Cocks letter diary, 1916-1919 / Verner Cocks - Page 122
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[Page 122]
Street is magnificent & towering above the gardens to the huge rock on which is built Edin. Castle. We climbed up & saw all over the castle - where all the old Kings & Queens of Scotland used to dwell. The view from the top is glorious especially looking down on the new city which is beautifully laid out.
From the castle theres the main st of the old city, now the slum area. Wandering down this we passed St Guiles [St Giles] Cathedral (cost us 2d to go in) - John Knox' house (John Knox was a great protestant reformer at the time of the reformation) to Holyrood Palace & Abbey - this was a later royal residence than the castle but was closed to sight seers. The Abbey was in ruins - the first ruined church we have seen & of which I had expected to see so many in England.
Of course the cynosure of admiring eyes is the beautiful gothic monument to "Bobbie Burns". It is a fine work in a fine position - in the grdens along Princes St. We climbed to the top & took a couple of photos. The keeper was good enough to write out a few particulars as to dimensions etc for us - for the usual tip. Apart from the money spent in tips this is a most objectionable practice but a necessary evil if you want to
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