Canongate Kirk

Tuesday
Roger, Jen and I got up quite early this morning and climbed Arthur's Seat before breakfast. Like the castle rock on which Edinburgh Castle is built, Arthur's Seat was formed by an extinct volcano system of Carboniferous age (approximately 350 million years old), which was eroded by a glacier moving from west to east during the Quaternary Period. The hill rises above the city to a height of 823 ft, and despite the morning being overcast, the panoramic view from the top was still amazing. The views were beautifully enhanced by the huge expanses of gorse in full bloom. After a quick shower, we met Roger's parents down in the dining room for a wonderful breakfast, which having had some decent exercise already, I was able to enjoy without feeling too guilty! As we were setting out after breakfast, it started to shower, so we decided to go and visit the Royal Yacht Britannia, which would be at least partly under cover. The Royal Yacht Britannia was launched at John Brown's Shipyard in Clydebank in 1953, and  served the Queen for 44 years, carrying The Queen and the Royal Family on 968 official voyages during that time.  On 11 December 1997 Britannia was decommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Base in the presence of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and 12 senior members of the Royal Family.  Four months later, after intense competition from cities around the UK, the Government announced that Edinburgh had been successful in its bid to become her new home. Britannia is now permanently moored in Edinburgh's historic port of Leith. It was a fascinating tour, and by the time we had finished (including a delicious light lunch in the Royal Deck tearoom), it had turned into a beautiful sunny afternoon. We headed over to Waverley bridge and hopped on one of the sightseeing buses. I took this shot of Canongate Kirk from the top of the bus. The church was founded in 1688 and completed in 1691. The master mason in charge was James Smith. The plaque above the front door bears witness to it having been built through a large bequest from a local merchant.
   "In 1688 King James VII ordained that the Mortification of Thos. Moodie, granted in 1649 to build a Church, should be applied to the erection of this structure"
Previously the residents of the Canongate had used the Abbey Church adjacent to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, but King James VII ordered the construction of the new Kirk of the Canongate, allowing the Abbey Church to be converted into a Chapel for the Order of the Thistle.
We did the complete tour, then went a couple of stops again, to make the distance to the car as short as possible for Roger's parents. At this point, unfortunately, the day took a turn for the worse. We were walking a few blocks down the Royal Mile, which took us past St. Giles Cathedral. Even though we were going to be there in a couple of days time for Laura's choir concert, we decided to pop in for a look. However, having got to the door, Roger and his parents (I was busy taking a photograph) discovered there was a special service going on. As they were coming back down the stone steps in front of the cathedral, Roger's Mum lost her footing and fell down about four steps, landing on her head and sustaining a big cut. Fortunately there were several police on duty, and one was there with us immediately, while another called for an ambulance. Fortunately, Edna never lost consciousness, which was a good sign, but given her age, it was a frightening experience for all of us. The ambulance eventually arrived and they assessed her, and took her to the hospital, but they didnt think her condition was critical, so once they got there she just had to wait in the waiting room with everyone else. Bernard and Jen went with  her in the ambulance, while Roger and I went to get the car. By the time we arrived, she was sitting in a chair, and seemed remarkably bright considering. I think she was trying to be strong for Bernard's sake, as he doesn't do well in hospitals at the best of times, and he was beside himself with worry. I think it was a little after 5pm when they arrived at the emergency room, and we finally left at about 9.15pm - an evening we won't forget in a hurry!

One year ago: Ruddy turnstone