A WEE dream trip
After sharing with my friend, Manette, that I was traveling to Scotland in the Spring, she mentioned that she might like to go with me. Well, that happened! And We Wee Lasses set off for 12 days of adventure and some real Scottish Country Cardio®.
First Stop: Edinburgh. We stayed in Stockbridge … just enough out of the way to find peace and beauty and yet still be in the energy of the city.
Look at this beauty seen from my window in the garden below.
Stockbridge White Cat
Our first day of exploring began nearby. You will see my custom designed Poppies Tote a lot during this trip and come to know it as, There’s That Bag Again!
April 30 The Walkway of the Water of Leith, Part 1
April 20 The Walkway of the Water of Leith, Part 2
After The Walkway of the Water of Leith, we continued our itinerary through the city. The Beltane Fire Festival, held on Calton Hill, is a re-imagining of an Iron Age Celtic ritual celebrating Spring (May Day). We’d hoped to catch the revelers as they made their way up to the bonfire, but in Scotland, it’s still light at 9PM and We Wee Lasses were way too tired after our still jet-lagged, but very full day. We could hear the drums though!
Of Note: Photos weren’t allowed when inside The Honours and The War Memorial. The crown jewels were beautiful though, and the War Memorial proved to be a solemn display in homage to those lost in battle. The Stone of Destiny has been moved to a permanent display at the Perth Museum.
April 30 Around Edinburgh
Day 2 was reserved for Edinburgh Castle and some select spots afterwards. You’ll want to watch the entire video to see The One O’Clock Gun. It was perfect weather for being at a Scottish castle - chilly and foggy!
May 1 Edinburgh Castle
Come Back for more videos from Edinburgh. At this rate, you and I will be in Scotland for at least 1 year! But just wait until you see the beauty of the Borders, The Highlands, Skye, Loch Ness, Nairn … and the stops and castles in between!
May 1 Bagpiper Chat @ The ensign ewart
Outside the Edinburgh Castle, dubbed, “The Royal Mile,” you’ll come upon The Ensign Ewart. The pub, first established in 1690, pays homage to the Sergeant who served in the Royal North Dragoons, also known as the Scots Greys. During the Battle of Waterloo, Charles Ewart seized the standard (one of two regimental eagles) from the French 45e Regimen of the Line. The eagle can be seen in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum in Edinburgh Castle’s New Barracks. We had no access when we were there, but in The Great Hall, you may recall from a the previous video, that Richard Ansdell’s painting depicting Ewart’s moment of glory is featured high above the hall’s main concourse.
The Great Hall Edinburgh Castle
Painting by Richard Ansdell 1815 - 1885 depicting Ensign Ewart’s capture of one of the French eagle standards.
Ewart’s Eagle
If you look around, the eagle symbol is frequently used in Scotland. This image was taken by Kim Traynor. (Wikimedia Commons link on Image | Attribution in Alt Text)
The eagle’s capture regaled Ewart as a hero and elevated the object as a most prized honor of the Scots Greys. The legend of eagle and man was born. To commemorate this, the eagle appears on the cap badges of the Scots Greys. The Birdcatchers, became a fitting and favorite nickname used by the British Army.
Although Ewart was buried in Salford in 1846, his body was reburied by the Royal Scots Greys on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in 1938, where a stone monument now stands.
Royal Scots Dragoons Cap Badge
Link on Image to Learn More
I wanted to visit The Ensign Ewart specifically to see its stained glass. The panel in particular, seen in this video, stands beautifully through time! Once inside, it was impossible not to miss this gentleman in full dress.
Let’s meet Iver! He regales us with tips on driving in Scotland, some history of Highlander regiments and their spirit, and humorously clears up the pronunciation variants of the word, Gaelic. You’ll hear my friend, Manette, leading with questions in the background. All bagpipe music was recorded live!
And here’s a blurb taken from The Ensign Ewart’s FB Page:
Taking inspiration from the old stained glass front door which now hangs on the wall in the pub, we have created Stained Glass Spirits. Our first bottling is a gorgeous 10 Year Old from Linkwood Distillery. A single first fill bourbon barrel, bottled at natural cask strength of 57.1%.
The label takes inspiration from the golden eagle standard that Charles Ewart captured from the French at Waterloo, seen here battling a swan (what else). The first 5 people to comment below correctly guessing the significance of the swan will get a dram on us.