Edinburgh - Castle & Parliament
This is the last but one round of photos from Scotland. I've been back home for almost three weeks now... time surely flies. Anyway here are a few pix from Edinburgh Castle, which is definitely worth a visit. If you like roaming around medieaval castles, that is..
Inside Edinburgh Castle
The oldest part of the Castle is "St. Margaret's Chapel" which is a really tiny and beautifully restored chapel. With small windows like this...
I took this photo around 10.30 PM (11.30 PM in central Europe). It just doesn't get dark in Scotland in the summer :-)
While Edinburgh Castle towers above the old town of Edinburgh, there are two important buildings at lower end of the Royal Mile. Hollyrood Castle - the Queen's home in Edinburgh and the Building of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Parliament was adjorned in 1707, with the Act of Union between England and Scotland. In 1999 the scottish people got back their parliament and own government which has power of all matters except a few which are still goverened from London for all of Great Britian (like defense and such).
Being a politician myself of course I had to visit this building :-) And when I read about the first speech given in the new parliament I realized how big a sap I sometimes am. I'm not even a Scot, but I was moved to tears anyway.The oldest member of the parliament opened the first meeting with this:
"I want to begin with the words that I have always wanted either to say or to hear someone else say: the Scottish Parliament, which adjourned on 25 March 1707, is hereby reconvened."
It's quite an impressive building. And it's a really really expensive one. The first estimate of costs was about 40 Million GPB and it ended up around 400 Millions !! It sounds crazy and it probably was but it's a great building from an architectural point of view. They also tried to use all kinds of Scottish material in the process. And I don't really have to care how expensive the construction was, it's not my taxes that have been spent on that building. :-)
There are various symbols all around the building, like the saltire (Scottish cross) on the ceilings in the lobby.
All around the building on the ground or the buildings ground walls there are flagstones with quotes from Scottish poets, artists or politicians. On the ground close to the public entrance there was this quote by Robert Adam, which I really liked, because it sums up my thoughts during the Highland tour (except for the last line, because sadly I can't claim that)
Look what can you see?
I see beauty in the lochs
I see majesty in mountains
I see legends in rocks
And it is ours
Inside Edinburgh Castle
The oldest part of the Castle is "St. Margaret's Chapel" which is a really tiny and beautifully restored chapel. With small windows like this...
I took this photo around 10.30 PM (11.30 PM in central Europe). It just doesn't get dark in Scotland in the summer :-)
While Edinburgh Castle towers above the old town of Edinburgh, there are two important buildings at lower end of the Royal Mile. Hollyrood Castle - the Queen's home in Edinburgh and the Building of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Parliament was adjorned in 1707, with the Act of Union between England and Scotland. In 1999 the scottish people got back their parliament and own government which has power of all matters except a few which are still goverened from London for all of Great Britian (like defense and such).
Being a politician myself of course I had to visit this building :-) And when I read about the first speech given in the new parliament I realized how big a sap I sometimes am. I'm not even a Scot, but I was moved to tears anyway.The oldest member of the parliament opened the first meeting with this:
"I want to begin with the words that I have always wanted either to say or to hear someone else say: the Scottish Parliament, which adjourned on 25 March 1707, is hereby reconvened."
It's quite an impressive building. And it's a really really expensive one. The first estimate of costs was about 40 Million GPB and it ended up around 400 Millions !! It sounds crazy and it probably was but it's a great building from an architectural point of view. They also tried to use all kinds of Scottish material in the process. And I don't really have to care how expensive the construction was, it's not my taxes that have been spent on that building. :-)
There are various symbols all around the building, like the saltire (Scottish cross) on the ceilings in the lobby.
All around the building on the ground or the buildings ground walls there are flagstones with quotes from Scottish poets, artists or politicians. On the ground close to the public entrance there was this quote by Robert Adam, which I really liked, because it sums up my thoughts during the Highland tour (except for the last line, because sadly I can't claim that)
Look what can you see?
I see beauty in the lochs
I see majesty in mountains
I see legends in rocks
And it is ours