Scotland Day 2 - A Chill Day
Since we have already basically covered most of the tourist spots in Edinburgh, we decided to ditch the wet city as rain was pouring, and took a train to explore Glasgow.
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| Glasgow Central Station |
Glasgow is just an hour's worth of travel via train from Edinburgh Waverly station to Glasgow Central station, with ticket prices starting from £8.50. Since there's 8 of us, we bought 2 off-peak day return group tickets for 4, which gave us 20% discount.
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| Along Buchanan Street |
From the station, we went straight to Buchanan Street to do window-shopping. Among the brands lining this beautiful street are Russell and Bromley, Aldo, House of Fraser, Urban Outfitters, All Saints, Diesel, Jack Wills, New Look, Zara, Puma, Nike, and malls with brands that include Hermes, Gucci, Prada, Mui Mui and Anya Hindmarsh.
And then we went to St. George's Square. The principal civic square in Glasgow, this square is home to the Glasgow City Council and monuments dedicated to Robert Burns, James Watt, Sir Robert Peel and Sir Walter Scott.
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| St. George's Square |
We went inside the City Chambers. But there was a commencement program that day, so we were not able to explore the halls open to the public.
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| Inside the City Chambers |
By the time we finished shooting photos and fun videos chasing pigeons in the square, it was already lunch time. We went to have lunch at Obu Pan Asia inside one of the malls to escape the drizzle.
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| In a Crossing along Buchanan Street |
There wasn't so much you can do with too little time at Glasgow, so we headed back to Edinburgh. And luckily when we got back, it stopped raining in the city center. So we headed to Calton Hill to take in the breathtaking panoramic views of the city.
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| Edinburgh viewed from Calton Hill |
Calton Hill is home to the National Monument. An unfinished monument sitting at the hill, it was meant to be a replica of the Parthenon of Athens as a memorial to those who died in the Napoleonic Wars. However, only the facade was completed and it was later dubbed as "Edinburgh's Shame." Now, it is a popular site for tourists to climb on to the giant steps and take photos. The hill also gives views of the Salisbury Crags, Arthur's Seat, and the Holyrood Park.
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| The National Monument as backdrop |
Another monument sitting atop the Calton Hill is the Nelson Monument. Standing at about 456 feet above sea level, it offers even more breathtaking views of Edinburgh, with an admission fee of £3. It is usually open 10AM to 6PM, depending on the months.
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| The Nelson Monument |
Then we walked back to the bus stop along Princes Street to go back to the hotel.
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| The Balmoral, Edinburgh |
