Edinburgh: Aug 30, 2025

 

I visited Edinburgh for the first time in about 30 years. While walking through this historic town, I felt a variety of emotions, including Scottish culture, its relationship with other parts of the UK (such as England) as well as with Europe, and the impact of changes in the global situation.

 

I first visited Edinburgh Castle, which locates in the center of the city. It stands on a huge rock. Since the construction in the 6th century, it has served as the residence of Scottish kings and has been the site of many historical events. (See also the top photo)

 

Edinburgh holds an international festival every August, and a military parade called the Military Tattoo is held in the square in front of the castle. This year's event had just finished on the day of my visit, and work was underway to remove the audience seats.

 

I walked down the hill a little southward from the castle and arrives at a square called Grassmarket. It is home to elegant restaurants and shops, but it was used as an execution site in the past. When I looked up the castle from this point, I reconfirmed that the castle stood on a huge rock.

I walked the Royal Mile, which extends about 1.6 kilometers east from Edinburgh Castle.

The Royal Mile is lined with historic churches, monuments, museums, souvenir shops, restaurants, and more.

 

St. Giles' Cathedral is a famous church of Church of Scotland. It played an important role in the Protestant Reformation in Edinburgh.

A statue of Adam Smith stands in front of the church.

 

Bagpipe organ players stood at various points along the street, playing Scottish music. Many tourists gathered to listen.

 

Old telephone booths remain along the street, forming part of the scenery.

 

At the eastern end of the Royal Mile is Holyrood Palace, where the British monarch stays when visiting Scotland.

 

There is the Scottish Parliament in this area. Scotland's position within the UK has been changing throughout history. England and Scotland became a personal union under the same king in 1603, and became one country (Great Britain) in 1707 through the Act of Union. However, there have been persistent movements for independence in Scotland. (See also the 2nd photo)

A referendum on Scottish independence was held in 2014 and rejected, but about 45% of voters supported independence. In the 2016 referendum on the UK's departure from the EU, withdrawal was supported by a narrow margin nationally, but a significant majority in Scotland (62%) supported remaining in the EU. The movement for independence continues to this day.

In front of the Scottish Parliament, EU and Ukrainian flags were flying alongside British and Scottish flags. The scene reminded me of the challenges which Scotland faces: its relationship with the UK and EU, and its support for Ukraine.

There is a hill called Carlton Hill to the north of Holyrood Palace. The view of Edinburgh Castle and the city was impressive.

 

The New Town spreads in the north, across the railway tracks from the Royal Mile. It was developed after the 18th century. I found histrical buildings as well as new shops and public offices.