Edinburgh the second

Plenty of Royal Mileage today.

Edinburgh Castle. Inside I saw the Stone of Destiny. I love Stones of Somethings and Somethings of Destiny, so it was an incredible opportunity.

Castle in relation to the city. It's like a sci-fi story where history starts to merge into a single point in time. Then the world ends or something.

View from the battery, with Calton Hill far left.

Aslan's all like, "What do you mean, no jam? I'll tell you where you can stick your marmalade".

Christmas tree in the castle's Great Hall. That woodwork though. Delicious.

Down at the other end of the Royal Mile, the Scottish Parliament building.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, Batman! This is the Queen's Scottish bach.

I quadranged like a monarch.

Narrow winding steps up to Mary Queen of Scots' bedchamber, wherein was a plaque stating "Here lay the body of David Rizzio after his murder in 1566", one of the best things I've ever seen at a historic attraction.

Holyrood Abbey, from the inside and from the gardens.

Old Calton Burial Ground, apparently. I chanced upon it through a door in a wall while heading up Calton Hill.

Robert Burns Monument.

Dramatic monument is dramatic. Although formerly it was known as "Scotland's Disgrace" as this is as far as they got with what was supposed to be a complete replica of the Parthenon.

View back to the castle from Calton Hill. Hopefully not within range of cannon from earlier.

Christmas tree of the day.

And just in case I hadn't stood around gaping in amazement enough today, the Street of Light, a light show set to Christmas music on the Royal Mile. So amazing that I used my phone's video function for perhaps the first time ever:

Finally, Ann, if you're reading this: it happened. I am in the presence of The Headboard. It's more glorious than the human brain can comprehend.