We leave the hotel at 8am and head to Hadrian's Wall.  In the 2nd century, the Romans had conquered much of England.  They encountered fierce resistance when they reached Scotland.   They built a stone wall at a narrow point in the island (the exact reason for building the wall is still up for debate).  The scenery is beautiful.  We hike to the top and I take lots of photos in the less than ideal lighting (very cloudy).  The rest of the afternoon we drive to Edinburgh. 

Tonight is a major highlight- we have tickets to the Military Tattoo. I had not heard of this festival before, but it is apparently quite famous.  It involves bands from around the world marching in procession. 

I have a very good piece of salmon for dinner in the hotel and then we go into town for the Tattoo.  The Royal Mile (main street) is mobbed.  Our tickets are for the 10:30pm show, but the show is running late.   We get seated around 11 and the show starts shortly.  Never a fan of marching bands, I really enjoy the spectacle.  The music, pageantry, and Edinburgh Castle backdrop make for an entertaining evening.  I finally get to sleep around 2am.   

View the Scotland photo album.