After some schedule confusion at the beginning of the second week (everything got cleared up), my first visitor from Germany arrived - my dear Julia! It was very exciting for me because I didn't know much myself, but it was also very nice. Together we further explored Edinburgh, took a day trip and climbed Arthur's Seat.
On the Royal Mile (Old Town) On Saturday, we made our way to St. Andrews. The little town is located about 2 hours north of Edinburgh on the east coast of Scotland, right by the sea. It is named after the patron saint Saint Andrew. Here, you can find the oldest golf course, as the sport is said to have been invented in Scotland, as well as the oldest university in Scotland. Julia and I walked down the cute shopping street towards the coast and arrived at the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral. We two 'culture vultures' were surprised that it was a ruin, but found it even more interesting. The weather was very un-Scottish, meaning the sun was shining, and so we continued walking along the coast to the castle ruins. There, we had a picnic on the beach and watched as the Scots enjoyed the sunshine in their bikinis and swimsuits (we were wearing jackets at around 15 degrees). However, there was only one dog in the water. St. Andrews is truly a picturesque little town and was a wonderful first excursion that increased my enthusiasm for Scotland even more.Ruins of the cathedral View of the castle ruins
On the shopping street
On Sunday, together with some new friends of mine, we climbed Arthur's Seat. A relatively small mountain very close, still in Edinburgh. The ascent was more exhausting than I expected. First, it went up quite steeply, then down again, and then up again on a kind of 'wild' staircase. It also became quite windy. But the wind also blew the gray clouds aside a bit, so we had a great view of the city. So the effort was worth it! The way back led us through a small village and finally back to Edinburgh.
First part of the ascentView of the cityFinally at the top!On the way back
It was great to have a visitor here and to do such beautiful things together. And once again, we were very lucky with the weather!