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I'd never heard much about Edinburgh before, but it's Scotland's main tourist city, thanks to its dramatic steeples and spires, extinct volcano peaks (the Edinburgh Castle is built atop one) and more pubs per person than anywhere in Britain, so they say.

Turns out there's quite a lot to do in Edinburgh the week I'm there.  Besides the Edinburgh Castle, there's the Queen's Jubilee concert and a neighborhood Harry Potter-theme festival.  And the Art of Star Wars exhibit coincides well with my Star Wars sub-theme. From Edinburgh's I visit Loch Ness and Braveheart's The Highlands.

Edinburgh Castle
This castle is a bit pricey (8€) but there's a lot there, including great panoramic views of the city.  After walking through the seven gates (you can see why the castle was never taken over), you can visit
Scotland's old Honors of Scotland (sceptre, sword, crown) which William Scott discovered.  Scotland doesn't need them any more since England took over, so they're on display here.  I'm more interested in the legendary Stone of Destiny, which the 12th-century Scots kings parked their butts on for their coronation ceremonies.  The legend of the Stone makes a good story (see side bar at right).  The Scottish National War Memorial honoring WWI military is impressive. The Great Hall features the banquet-hall turned armory weapons.  You can walk thru the small St. Margaret's Chapel and Royal Apartments (mediocre compared to some other castles I've seen on this trip).  There's even the Cemetery for Soldier's Dogs where the royalty and soldiers could bury their dogs.   Since you were wondering, old doggy names on the tombstones above include Major, Scamp, Tinkle, Winkle, and Sheena.

Museum of Scotland This museum displays the history of Scotland, from the native Pict tribes, to the Irish settlers, Viking invaders, British battles, and Today's Scotland.  The museum has great architecture and displays, displaying ancient Pict artifacts in modern-art people
Pict stone drawings.  When the Romans came to Scotland, the natives drew designs on stones and their bodies, so they called them Picts.	Some of the famous Lewis Chessmen, discovered on Lewis island in Northwest Scotland.  They were the inspiration for the Harry Potter chessmen.
sculptures.   The Today's Scotland floor features items which Scotland's citizens decided should describe modern life, including VCRs and hair dryers.  And best of all, it's free!

Royal Museum
This neighboring museum also has cool architecture, displays and is free.  The Museum combines cultural and natural displays.  The cool Millineum Clock chimes every hour, featuring moving pieces made out of junk machine parts.

Greyfriars Bobby
This story is such a tear-jerker:  When John Grey died, his Skye Terrier Bobby followed the casket to the graveyard.  After the casket was buried, he waited at the graveside for his master to return - for the next 14 years.  Bobby was always seen near the churchyard,
and the locals fed him and built a shelter for him.  After he died, the citizens decided to make a statue honoring Bobby's loyalty as a "lesson for us all."

Royal Mile
This section of old town stretches from Edinburgh Castle, down to the

Royal Mile features great skyline
 foothills.  It's a Royal Mile, which means it's a bit longer than any regular old mile.

Queen's Jubilee
I arrive the weekend of the Queen's Jubilee, marking Queen Elizabeth's 50 years of rule.  While there's a huge million-person star-studded festival down in London, there's a smaller but fun free concert in Edinburgh in the Greens, just below the Edinburgh castle.

Random girls ask me to take a photo, so well, I dio

I join the crowd jamming to the Scottish beats.

Art of Star Wars
Continuing the Star Wars theme, the Force is with me in Edinburgh - there's an Art of Star Wars exhibit at the City Art Center.  
Funny to see C3-PO juxtaposed with 12th century Gothic architecture skyline.

At first, I think it's actually the Myth of Star Wars exhibit I've seen in Washington D.C's Air and Space Museum five or six years ago, but I'm pleasantly surprised.  The exhibit includes Episode 1 Phantom Menace costumes, including a few of Amidala's fancy dresses (even more impressive and detailed up close) and vehicles, including Anakin's pod.  There are even some Ep 2, Attack of the Clones  models of the colosseum crab and rat monsters.  I took so many photos, you can  see more here.

View of Arthur's Seat and south Edinburgh from Edinburgh Castle.

City view from Edinburgh Castle.

Leith Festival
I take a Tourist Trail time out to live like the Leith locals (Aye, Alliteration!).  The neighborhood Leith's annual festival features a Harry Potter theme this year.  Since I'm a big believer that if you do something, it oughta have a theme (like a party, this web site, etc.), I check out the Harry Potter theme and music.

Band plays upbeat music for the families

Brass band plays.

After doing all these things in Edinburgh, it's funny I hadn't known that much about the city before.  Its PR dept. definitely needs to get in gear to catch Edinburgh up with its more famous attractions.  I sign up for a 3-day tour to see Scotland's top attractions: Loch Ness and Braveheart's The Highlands.

Legend of the Stone of Destiny (also called the Stone of Scone) came from the Holy Land where Jacob used it as a pillow.  It traveled around Spain and Egypt, ending up in Ireland where St.
Patrick supposedly blessed it.  When Ireland expanded to Scotland, the stone was used in coronation ceremonies, last used in 1292.  But then the English Ed II (Braveheart William Wallace's archrival) invaded Scotland and captured the Stone, sending it back to England, and putting it in the Coronation Throne. Centuries later in 1950, a group of four university students broke into Westminster Abbey in London, stole the stone, put it in the back of a car and drove it back to Scotland.  They dropped it, breaking it into two, but a stone mason glued it back together.  Pressured by a media hunt, the students returned the Stone, just in time for the Queen to sit on it for her coronation back in 1953, and it remained in London. 

Until John Major, looking for the Scottish vote in his election, decided to return the Stone in 1996.  Or at least that's one version of the Stone's history.  There are rumors of fake decoys being made, and that an original stone is hidden with some monks in Scotland, who will reveal it when Scotland breaks free of England.

The Museum of Scotland has one of three surviving Clarsachs on display.  You might recognize one of these ancient Celtic instruments cause it's the logo for Ireland's Guinness beer.

Millenum Clock

Sir William Scott monument.  William rediscovered the Crown Jewels.

The old town Royal Mile

Royal Jubilee singer.

I lucked out on this photo. The girl looks like she's all standing at attention for the Jubilee (even though she's watching the dancers on stage).  Didja notice - her jacket even matches. Cool.

The mayor sets of a fireworks display from a beacon atop Edinburgh castle,

Scotland's famous for its traditional meal of haggis, neeps and tatas.  Neeps are turnips, and tatas are potatoes, so the question is, what's haggis?  Stop now if you're eating.  This traditional food is diced sheep stomach, lamb liver (or heart), oatmeal, onion and spices.  Honest, here are some haggis recipes even.  I forget what it is so I can try some. It actually is tasty, like meat stuffing or ground beef sloppy joe filling.

SpideyKev.  Guess what movie I want to see when it comes out in Europe finally.

Great Potter theme here!

And here!

They even have four owls for kids to take photos with.