Scotland 2018: Day 3

By our third day in Scotland, we were mostly over our jet lag, so we packed our day full of activities. Our first stop was the National Museum of Scotland, As with nearly everything in Edinburgh, it was an easy walk from our flat. 

Cow building on the Cowgate

We couldn't resist a photo at Kincaid's Court for our Kinkaid alum and future Kinkaidian (the current Kinkaidian refused to be photographed!)

The National Museum of Scotland is enormous and we could have spent all day exploring. Ironically, we couldn't find a map in English, so we grabbed the French one instead, and Will and I translated. Our first stop was to find Dolly the sheep.  

Henry tried out a race car. Turns out it's harder than Mario Cart!

We also really wanted to find the Lewis chessmen. These chess pieces from the late 12th century were discovered on the Isle of Lewis in 1831. They are absolutely incredible and of course, we managed to come home with a replica set.

Rooftop Terrace

Astronaut Henry

After lunch at the museum, we visited a local bookstore because even though the boys had brought about 15 books between them, it was somehow not enough and they needed more (even on day 3!). We enjoyed some downtime at the flat before hitting two museums that were literally around the corner from our house. The Museum of Childhood provided an interesting look at childhood. Henry and I especially enjoyed the exhibit on the importance of play in learning.

This temporary exhibit about growing up with books was perfect for my oldest bookworm.

We also visited the John Knox house, but took no photos. The ice cream we ate afterward was documented, though!

Our final outing was a tour of Mary King's Close, which was a fascinating look at seventeenth-century Edinburgh. When the Royal Exchange building was built in the eighteenth century, this close (a narrow street with towering tenements) and three others were sealed off and covered up. Today, the public is allowed in on tours that take you through 17th-century streets and houses. We are so glad we took the tour!

After visiting three museums, a bookstore, and Mary King's Close, Will and I were done exploring, but Gene and Henry had one last outing in them. They visited the Warhammer store on the Royal Mile and came away with a new hobby. Warhammer is a tabletop war game that requires assembly and the painting of figurines and a massive book full of instructions and back story. I'm not sure we really needed another hobby, but the boys are beyond excited about it and I'm sure they'll have fun. 

And that's a wrap for Edinburgh!