After landing in Edinburgh at about 7:00 am, we took a taxi to drop off our bags at our hotel, The Inn on the Mile, in Old Town Edinburgh.  In addition to being a very nice hotel (perfect for our needs), The Inn on the Mile has a great location at the mid-point of High Street, which runs between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.  This street is also called the Royal Mile, and it is an excellent location from which to see the sights in Edinburgh.

We started our day with an early morning bus tour to give us an overview of the city.  Then we spent the rest of the day exploring the area on foot, visiting a market selling hand-made crafts in an old church, and having lunch at The Castle Arms bistro in the Old Town.  Later, when we checked into our hotel, we found a bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries waiting for us on the window sill.  Nice start!

That evening, we had dinner at a restaurant on the Royal Mile called Angels with Bagpipes.  The dinner was excellent, and it gave Bo and I our first tastes of haggis and the ‘wee dram‘.

After dinner, Patty and I took a nice walk up to Edinburgh Castle before retiring.

All around, an excellent first day!