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EDINBURGH REVEALED Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a fantastic blend of old and new. Old Town has cobbled closes (alleyways), narrow stairways, and curving steep streets such as the Royal Mile connecting the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which lies in the shadow of Arthur's Seat, the extinct volcano, up to the incredible Edinburgh Castle, used as the royal residency for Scottish monarchs, a fortress for armies, and a prison for pirates and POWs. Nearby is St. Margaret's Chapel, the oldest surviving building dating back to the 12th century. The well-organized New Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the central area of Edinburgh, has neoclassical buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. There are Georgian townhouses, broad avenues, open squares, chain stores on Princes Street, upscale boutiques on and around George Street, chic hotel bars, and atmospheric cocktail lounges. Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens  with Edinburgh Castle in the background. Prin
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ST. ANDREWS REVEALED St. Andrews, a seaside town northeast of Edinburgh, is best known as the "Home of Golf." It is the largest European public golf complex - with seven golf courses, the most famous being the Old Course, purchased by the town council in 1894. In 1895, Thomas Hamilton, a businessman whose membership in the Royal and Ancient Golf Clubhouse was denied, built and originally opened the Grand Hotel overlooking the 18th hole. It was the first hotel in St. Andrews to have a pneumatic elevator and running hot and cold water in every room. The Hamilton Grand with a glimpse  of the Old Course in the foreground.    My first birdie on hole #1. Paul battles the brutal and noisy wind. Our fearsome foursome. Architectural highlights of our walking tour. The Cathedral ruins (above and below). Blackfriars Chapel ruins (above and below). St. Andrews Castle ruins. Clock Tower inside St. Mary's School of Divinity Quadrant.  St. Andrews Cathedral. The University of St. Andrew
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  ABERDEEN REVEALED Aberdeen, AKA the "Granite City," with its stunning, sparkling granite buildings and monuments,   has the third largest population in Scotland with notable fishing and shipping industries, a lively cultural scene, beaches, distilleries, and, of course, castles. Aberdeenshire is known as "castle country" for its more than 250 castles. We did a tour of Fyvie Castle, known for its history and ghostlore, with a fantastic tour guide who was a great storyteller. Fyvie Castle is a massive castle with an impressive interior, beautiful gardens, and landscapes owned (in order) by the Lindsays, Prestons, Meldrums, Setons, Gordons, and finally, the Leith family in 1889. It was put onto the open market in 1982 and is now owned by The National Trust for Scotland. The Weeping Stones Curse But it was the ghostlore that made this castle more thrilling and exciting.  Over 500 years ago, Thomas the Rhymer, a prophet renowned for his gloomy predictions and ill tempe
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