London - Scotland Trip Day 5

Thursday September 6, 2012 – Edinburgh, Scotland

Pep and Fodder Cafe

Woke at 7 AM and had breakfast at the "Pep and Fodder" cafe near the hotel. Had a “bap” called “I love Scotland” which was a bun with ham, sausage, and egg with HP sauce. Went to the Tourist Info place and got maps and some Scotland souvenirs.

Our Rental Car

Checked out of hotel and picked up our car rental at Waverley train station, Platform 4 EuropCar. Waverley train station was under construction and very difficult to get around. Elevator wasn’t working and had to haul our luggage down several flights of stairs. Luckily two nice lads saw us and helped Carol carry hers downstairs. Spent some time becoming familiar with the car (VW Golf) and checking and documenting damage. Car had multiple scuffs, scratches and dings which were all written on our contract. 

Drove through Edinburgh with great trepidation and headed to Stirling to see the castle.  Found a parking spot in downtown Stirling just below castle. Got to castle around 1:30 PM in time for the 2 PM guided tour. 

Stirling Castle was very cool and included a moat, cannons, huge doors, and a fancy palace. Got a nice description of how they are recreating tapestry’s that were thought to have existed in the castle when King James VI lived there (father of Queen Mary). 

Carol and I both felt Stirling Castle was less touristy and more authentic than Edinburgh Castle.

Holy Rude Church Cemetery

Checked out the Church of the Holy Rude cemetery (Google Street View). Not sure why, but Carol and I have always been facinated by cemeteries. Especially old ones with big headstones and monuments. 

Debated on whether to go visit the National Wallace Monument which was visible on the horizon from Stirling Castle. It was getting late so we decided to leave that for another day. Left Stirling at about 5 pm. Tried making reservations at the Travelodge in Dundee but all 3 were full. So, tried for Perth which had rooms, but both of our credit cards were rejected! 

Drove to Travelodge in Stirling and were able to get a room without a problem using our credit card. Hope credit card problem doesn’t continue! Room rate was £53 but would have been £5 less if we booked online or by phone. Room had an “off” odor like sour dish cloth. So, asked for a different room. Guy at front desk said they had taken the room next to ours “off-line” because of a “plumbing” problem. Luckily, they had another room, and the guy was nice. Had a Burger King whopper for dinner (hadn’t had one of those in ages…).