St Margaret's Church, located on the grounds of Westminster Abbey, was established by the monks at the nearby Westminster Abbey, which was the monastery of St Peter in Westminster ordered by Edward the Confessor in 1065.

The church was built in the 1100s to serve the people and dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch. The church fell into disrepair in the 1400s and was rebuilt with a consecration 9 April 1523.

Photos inside St. Margaret's Church courtesy of Patricia Hudgins.

Links

Westminster Abbey

Places to visit in London

View of St Margaret's Church to the left of
Westminster Abbey

Dollywood Theme Park Pigeon Forge Tennessee

 

Dollywood in Pigeon Forge Tennessee is one of America's most beautiful theme parks. We spent two days and did not ride all the rides or see all the shows. I'm ready to return with a roller coaster enthusiast!

There are rides for people of all ages. My granddaughter had FireChaser on her list. We got on with hardly any wait time. Thanks to a tip to enter the park by Owens Farm and head north when the line drops.

Watch the video for a quick look at this fun ride--the first coaster in the US that offered dual action--forwards and backwards!

We did add some easy going rides like the Black Bear Trail

And got some arm exercise on the Lumberjack Lift

If you really want to relax, consider a classic train ride.

If spinning is your thing, try the Dizzy Disk...

or spin around when you see something like this...

There's plenty of places to grab lunch and snacks.

The cinnamon bread comes highly recommended--we tried it and liked it.

So after an active morning, we saw some shows.

Our granddaughter tolerated the Dreamland Drive In Show-- but we would see it again!

We all enjoyed the Gazillion Bubble Show--very impressive.

Another show we liked was the Wings Over America program. The birds are amazing and the staff provide brief yet informative talks about several birds. Of course, the final wow is the American Bald Eagle.

Check out the video...

Afternoons get pretty hot in the summer, which is a good time to get soaked.

The River Rampage was a fun ride.

But we liked the action at Daredevil Falls.

Here's a link to a short video of the big splash https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wfenXI98OIg

On the second morning, I decided to treat myself to a coaster. I got on the Lightning Rod with no hassle and no extra fees. Because I was alone, I went up the single rider entrance and ended up having my own car because the man who tried to get in couldn't fit.

In the picture below, we wait impatiently for the doors to open.

Then its up, up, and away.

Here's a video clip showing part of the fast action following the steep climb.

I mentioned that Dollywood is a beautiful park. Here's a few more photos.

By the way, there's some classic cars too-- over by Lightning Rod.

Some notes

We liked getting there early for good parking and getting on the preferred rides.

Perhaps we were lucky, but we did not pay extra for the preferred access plan.

Food is expensive for not as pricey as Disneyworld. There are child meals.

There's plenty of places to refill water bottles at no charge.

The gifts were not overpriced.

There are a lot more rides and shows than I posted--see the Dollywood website. If you're new, I suggest making a list and getting a good sense of the locations.

There are maps on the website but the larger maps at the entrance are great and include the show schedule.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We entered the Great Smoky Mountains National Park traveling south on Route 441 in Tennessee.

Close to the Sugarlands Visitors Center are trails. One nicely shaded trail led to Cataract Falls pictured below.

There are a lot of trails off the paved road. One popular one is the Alum Cave Trail. The picture below and the one at the top of this post were taken along the trail. The top photo is a picturesque arch, which you find along the trail.

Below is one of the many bridges over clear flowing mountain streams. The trees provide shade from the summer heat.

On a clear day, the views are outstanding and it's cooler at these elevations. 

A stop near the state line offers impressive vistas. We couldn't resist the touristy memory.

Rocks near an access to the Appalachian Trail.

The Appalachian Trail sign- another memory and an example of a great place to hike in America.

At the southern end of route 441 is the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Nearby is the Mountain Farm Museum alongside the Oconaluftee River.

The farm buildings were brought in to showcase an old Tennessee farm. At some of the places, people tell about activities on the farm.

Children enjoy playing in the river, which is along the trail to the old farm.

On a smoky day...

My dad took us to the Smokies years ago. The photo below is from the first time I took my wife. She couldn't see much because of the "smoke," but really appreciated the park's beauty during our 2022 visit.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Click for  the Area Map

Park website     https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm