Ireland, UK 2017: 5/17 Day 15 - Edinburgh

Literary inspiration: The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

Today required no driving! Just a whole day of walking around, touring Edinburgh.

Bobby was a dog that belonged to John Gray, who worked for the Edinburgh City Police as a nightwatchman. When John Gray died he was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk. Bobby is said to have sat by the grave for 14 years.

We toured The Real Mary King's Close...an underground created when government buildings needed to be built on top of the street named Mary King's Close. Pictures are not allowed during that tour, but I did take a picture of the bathroom hallway before the tour began.

















We enjoyed tea in the Signet Library.

I also needed to go on a Diana Gabaldon hunt--looking for the places in Edinburgh mentioned in book 3 of the Outlander series: Vogyager. As I share the relevant pictures, I've provided the quote from the book. 

"The coach debouched into a yard at the back of Boyd’s Whitehorse tavern, near the foot of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh."
~Diana Gabaldon, Voyager 

"I took a deep breath, pushed back my hair, and marched into the shadows of Carfax Close. It was a longish, winding close, and the printshop was at the foot. There were thriving businesses and tenements on either side, but I had no attention to spare for anything beyond the neat white sign that hung by the door.… A. MALCOLM PRINTER AND BOOKSELLER” ~Diana Gabaldon, Voyager 

"'Come on, then,' I said, as the bell in the Canongate Kirk began to ring. 'it's just on two now.'"

~Diana Gabaldon, Voyager 

:

"Moubray's tavern was doing a thriving dinner business. Several cuts above the snug, smoky atmosphere to be found in The World's End and similar serious drinking establishments, Moubray's was a large and elegant place, with an outside stair that ran up to the second floor, where a commodious dining room accommodated the appetities of Edinburgh's prosperous tradesmen and public officials."
~Diana Gabaldon, Voyager

It wasn't all about Diana Gabaldon's books. Sometimes it was about J.K. Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter books from this establishment.

And statues of famous Scottish people, like the economist Adam Smith.















That evening, we met a self-professed "fan boy" of Jeff's, Alberto. He had arranged for Jeff to present a photography workshop at the Edinburgh Photographic Society.