If I had two months to take off and won the lottery. I would start in Edinburgh and end in Rome.
Flights from DFW to Edinburgh Scotland
Edinburgh Scotland
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until 1633. From the 15th century, the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison. Its importance as a part of Scotland's national heritage was recognised increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programmes have been carried out over the past century and a half.
As one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite rising of 1745. Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1,100-year history, giving it a claim to having been "the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world". Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of the 16th century when the medieval defences were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment. The most notable exceptions are St Margaret's Chapel from the early 12th century, which is regarded as the oldest building in Edinburgh, the Royal Palace, and the early 16th-century Great Hall, although the interiors have been much altered from the mid-Victorian period onwards. The castle also houses the Scottish regalia, known as the Honours of Scotland, and is the site of the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum of Scotland. The British Army is still responsible for some parts of the castle, although its presence is now largely ceremonial and administrative. Some of the castle buildings house regimental museums which contribute to its presentation as a tourist attraction.
The castle, in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, is Scotland's most and the United Kingdom's second most-visited paid tourist attraction, with over 2.2 million visitors in 2019 and over 70 percent of leisure visitors to Edinburgh visiting the castle. As the backdrop to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo during the annual Edinburgh Festival, the castle has become a recognisable symbol of Edinburgh in particular and of Scotland as a whole..
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands, and artistic performance teams on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in the capital of Scotland. The event is held each August as one of the Edinburgh Festivals.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse has served as the principal royal residence in Scotland since the 16th century, and is a setting for state occasions and official entertaining.
Queen Elizabeth II spends one week in residence at Holyroodhouse at the beginning of each summer, where she carries out a range of official engagements and ceremonies. The 16th-century historic apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the State Apartments, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public throughout the year, except when members of the Royal Family are in residence. The Queen's Gallery was built at the western entrance to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and opened in 2002 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection. The gardens of the palace are set within Holyrood Park.
Bird's-eye view of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Holyrood Abbey, including the western towers
The Edinburgh Vaults or South Bridge Vaults are a series of chambers formed in the nineteen arches of the South Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland, was part of the South Bridge Act 1785 and was completed in 1788. For around 30 years, the vaults were used to house taverns, workshops for cobblers and other tradesmen, as well as storage space for said merchants. In later years, the vaults were a hotspot for the homeless and for criminal activity such as illegal gambling taverns, illegal whisky distillery and, according to rumour, bodysnatchers stored corpses there overnight. There is however no proof that the grave robbers Burke and Hare ever used the vaults.
As the conditions in the vaults deteriorated, mainly because of damp and poor air quality, the businesses left in the 1820s and the very poorest of Edinburgh's citizens moved in, though by around 1860, even they are believed to have left too. That people had lived there was only discovered in 1985 during an excavation, when middens were found containing toys, medicine bottles, plates, and other signs of human habitation.
Experience an Edinburgh ghost tour in the safety of the daylight hours and early evening
Get up close to Edinburgh’s haunted past
Explore the famous Blair Street Underground Vaults on this high-spirited tour
Mercat exclusive audio devices - be immersed and get lost in the stories...
Choosing Mercat is 'Good for you, Good for Edinburgh' - our team, community and planet
About this tour
Edinburgh ghost tours
A fun and light-hearted daytime walking tour of the Blair Street Underground Vaults – Edinburgh’s most haunted vaults, which Mercat Tours has exclusive access to. This spooky Edinburgh ghost tour is the ideal way to peek into the city’s ghostly past, and remember… things don’t only go bump in the night!
The true history of the Blair Street Underground Vaults is terrifying enough – so abandon thoughts of manufactured frights and make-believe. The skill is in the storytelling: these vaults witnessed the deeds of mischief-makers and murderers, vagrants, and torturers. It’s one of Edinburgh’s most haunted sites, where restless spirits still tread to this day.
Underground vaults
Follow your cloaked Mercat Tours storyteller through the shadowy closes of Edinburgh’s Old Town. These dark and dreary streets are untouched by daylight, filled with a strange silence – their damp walls carrying only the faintest echo of the crowds on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
With the scene set, you’ll descend into the depths of the city – and listen in horror to the dark and sinister events which took place over the years. Torture. Murder. Hangings. From body snatchers to real-life characters of the city, you’ll be gripped by the true tales that lie hidden beneath Edinburgh’s streets, in the underground vaults.
Perhaps you’ll experience a cold breath on the back of your neck, or a whisper, perhaps even a flicker – then silence. It’s all the more chilling for being absolutely real: there are no tricks or jump scares on our Edinburgh ghost tours.
Please Note: To give a fully immersive experience, we'll provide a personal audio device. Your Storyteller will use a headset with microphone to ensure you hear every word in the hush of Edinburgh's haunted Old Town. Help us cut down waste and bring your own headphones/earphones if you can - it's a standard 3.5mm audio jack.
The Rutland Hotel
This upscale hotel is a 1-minute walk from shopping on Princes Street and less than 1 mile from Edinburgh's Waverley train station.
The 12 stylish, individually designed rooms come with free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs, as well as Bluetooth audio connectivity and minibars. Stays come with freshly baked muffins in the room, as well as tea and coffee. There are also 9 apartments with full kitchens available.
An elegant bar offers breakfast and light meals throughout the day. There's also a buzzy steakhouse/grill and private dining.
I am continuing my Journey. I am leaving Edinburgh and traveling to Leeds Then I will catch a train in Leeds for Padiham Lancashire. So I can finally meet my good Pen friend Gill Queenie Burke. I will be staying at the Lawrence Hotel in Padiham. And treat Gil and her husband to a proper tea in its dining room. Tea at the Lawrence.
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