Day 22 York-Edinburgh 8 May 2018

Today we travelled into Scotland looked a lot greener than I imagined.  There seemed to be a lot of sheep.

We stopped at William’s Wordsworth in the Lakes District at Grasmere to partake of the local gingerbread. It was gingery but slightly hard, you know…like a wheel chock. It wasn’t that too bad, just a bit chewy.

This is Beatrix Potter country. To preserve the area she bought out the local farmers who could remain and work on the land and hand it on to male heirs, otherwise it reverts to national parks.

With this type of sheep they are born black and then lighten with age.Below is the stream that runs through Grasemere where Wordsworth is buried.

Just across the border we stopped at Gretna Green. Marriage laws were different between England and Scotland and so young couples would elope across the border and get married by the blacksmith. Perhaps this is an early example of diversifying. Perhaps he attaches the ball and chain.The art work is more modern. Apparently many Scottish couples still get married there.

Our hotel is centrally located and is overlooked by Edinburgh Castle. Tonight we went to Tastes of Scotland. It was a full production from the toast of the haggis, I’d walk 500 miles and Auld Langs Syne.  It was a slick production with a three course meal.