Edinburgh Day 1: Follow the Orange Jacket

We took the train to Edinburgh early on Thursday morning, arrived before noon, and proceeded directly to the National Library of Scotland where we had a quick lunch and left t. to commune with her Lady's manuscripts, while the two of us played "Follow the Orange Jacket": 

Our first stop was St. Giles' Cathedral: 

I'm not sure the reformer John Knox would approve of the quantity of stained glass in this Presbyterian High Kirk:

(I would have taken a photo of John Knox's statue in the church but by that time s. had informed me that I was supposed to purchase a permit before taking pictures. Some forms of iconoclasm remain, I guess.)

At the top of Advocate's Close, with the steeple-shaped Scott Memorial in the background:

At the Scott Memorial:

The steeple of St. Giles is visible from the Scott Memorial:

At the Scottish National Gallery I encountered my favourite saint in a painting by Jacopo del Sellaio:

On our way back up to the Royal Mile, we stopped for an impromptu campus tour of New College, Edinburgh. It doesn't hurt to plan ahead:

Edinburgh Old Town with Arthur's Seat in the background:

Edinburgh Castle:

Later in the day we played "Get-lost-in-Edinburgh-while-trying-to-find-our-out-of-the-way-hotel." That part was not quite as fun.