Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh Street Walk and School of Divinity

View of Edinburgh on any day, stairs and more stairs The other city that I've visited that looked like this was Dubrovnik Croatia, but I was only there for a short visit and didn't have to climb all those stairs! Above my husband about to make his way up to probably the Royal Miles. 

Above a lovely simple heart on the ground of Royal Mile near St Giles' called the Heart of Midlothian. You can read more about it here. People used to spit on it for good luck in the olden days! So thankful that spitting is no longer a thing here!

Red wall angel below someone's window, dated 1892. You could also try to read the text found on each side it. Let me know if you figure out what they mean. Man, I took so many photos of small details of the city of Edinburgh, it's just so many to see. I guess that this is what people who visit Georgetown Penang felt like when they see all the old buildings there, with they small details here and there. I once met a Canadian teacher who was solo visiting and she just spend days taking photos of all the details. Now I get it. 

I finally found the statue of Hume! I am a fan of his. 

 

There are also shops here that has the royal seal of approval. I believe these are shops that are allowed to supply their products to the royal family? I've known about them, but I think this is the first time I see a sign endorsing a shop here. 

On our way back this time, we saw the gates of the School of Divinity was opened, so this time, we actually walked inside to take a look around. I think the name of the school was what caught my attention. 

Sunsetting inside the school's courtyard. 

Here is a clearer photo of the courtyard. I love the two towers besides the stairs leading up to the two doors. The whole thing just looked so storybook-like! I think it's so cool to have a school like that. None of my school or university look like this. 

I am not sure if you can see the wordings on top of the light brown door/window? It says "Let There Be Light".  Absolutely divine!

There is also a statue of things guy at the courtyard. Damn, it's John Knox again. He is EVERYWHERE in Edinburgh!

Ok, signing off this post with another fairy tale of Edinburgh Castle and cherry blossom! 

I love you Edinburgh!

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland (7/7)

 

I saved the best for last on what I saw at the National Museum of Scotland! (Ok, I lied, the best for me was actually the viking grave and witches, lol). Anyway, here is a post about ancient creates in Scotland, or at least, their skeleton remains. But first, above an example of Jurassic Sea Life in Scotland, and I think that big creature there could be Nessie, right? I've visited Loch Ness before from Fort Augustus , but I've not seen Nessie before. I hope that is about to change when I visit the Loch Ness Centre on my next trip! 

There was a hall at the ground floor of the museum in one of the wings that have just skeletons of gigantic animals! They have them whether on land or see! So I am guessing what is shown here is probably a big gigantic aqua creature! Perhaps a whale? 

They have these huge skeleton that looked like a deer with antlers. They looked so magnificent. It's something I've never seen before so I thought it was pretty cool. Perhaps they are reindeers?

Here is another skeleton example. Could this be a moose? Oh man, at times like this I wish I've taken more info sign of objects I'm interested :P

Jaws! Of some animals which I have no idea what. Dinosaurs? Or maybe just a crocodile. Who knows! 

Ok, this one here is a dinosaur! It looked kinda similar to the one in Manchester Museum, but somehow I like the one in Manchester Museum better. Maybe cause there were less people in the museum there and so it's like you get the dinosaur all to yourself. Also, I was a lot more clear headed when I visit that museum even though I just got off a redeye flight. For the Scotland Museum, I was kinda fatigue from a whole day of walking, as well as information overload at the basement of this super huge museum. 

Selfie with the dinosaur!

They have modern gigantic sea creature hanging around too, so here is a selfie of me with the great white shark and some giant sotong behind! Lol. 

My a selfie with just the skull of the dinosaur and my fearful eye! Lol. That is all for my post on the National Museum of Scotland! I can't believe there are SEVEN parts to a museum that I didn't even plan to visit! I highly recommend you do go visit, and if you don't have time, just visit the Kingdom of Scots will do, that alone was mind-blowing, especially the collection of old artefacts that they have at the basement. Totally worth it!

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland (6/7)

This post is about cool portrait and pendent I saw at the museum. Above is King James VI. He looked so young, so apparently he is the boy king. While trying to confirm that the photo really is of him, I had to google it, and you can read more about him and more history of Scotland here. But for some reason, I kept thinking this is the painting of Bonnie Prince Charles. I am rather conflicted of the portrait of him in the series Outlander after hearing so much of him though....  

Again, another beautiful piece of jewelries that looked fit for the royalties. 

To be honest, I can't confirm whether the above info is co-related to the jewelry photo before it. I am thinking it is if you read the description. Hopefully it wasn't referring to a different jewelry! That would be so embarrassing for me!

There was a section in the museum where all these lovely pins and brooches were being displayed, and I was quite taken by them. Especially on the fine workmanship of each pieces, as well as many that consist of a portrait of someone's head on them. 

I mean, look at these! There are so small! A pendent, a ring. Something you could wear on your body. It's so personal, and so erm, direct. Imagine wearing a pendent or a ring with a photo of your partner on it! Lol. Isn't it a bit too much? I mean, if it's in a locker format, at least you could close it after looking at it. But these pieces, they just started at you. And I wonder who this guy is that his portrait on all these pieces!

Or is it all of different person but with the same white makeup and same style of hair wig? Lol. 

I guess they still do such jewelry pieces these days, mainly of Jesus to wear close to you at all times. I think it's nice, to wear something that is so personal to you on your body. For me, I am intrigued by words, so I wear mantra bands on my wrist. 

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland (5/7)

After the Christians found their way to Scotland, everything changes, and soon everything was about churches and such. Scotland do have some very beautiful and unique churches, and we'll see how many I can manage to visit in my next trip. For this 2025 trip, I think I only managed St Giles', not counting Kirkyard that is. But for 2026, I think I will at least see Rossyln Chapel, and the Italian Church of Orkney, and maybe a few cathedral like Glasgow Cathedral and Inverness Cathedral. We'll see how it goes! 

Here are some of the earlier example of Christian artefacts. I kinda like this simple Jesus figurine hanging at the cross here. It kinda looked very simplistic  and minimalistic. I think I don't mind having this in my home.  

Here are some angels holding a shield? Carved into some stones. These could be part of a building or memorial or even tombstones. I like angels too! 

A priest/monk carrying a cross? I'm pretty sure that is not a cross, right? Now I bet you wish I read the description of the figurine or took a photo of it. Sorry! Sometimes, I just like to take photo of the item as they just seems to be such a nice piece of art, even if they might be religious in nature. I think one can always be able to appreciate an object of beauty regardless of what it is associated with, right?

More Christian related items. 

Here is another of Jesus that looks like a carving on a stone slab. This one looked so primitive, perhaps even before medieval times, is that even possible? Yup, checked on Google and Jesus pre-dated before medieval times!

I guess with Christianity came the printing press machine? Isn't why the religion spread so fast and wide, because of the printing of the bible? But at this section of the exhibition, I was more interested in the books on displayed. I love old books. Fun fact, I once volunteered as a distributed proof reader of old text. I did that for a month while working (can't remember which company), because I was so bored at work with nothing much to do I might as well contribute to society is some small ways!. So I would translate old text to readable everyday English of today. Ha! I've contributed to the literature field after all!

Beautiful old books. 

See, I told you they were mostly religious in nature!

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland (4/7)

Coming along now to some of my favourite topics I found at the museum. To be frank, I did not do much researched on what to see in the National Museum of Scotland. I just new I wanted to see the Lewis Chessmen, and probably anything on witches if they have such things in the museum, lol. I am happy to report, that I got more than what I expected! I got pagan religion, and even viking burials in the museum! I am slowly learning about vikings and Celtic religion and their connections with Scotland. Above photo shows one of those ancient burial site example. 

I like the ending of this info sign, "We are silent, all taking done.". 

Above more info signs for you to read. I will be headed to Orkney in my next trip to Scotland 2026. Why Orkney? Well, actually it was the only local tour I could select for the start of summer as other places are still considered too cold to have tours. I've already been to the Isle of Skye (more of that coming up real soon), and for some reason, I thought about the backpack brand Osprey and mistook it for Orkney, lol. It was just a wild decision to go. I mean, I didn't know why I wanted to visit Skye either, it was just something inside that says I need to go. And so I will! And I hope to see a lot of standing stones and viking remains there!

Next, old religion. Yeah, at first I thought this was also a grave, but after reading the info sign below, it is actually of a Goddess! So go ahead, take another look. And now you can see the resemblance? Scotland is such a mysterious countries and I just can't get enough of it!

 

Next to follow? One of my favourite topic, witches and witchcraft. Unfortunately, it's more on the reality of what took placed during the witch hunt more than anything else. 

Info page for your reading pleasure. Do zoom in if it's too small to read.

Seen here above are tortured devices used on witches, probably to get a confession from them? Or perhaps to detain them. It's amazing how much evil power women used to posses in the past!

More reading for you on the witch hunt. 

And more torture devices....  All the above are but a glimpse of witch history in Scotland. More witches were killed in Scotland than in Salem in America, yet we don't really hear much of the witches of Scotland. So one of the souvenir I got myself for my trip, was a huge book on the Occult, Witches and Magic  :)  Not just on Scotland, but on the topic as a whole :)