Wandering Edinburgh on a brilliant winter day

by WBlackwell on February 5, 2019

I had been in Edinburgh last October for the Independence march (pictures & videos in my Oct. 7 2017 post) so my to-do list was empty other than see the National and Portrait Galleries.  I started the day with on the Waters of Leith, £4/$5.17  for an all day bus pass in Edinburgh so I road a couple not knowing where the end of the route would be, went for a walk then hopped another. Whale harpoon in Leith reminded me of New Beige.

 

Feeling peckish whilst doing the Walk of Leith with a certain Knopfler song in me head and  a warm Scotch pie did the trick! And if you park here the experience might not be uplifting, LOL

I discovered the Conan Doyle years ago.  As tourist traps go, this one’s a cracker.

The Portrait Gallery is a grand sandstone building with brilliant art.  We start with  The Poet.

R.L. Stevenson by David Stevenson

The painter Sir Joesph Paton by Amelia Hill & Sir Walter Scott by Francis Chantry

Robert Cunninghame Graham by Jacob Epstein and D. Tennent

Cristian Hook had this take on Alan Cummings.  Harry Benson took this photo of Queen Elizabeth II in 2014

The building would be worth a visit were it empty

But it is anything but empty.  James Guthrie paint the young weston Churchill  100 years ago and Alex Nasmyth presents a young Rabbie Burns

David Hume shown by the great Allan Ramsey.  The artist who paint a very alive Charles I is unknown

 

The Roman who would be king of Scotland, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie.

The sculpture who did this bust of James VII & II is unknown But we all know Oor Wullie.  Like the mural trail in Glasgow (the best way to learn the city) there are now over 200 Wullies across Scotland to find.  I have a new challenge! I’ve seen him a few times

Around the corner, tucked in an old cemetery I found absolute still, wind blocked bench at the beginning of Princes Street park and under the shadow of the castle.

Rumor has it it is good luck to rub Bobby’s nose.

Across the street from Greyfriar’s is the National Museum of Scotland which, if you’ve seen my other posts, I feel is one of the greatest small but expansive local museums.  I had spent a while there last autumn but today was clear with little wind so I hustled to to roof of the museum for the best views of the city of Edinburgh.

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