I know that nobody's reading this today, at least in the U.S., since it's Independence Day. In fact, I was tempted not to write at all today, but not because of the date, more because I'm so confounded tired. I slept well, but noticed at breakfast, when I struck up a conversation with a group of American girls at my table, that I'd suddenly almost lost my voice! Then today, my feet were dragging all day long - my energy just was not there at all. If this means I'm genuinely coming down with something, it could not have come at a worst time, since tomorrow I'm going to the Lake District for five days, which is all about hiking, and being outside. Oh well, I'll see how I am tomorrow, I suppose.

Breakfast, at least, was fun. I tried (and didn't particularly enjoy) Scotland's national dish, haggis, for the first time, the cooking of which involves a sheep's stomach! Our host is quite a character, and when he wasn't playing his bagpipes, he was telling anecdotes, including a very funny joke which made fun of Geordies, people from my part of the World. I'm afraid the Americans were letting the side down again, with their unbelievable comments about London - "three days was all we could take! We're from the Mid-West, and we're pretty conservative." I'm not sure how that last comment explained the first, but whatever.

Our host plays the bagpipes at breakfast.

My first port of call today (literally) was the dockside in Leith (Edinburgh's port), to take a tour of the now decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia. The way it's docked, you can't get into a position to take a great photo of the whole ship, but you can see enough to recognize it's attractive lines - kind of shaped like a mini QE2. The visitor's center and tour are both very well designed, informative, and enjoyable, whether you're interested in ships (like me) or in the Royals. The ship was taken out of commission (she was a Royal Navy ship officially) in 1997, and pretty much her last official duty was in Hong Kong: there was a truly evocative photograph of a sad-looking Chris Patten (the last Governor of Hong Kong) boarding Britannia in the rain carrying the Union Jack after the hand-over.

On the left, on board Britannia, standing next to the ship's bell. On the right, the Royal Barge, in the visitor's center.

Top left, the beautiful lines of the bow. Top right, the state dining room, where Clinton, Reagan, Yeltsin, Mandela etc. have all dined;. Bottom left, a gorgeous Rolls Royce in the garage on deck. Bottom right, the Queen's bedroom, which, like all the rooms, is beautifully designed to be simple, elegant and comfortable. The audio tour gives interesting information out to you, such as the fact that the Duke's pillow-cases are the same size as the Queen's, but his sheets are a little smaller :). Note also that the Queen's bed can only sleep one person! Wonder if the poor old Duke ever got any!

Back in Edinburgh town center, I climbed with very heavy steps up the Royal Mile to the gate of Edinburgh Castle, where two guards in kilts patrol back and forth.

Edinburgh Castle. I was imagining the guard marching towards me as I framed the photo, thinking to himself, "Hoot mon the noo, why did I ever take this friggin' job!"

The castle is very large, with many different levels and buildings inside the walls. It dates mostly from the 16th century, but what takes you by surprise, at first, is that the oldest part of the castle is St Margaret's Chapel, built very near the top by King David I of Scotland. It doesn't seem to make sense that the top part of the castle could be finished centuries before the lower parts were even built! But the hill is steep, and the chapel was built near the peak: it was only later that lower parts of the hill were ringed with the immensely strong walls. It's astounding to think of them building those walls right onto the cliff-edges. In fact, throughout the castle grounds, upcropping rocks stick out of the castle walls.

Outside the 12th century St Margaret's Chapel, near the peak. If you look on the left side of the chapel, you can see one of the rock outcroppings with which the chapel walls merge. The interior of the chapel has an immensely touching, simple piety to it.

Sharing the peak with the chapel is the palace, and also a monument to Scottish war-dead. Large sections of the palace are devoted to the history of the Scottish monarchy, culminating in the display of the 16th century Scottish Crown Jewels (known as The Honors), along with the Stone of Destiny, on which the Scottish Kings sat for their coronation. By the time you reach the jewels, you're able to truly appreciate them, since their history is so fascinating. After Cromwell ended the English monarchy, he destroyed the English crown jewels, and marched to Edinburgh to destroy those too. But the Scots were forewarned, and stashed them in a hiding place underground, thus saving them. Fast-forward to the time of the Act of Union in 1707, and The Honors lost their parliamentary importance when the Scottish Parliament voted to terminate its own existence. The Honors were locked away in a strong-room in the castle, and forgotten about for over 100 years. Eventually, they were remembered, and finally put on display, in the early 1800s, in the castle, although they were briefly buried again in the Second World War, when it seemed probable that Germany would invade. And their role in British history continued last year, when the crown left the castle for the first time in 200 years to be a part of the opening, last year, of the new Scottish Parliament, when Scotland regained a measure of self-government.

Looking out over higher ramparts of the castle, to the city below.

I was very tired by this point, and headed back to the hotel, but I did stop by a couple of gift shops, and took a look at the tartan of the Keith clan, which is, unfortunately, as dull as dishwater! Soon, I was back in the hotel, where I intend to stay and rest, do a little planning for what I want to do in the Lake District, and watch some tennis. G'night :)