Edinburgh

Just as it had been amazing to wake up in Oban to grey skies and rain after a perfect sunset and clear night skies the day before, so was it incredible and marvelous to wake this morning to sun and blue skies after the torrential downpours last night. The road leading to the Royal Mile had become a fast flowing stream as we had ventured out for a walk before dinner and Guni and I were drenched. 

The rather  uncomfortable night's sleep on a bed with what must be an ancient mattress with springs sticking into me whichever way I lay, along with what seemed sub tropical temperatures in the room, and a very busy and noisy road outside, were soon forgotten once we saw what gorgeous weather we had!

As we had visited the Castle, Gardens, Royal Mile , Calton Hill last year, we opted for something completely different and surprisingly very little advertised, Queensferry. I was particularly keen to see the bridges from sea level and close up. We had seen them last year when they were putting the finishing touches to what I would consider one of the most beautiful man- made structures in the world and certainly yet another engineering masterpiece crossing theFirth of Forth, the Queensferry Crossing.

Starting the journey in a double decker bus was perfect. What a fantastic view we had of the Castle , and a totally different perspective  of the city and its buildings, and what an adventure as you race down narrow lanes with huge overhanging branches whipping the roof and crashing into the sides of the bus. When you are in the front seats on the top floor, you do feel somewhat vulnerable and hope like hell that the shatter- proof windscreen will hold out against the constant barrage. 

The gorgeous wee historic village of Dalmeny, Queensferry, is really worth a visit and I really would love to go back there and stay a couple of nights next year. Perhaps it would lose some of its charm if it were pouring or horrendously windy, which is apparently more common than the bright and sunny day we had, but the fabulous old pubs and cafes would still be there to welcome you in. 

You and your dog!

The first views over The Firth of Forth from the little harbour area were truly breathtaking. Imagine looking at 3 unbelievably beautiful bridges, all engineering marvels in their own right, and each built in a different century. I wonder if there is anywhere in the world which can boast such an achievement. 

The little cobbled street through the village is truly charming, with colourful shops and cottages on each side, some dating back to the 16 th century

and all along, the magnificent views towards one or all of the bridges. I particularly loved this view with the very unusual fence in the foreground, starkly contrasting with the colour and shape of the rail bridge. 

As we neared the rail bridge we were once again treated to a perfect 180 degree panorama of these fabulous bridges..

So, of course with such weather, scenery and such feats of engineering staring us in the face, we took a cruise out to Inchcolm Island to get a better look at this spectacular area.

First up is definitely my favourite of the three bridges, the iconic Forth Rail Bridge, which apparently took 7 years to build and was opened in 1890. It was most certainly incredible Victorian engineering and deserves its Workd Heritage status. It is a very well used bridge, with dozens of trains, regional and national, rumbling, sometimes clattering their way across it.

En route to The island there was a great commentary and it was just as well that our attention was drawn to a buoy beside the boat, as we would never otherwise have spotted the four seals perched on each side of it.

Sadly I did not get a good picture of them, but they did look quite comical - at first we did not actually think they were real!

On the island, the abbey ruins , dating back to the early twelfth century, looked really magnificent in such lovely surroundings and with such a range of grey and silver clouds interspersed with clear blue sky. We were tempted to get off and walk around the island, but opted for more time in Queensferry. I am pleased we did.  (In the photo more seals on the rocks in the foreground, and in the sea.)

There were quite a number of rocky outcrops, all with their seal colonies. This one below had lots of young seals, basking in the sun - probably a bit of a rarity for them!

Yes, the Rail Bridge is my personal favourite, but the new Queensferry Crossing which has just opened , can only be described using a very long list of superlatives. We were given lots of fascinating  information about this absolutely gorgeous structure, which had to be built because the Forth Road Bridge, only opened in 1964, could neither cope with the volume of traffic and nor the strong winds. It was frequently closed because the wind gusts were too dangerous and this of course caused huge inconvenience,  traffic delays and diversions. This new bridge should not have any of the issues its predecessor had ( one would hope!) What a spectacular sight it was. It is so massive and yet looks so delicate.

And here the three beauties, side by side. I remember how excited everyone was about the Forth Bridge when I was working in Edinburgh in 1970. At that time it was only 6 years old. How sad to think that in less than a human lifetime it is no longer able to be used as was intended. It will no doubt , however, become a very popular tourist attraction, as a bridge for pedestrians, bikes and public transport.

I did not think I could ever be so thrilled by bridges, but today I definitely became a big fan!

We could not think of leaving without a vist to the oldest pub, The Hawes Inn, dating from 1693 and still retaining all its charm. Apparently it featured  in Robert Louis Stevenson's book Kidnapped.

It was very cosy , with lots of nooks and crannies, some of the original wooden beams and some grand old fireplaces. It must be even more amazing in winter.

What an incredible old newsagents with its windows packed full of sweety jars, rock and traditional but rather tacky souvenirs. It brought back some pleasant memories of childhood holidays, though.

We were pretty sad to leave what had proven be an exceptional treasure but we were keen to at least set eyes on the Britannia. Actually, we could not see much. Perhaps we should have stayed longer in Queensferry!

Must sleep now. We head off on tour tomorrow morning. Great to have Guni's company again around Scotland.