On Sunday we walked along the High Street known as the Royal Mile, which follows one of the ridge tops. We poked around some of the alley-ways off the Royal Mile, which are called closes, and found quiet little gardens and passageways. We had coffee in a nice little shop about a block off High Street, which gave us the ambition for what came next.

The mouth of an extinct volcano rises from the eastern end of the Royal Mile, creating a bit of Scottish highlands in the heart of the city. We hiked along the side facing the city, called the Salisbury Crags, where we took in high panoramic views.

Unfortunately, it was a grey and misty day, so our photos aren’t as bright and sharp as we’d have liked. Next time we come here (and there WILL be a next time), we’ll climb Arthur’s seat, the high point on the other side of the volcano, rising over 700 feet above the rest of the city.

Even though it’s a city of several hundred thousand people, Edinburgh had the friendliness of a small town. Everywhere we turned, people were striking up conversations. Everyone was quite cheerful, and we encountered very little rudeness whatsoever. The friendliness of the people and the sheer beauty of the cityscapes make Edinburgh a place we will definitely have to come back to.