Nautica - 17th August 2013 Edinburgh

Saturday 16 August - Edinburgh

I woke very early and got dressed to go up on deck to see my first ever glimpse of the Forth Bridge as we sailed under it into Rosyth.

After breakfast (outside on the terrace) we prepared for a day in Edinburgh. There was a free shuttle bus to Inverkeithing Station so we waited on the dockside and chatted with others in order to get the first bus and ashore quickly. We bought a £5.50 return ticket from the machine and crossed over the line to the far platform almost as soon as the train arrived. It took about 25 minutes into Waverley Station. Unfortunately it was drizzly so we found a taxi to take us up to the Castle where we started our day. The queue was not too bad. The road slowly got windier and quite rough as we climbed up into the Castle Keep and joined the short queue to see the Scottish Crown Jewels.

There was lots to see and worth the entrance money overall, but the jewels were probably not worth a long wait. After working our way down again, we walked down the Royal Mile, stopping first at an old woollen mill making tartan cloth. There were loads of souvenir shops, mostly selling kilts, whisky and items with Scottie dogs on. We had a sandwich and a drink in the Festival Hub Café. Lots of Fringe entertainment happening on Market Street, and Cannon Gate etc.

Went into St Giles Cathedral where a lovely concert was in progress - piano and saxophone. Walked up to John Knox’s house. Caryll wanted to walk to Holyrood Palace but eventually we decided it was too far for my foot, especially as some demonstration was going on with hundreds of police and cordoned off roads. We got back top Waverley Station about 2.15 and then took ages to find out which platform we were supposed to be on. First told 11 (wrong), then 17, then finally 2 so managed the 2.27 train to Aberdeen via Inverkeithing. We had a short wait for the shuttle bus but the sun was now out and quite hot! On our return to the ship I quickly changed before we went up for the wonderful afternoon tea again (I cannot make a habit of this – too much food!). Back to cabin to get my coat for sailaway. This was very delayed presumably by the fierce gusting wind. A tug attached first at the bow, then moved to the stern. It took ages to slowly move the stern out and edge away from the berth before retracing our route under the two bridges.

As Nautica sailed under each bridge the captain sounded the horn three times. Then it was time to go back down for a shower and to change for dinner. Had a Cosmopolitan in Martinis with canapés, before dinner in GDR. I really was not hungry – chose salmon and mozzarella starter, salad (didn’t like dressing), and monkfish. By now I was feeling very stuffed and passed on dessert, leaving the others to go to bed as I was so tired.