Nelson, Burns and Beer



Arthur's Seat



Yesterday’s agenda included a trek to Calton Hill, then back to the Grassmarket area for a Literary Pub crawl in the evening.  My legs, not to mention the rest of me, are feeling it rather dreadfully this morning.  I joked that we’d end this trip with either great leg muscles or dead.  Nor is the cane that easy to manoeuver around with and sometimes makes it worse, so I left off with that.  Anyway, onto Calton Hill.

To get there, we walked along the base of Arthur’s Seat, which is the remains of one of the volcanos that erupted some 453 million years ago.  Calton Hill is the site of a monument to Lord Nelson of British Navy fame.  Even though there has been and still is, anger and bitterness towards Britain, their history and Scotland’s is so intertwined it’s next to impossible to separate the two.  The monument is just over a hundred feet high and has a circular staircase – all 170 steps.  One is able to climb to the top and look out over the Leith Harbour and the city of Edinburgh.  It’s truly an incredible view!

Nelson's Monument

In 1852, a time ball was installed at the top of the tower and drops each day at 1:00 p.m..  At the same time, a cannon fires, giving a visual and audible signal.  This allowed the ships out in the harbour to synchronize their shipboard clocks, which were used in conjunction with the seafaring chronometers to find longitude and be able to navigate safely.  Latitude was found through the stars and had been in use for eons, but longitude was a problem until John Harrison figured out that one could measure the arc of the earth and, when compared to any equivalent of noon (for Scotland, it’s 1:00 p.m.), could mathematically calculate longitude.   Innovative and a great mind behind that one.  I’d still be lost.





Claret





The pub crawl was enjoyable.  A mix of education, humour and beer.  Two actors, well, one actor, Clart and one actress, McBrain read poetry and gave a history of a number of poets.  That isn’t nearly as dry as it might sound, given the personal habits of some of them –  Robbie Burns womanizing and drinking  and, in the case of Robert Louis Stevenson, drug use.  Due to an illness, he spent a period of time under the influence of opium.  Rumour has it that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was inspired by a drug induced nightmare, delusion, psychosis – whichever name you would like to call it by.



Photo of Burns' Statue Inside
the Burns Monument 



Just as a by-the by, I learned that Jekyll is actually pronounced Jee-kyll.  In North America, no one would know who you were talking about.