For those who have followed my travels, you may remember last year’s blog posts on Scotland.  We hadn’t planned on returning so soon; however, Edinburgh is on Overseas Adventure Travel’s U.K. itinerary.  It was great getting to see this enchanting city again!

If you first travel through the Lake District of England, and then continue to Scotland like we did, you will notice some differences.  The small fields of sheep in the Lake District become larger fields of mostly cattle, and the land is flatter.  The accent is different, too.  “Carlisle” is pronounced “Car-lyle” by the English and “Ker-leel” by the Scottish.

Scotland has 1/3 the land mass but only 8% of the population of the United Kingdom.  Their population is a well-educated one, too– the most educated workforce in Europe.

Even though the country is in the United Kingdom, it still has a degree of independence, because it voluntarily joined the U.K.  They can choose what they keep independent, such as their legal system. 

Unfortunately, like in many other cities around the world, Edinburgh is experiencing an extreme housing shortage, and it is very expensive to buy or rent in the city.  A one bedroom/ one bath rental apartment south of the city will cost you 1,500 – 1,600 British pounds ($1,900 – $2,000+).  There are many Edinburgh workers that live in Glasgow and commute to Edinburgh—a 45-60 minute drive each way. 

We began our first day with a walking tour of Edinburgh’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, revisiting the places I wrote about in Scotland #1, Scotland #2, and Scotland #5.  It was a beautiful day until the clouds and drizzle moved in during the late afternoon, so I found myself shooting many of the same subjects again.  Déjà vu!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

As always on an OAT tour, we experienced a home-hosted meal, and on this itinerary we visited a home in Edinburgh.  We were hosted by a lovely young couple, Ashley and Ian, and Ian’s father, Ross, a cool guy who shared our taste in music.  The dinner was at Ross’s home, but Ashley and Ian did the cooking.  They are working towards growing their catering business to eventually opening a vegan restaurant, so they tried out some recipes on us.  I especially enjoyed the dessert—chocolate mousse made with 350 grams (12 ounces) of silken tofu, 150 grams (5.3 ounces) of dark chocolate, and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup.  Whip it up in a food processor and chill!  How easy is that?

Coming up next: UNITED KINGDOM #8: ROSSLYN CHAPEL