Rhonda Bracey: At Random

We had a totally free last full day today, so many of us slept in. How do I know? Because instead of seeing others in the group having breakfast at 7am, it was more like 9am… even the usually early birds!

I wandered off to the National Museum of Scotland (free entry) where I was especially interested in the neolithic, Roman and Viking artefacts. This is a wonderful museum, and you could spend days there. I decided not to do the animals, natural world, or technology and inventions areas at all (almost half the museum), instead focusing on the fashion and textiles area and the early Scottish history (from prehistoric to medieval times). The Scottish section takes up almost half the museum, as it should. The other reason not to do those areas was the number of primary school groups who were there!!!

I spent nearly 4 hours at the museum. It was beautifully laid out, but the lighting was a bit dim in some areas, no doubt to preserve the integrity of fragile artefacts. The central hall was a thing of beauty with an enormous amount of light streaming in from the glass ceiling, and the support pillars were very clever in how they held the radiators (in use too) that keep the place warm. This museum is well worth a visit if you’re in Edinburgh, and you’re bound to find something there to fascinate you in all the exhibition spaces they have.

After I got back, I repacked everything for my flights tomorrow — my cab to the airport is at zero-dark-hundred, long before breakfast is served in the hotel. We have our final farewell group dinner tonight.

I’ve really enjoyed my time in Scotland, especially. The people are friendly, booze is sold EVERYWHERE and there doesn’t seem to be a restriction on who can sell it or even when (though in one supermarket, it was ‘after 10 am’), and no-one can decide if they should walk on the left or right on the footpath! (In the Tube in London, you have to walk on the right, yet most people walked on the left on the pavement – similar for Scotland). The weather has mostly been fantastic, with occasional rainy days, but equally plenty of days with full sunshine (like today). I needed my coat most of the time as the weather is getting chilly, and when the wind comes in from the North Sea and up the streets of Edinburgh, it’s bitterly cold. But there were certainly some days I could wear a t-shirt without a coat for at least part of the day. And the Scottish scenery everywhere and especially the Highlands is just gorgeous!!!

I especially liked the small-town feel of both Glasgow and Edinburgh (both around half a million residents). Yes, they are very popular tourist towns, but I never felt uneasy or threatened in either place, and unlike London, none of our tour guides warned us about ‘thieves’.

Goodbye, Scotland — it’s been lovely being here.