Edinburgh Part 3: Arthur's Seat

Yes. We look very happy there at the top of the hill. But first, we had to climb it.

I knew from the moment I heard about Arthur's Seat that I wanted to climb it. I've loved hiking since my parents took me and my brother and sister to Arizona. We would hike up the same mountain every year. I will now take any opportunity to climb something.

This is me at the top of a tiny hill, to the side of Arthur's seat. I was still pretty proud of getting to the top.

That zig-zaggy thing is the path we took up the mountain. It was a bunch of stones formed into steps for the most part.

Nope. This is not the view from the top. There's still a little more to go.

That's Amelia and her parents milling around, thinking about our next plan of action. Thanks Amelia's parents for letting me tag along for the day!

And that other bump in the background is the actual top of Arthur's Seat.

There we go! At the top!

Of course, the pictures are nothing like the actual thing.

My face would look less pained if it wasn't so cold and windy at the top.

We were working up a sweat on the way up, but once you hit the top, it is all wind and frigid temperatures.

After our big climb, we decided to go to a whiskey distillery. On the way, I saw a guy in a kilt playing a bagpipe. Certainly picture-worthy in my opinion.

During the tour, you could try a whiskey of your choice, based on a scratch and sniff card. There were four sections on the card, each giving the aroma of whiskey from each region of Scotland. I went with the blue one (Speyside) and Amelia went with the green one (Lowland).

We were so excited at first.

And then we tried the stuff.

We promptly made faces of disgust and decided not to drink any more.

I dumped the rest of my glass ASAP.

The last part of the tour was seeing some guy's whiskey collection.

Imagine this, but covering the walls of an entire room. It was massive.

Then, it was time to eat. I neglected to photograph the fudge I ate because it went to my tummy too quickly. I got triple dark chocolate, chai, italian nougat, and a toffee almond.

I had the mushroom, spinach, and paprika soup. Very delightful on a chilly day.

Despite the soup coming with a side of ciabatta, I asked for a side of brown bread. Because I like brown bread. The waiter tried to convince me otherwise. I don't think she knew who she was dealing with.

Hey, I climbed a mountain that day. I could carbo-load all I wanted.

Next time on POTS and Pans, I sit in an airport for nine hours.

-Meri