Chapter 5
We made our way back out of the picturesque Princes Street Gardens, up to the top of the mound and back onto The Royal Mile and High Street. We strolled together eastbound for a jaunt down The Old Town's hidden volcanic peak, passing the magnificently gothic and gloomy St. Giles Cathedral, the famous, underground, Old Town, ghost tour—Mary King's Close, the Parliament Square, and the Hunter's Square where the majority of the other, lesser-known ghost tours were advertised.
We strolled past John Knox's house, the harsh humanitarian preacher, misogynist, and sometimes-inspirational leader of protestant reformation in Scotland. The Storytelling Museum and Museum of Childhood came next and then, a little further down, we reached The Canongate end of The Mile. The People's Story Museum, The History of Edinburgh Museum, and the quirky, gothic-looking Tollbooth with its grim yet elegant fairy-tale-looking clock tower, the old Gatehouse and the beginning of a huge wall that surrounded the old town, allowing the city to keep track of peasants, travellers, and tradesmen going to and from the city a few centuries ago.
Finally, we reached the bottom of The Mile where the Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament Buildings were both firmly and respectively rooted, with their breath-taking views of the Salisbury Crags and the largest of Edinburgh's two extinct volcanoes, Arthur’s Seat.
Here, I showed Alex around the outside of the new, odd-looking, parliament building, with its unique and quirky, grey design covered in strangely-shaped windows, hundreds of bamboo sticks, and peculiar, large, black imprints resembling magnum guns plastered all over its walls. Was this in celebration of Edinburgh's favourite son, Mr. Sean Connery, the first and greatest James Bond ever? I wondered with a sly grin.
Without getting too close, Alex couldn't figure out what the hell the building actually was. Of course, I found this absolutely hilarious. Slowly, she approached the large bamboo-framed front doors and windows—or were they oak made to imitate bamboo—touching them and caressing them just to make sure they were real. She handed me her camera and I took a picture.
“I like what they've done with the bamboo here on the window,” she stated.
I had a little chuckle to myself before answering.
“You do. Well, you'd be the first person in Edinburgh to admit that. And if it was bamboo, then I don't think it would be too hard to track down the Pandas if they ever escaped the Edinburgh Zoo.”
Alex giggled at that.
“The wood is actually Oak, not bamboo, though.”
“It is quite different, really. Kind of unique. So what is this place, anyhow? A museum?”
“You tell me,” I replied smiling.
Alex stepped backwards to the direction of the park area and the small manmade, artistic ponds to gain a better look at the apparently bizarre building that resembled a jigsaw puzzle. She seemed to be considering it very hard.
“Well, from the other side, as we came down The Mile with all the security gates, high fences, and stone designs, it reminded me of a prison if not a somewhat-stylish prison,” she paused, still deep in thought. “But then with all these wood strips, maybe an embassy of some kind? The Chinese Embassy, perhaps.”
I snickered. If only our First Minister could hear this girl.
“The Chinese Embassy you say, huh?”
“So what is it, then? A council building? A posh apartment block?”
“It's our parliament building. Home of the Scottish government.”
Alex turned to me in utter shock. “No, really? No.”
“Really.”
“No. But it looks so... It looks like...”
Alex struggled to finish that sentence and gracefully shook her head.
“Such a mess. No, I cannot believe it. I just cannot. What is all the wood for? What does all this have to do with your country?”
“Believe it or not, it actually looks much better from up above. The main buildings here are supposed to look like leaves from the sky from this end and then a long stem running into the ground at the other. Apparently, it's to show Scotland's roots with the land and nature. The roofs were designed to resemble upturned fishing boats or something creative like that. So, there you go. A prison, ha.”
Alex just gave me a very confused stare and all I could do was shrug my shoulders apologetically. I had no clue what kind of drugs the politicians and the designers were on when they first gave birth to the blueprint of this new parliament building. But I felt a little cheated that I was never offered any.
I turned towards the bottom of The Mile and began backing away from Alex. The sun was getting low and I really wanted to take her up to my most favourite place in all of Edinburgh and Scotland—the world even, and try to catch the sunset at the very top of Calton Hill. It was one place I could never get tired of walking up or around, regardless of the weather or time of day.
Sure, walking up to the very top of Arthur’s Seat was astonishing enough with its stunning views of most of Central and East Scotland, the Borders, Fife, and the North Sea. But for me, the views from way up there were just too impersonal and not solely about Edinburgh.
You could have the same view from taking a walk up Blackford Hill or the Pentlands and, from that south-easterly angle of Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh looked kind of flat and, heaven forbid, average. Even the castle wasn't as splendid from up there, that you would be unable to get a real glimpse and sense of the proper Edinburgh. But from the north-easterly views of the shallower Calton Hill, one can glance south and westward to see the picturesque and dramatic Edinburgh Old Town in all its awe-inspiring, gothic, hilly, and historical glory. The more up close and personal views, of the hauntingly-beautiful Old Town, from atop Calton Hill are just so magical and wondrous, they are a sight beyond belief. And I would challenge anyone feeling a bit blue, or looking for that little touch of inspiration in life, to take a walk up and around this majestic hill right at the heart of Edinburgh's City Centre—and in any kind of weather too, which will usually be a windy rain storm even in the peak of summer.
Then just kick back, relax and enjoy those brilliant views of our glorious castle, Princes Street Gardens, the bridges, the arresting and spectacular volcanic Munroe Arthur's Seat, The River Forth, the Greek-influenced national monument on the very top centre of the hill, which is where Edinburgh gets her nickname 'Athens of the North,' and, of course, the view of the fabulously-Gothic monument of Sir Walter Scott, Scotland's greatest and most-famous writer to date.
“Let's go somewhere else,” I said insistently.
Alex pried her eyes away from the parliament building, its odd and unique designs slowly beginning to grow on her. “Where? This is actually a really nice, inspiring area.”
Jokingly, I pointed all the way over and up towards the very top of the massive, volcanic, rocky Munroe.
“Up there. To Arthur's Seat.”
“Are you crazy? You are really having a joke, no? I mean, in these shoes?”
I laughed and continued walking backwards, away from Alex and away from the parliament building and Arthur’s Seat. Alex reluctantly began to follow me, glancing back at the view every few seconds.
“What was the name of that great hill you just mentioned, again?”
“Arthur's Seat.”
Alex finally caught up to me and we made our way across the bottom of The Mile, crossing over to Calton Road, Calton Cemetery, and Calton Hill.
“Why do you call it such a name?”
“I think it has something to do with a legendary connection between Edinburgh and King Arthur from Roman times. But nobody really knows for sure.”
Alex looked a bit surprised. “Nobody knows how the hill got its name?”
“Gives it a bit of mystery and intrigue, don't you think?”
Alex unleashed an expression of disappointment.
“So have you been to a place called Calton Hill yet, since you arrived?”
“No, I have never even heard of this place.”
“You'll love it. Trust me.”
“Where is it?”
“Not too far from here actually. It's kind of like a magical, hidden, little hill right in the middle of Edinburgh with some of the most stunning views you'll ever see. I'd pretty much say it's one of my favourite places to visit, anywhere in the world to tell you the truth.”
“Wow. Well, with a build up like that, it sounds exactly like I place I'd really love to see.”