Edinburgh Cavalcade

To kick off Edinburgh Festival 2009, the annual Cavalcade was held yesterday in Holyrood Park. The parade is usually run along Princes Street, but this year Princes Street is in utter chaos due to the new tram they are installing so it was instead in the Park - which I think was a great spot due to the massive crowds. They say that despite the recession, this may be a banner year for the festival. It seems like although we may be lacking in international tourists, lots of Brits are pinching their pence by taking their holidays within the UK instead of elsewhere.

Cramond Island

This morning I volunteered with the Scottish Wildlife Trust, out at Cramond House in Cramond village outside of Edinburgh. From 10 to 12 I helped stuff envelopes with member renewal letters, enjoyed some tea and bisquits, and chatted with three friendly retirees. Cramond House is right next to the ruins of a Roman fort, and it is itself from the 1600s.

It was a beautiful day so after we finished at noon, I walked down to check out the beach nearby and discovered this lovely little tidal island. I was expected back at work so didn't have time to walk the 1 mile out across the walkway to the island, but I'll definitely be going back to explore. At high tide, the walkway is totally underwater so you have to be careful to not get yourself stranded. The walkway runs alongside a series of concrete pylons that were erected during WW2 as a submarine barrier. Below is a better perspective on the barrier.