20:09:37 Edinburgh Castle by night. Possibly taken from Ali's Car, who kindly gave me a lift from Stirling, where we'd been at a conference.
20:09:52 I think this is Prince's Street again.
20:28:08 ...and again.
22:13:47 Vera and Ali's Neice Zena (not too sure how to spell that) at The Shore, where we finally ended up for dinner after having turned our noses up at a couple of other places.
22:14:07 Me and Ali, great picture.
22:36:57 A bit difficult to see, but this is outside where me and Vera were going to stay for the next couple of nights, just before Zena and Ali left.
11:07:28 This is The Law (The Lore?), an odd lump sticking out of the ground, on the way to North Berwick.
11:58:58 The beach at North Berwick, Vera's mother (named Edith Marr) was from here, and as such Vera had spent a lot of time here when she was growing up. We were hoping we might be able to find some traces of the Marr family here...
12:03:02 A nice Celtic Cross.
12:03:25 I think this is the house where Vera's Uncle had lived.
12:10:38 Vera walking down the steps near what used to be the local swimming pool (now closed).
12:14:42 Me and Vera enjoying the bracing sea air.
12:42:21 By an amazing stroke of luck, we managed to find first Fred Marr, and then his son Chris Marr, both distant relatives of ours who we'd never met before. Although rather stupidly I forgot to take a picture of either of them, it turned out Chris was very interested in constructing the family tree, and kindly allowed me to take a picture of the latest draft. On this part of the tree, you can see Vera's Great Grandfather James "Daddy" Marr, and his children, one of whom must be Vera's grandfather, although she couldn't remember his name.
12:42:49 It was a little hard to define exactly what relation Fred and Chris were to us, although it would appear from this tree that Vera's Great Grandfather was Fred's Great Uncle.
12:48:32 An old photograph Chris showed us of some of the Marr Family. If I recall correctly, on the right hand side was James Daddy Marr, and on the left hand side in the foreground may have been his son James Marr junior, possibly Vera's Grandfather.
14:25:39 After all the intrigue of the family tree, me and Vera said our thankyous to Chris, and conmtinued our wander around beautiful North Berwick. Here's Vera on the beach, we she no doubt spent many happy hours as a child.
14:39:25 Part of North Berwick Harbour, where Daddy Marr was at one time harbourmaster.
14:39:45 The very picturesque row of houses along the sea front, the one on the right being the one where (I think) Vera's uncle had lived in at one time.
16:58:07 Back in Edinburgh now. I rather liked the view here, as the street gradually sloped off downwards, revealing a pleasing horizon in the distance. My camera didn't really do it justice!
18:37:33 Me and Vera in a jolly nice pub in Edinburgh, whose name I've forgotten.
11:35:11 Next day, the floral clock just off Prince's Street.
11:41:46 The front gates of the temporary home of the Scottish Parliament.
11:46:08 Vera climbing some of Edinburgh's many tiring flights of steps.
11:48:56 Inside the Scottish Parliament.
11:49:10 I think I was trying to take a picture of the Teletext annunciator system here, which I think my company had installed.
11:50:22 A jolly nice interior it was too.
12:00:40 Me and the Scottish Parliament.
12:20:41 Can't remember where this is.
12:26:56 My Mum had asked me to visit this shop for her, as she wanted to buy one of these Tartan wool bags.
12:29:27 Here's Vera outside the shop in question: Wooly Mammoth.
13:43:21 The hotel where I'd booked an extra couple of nights for after when Vera left.
14:07:24 Must be a bit of Edinburgh castle.
14:10:15 A standard picture, down the Golden Mile.
14:27:28 Ermmmm....?
14:28:39 I think we may have been on a shamefully touristy Edinburgh Tour bus at this point.
16:28:21 We decided to pop into one of Edinburgh's many tartan shops, to see if we could find something made of Marr tartan. We managed to find this pattern on one of the shop's computers, a slightly different spelling, although we were assured it was the same clan.
19:57:42 Vera and me decided to go to dinner in a cafe that was playing jazz.
11:14:20 Vera got her train back home early on in the morning, leaving me a day and a bit to kill before my flight back. I thought I'd try and explore some of the hills around Edinburgh...
11:22:26 A view out over Edinburgh from one of the hills rising above it.
11:52:08 This was an attempt to use the digital zoom to get a close-up picture of the castle. Not particularly clear!
11:52:45 Out to sea a bit here.
11:52:54 ...yet another view...
11:52:59 ...and another...
11:53:06 ...and another!
11:54:29 I thought I ought to get myself in one of these pictures, to reassure myself I was actually there.
11:54:52 ...and again. I spent a good couple of hours up in the hills, armed with only a loaf of bread, some cheese, and a bottle of water (or perhaps Irn Bru). It occurred to me that I wasn't really very good at travelling by myself, but I felt much more comfortable being here rather than in the crowds down in the city.
13:33:49 With a better camera, this could have been a very nice shot.
13:38:46 Just to remind myself how nice and green it was.
11:17:47 Clouds taken from the plane on the way home.
11:18:09 ...more clouds.
11:19:16 ...more clouds and sky.
11:24:58 I think I might have been able to see a bit of habitation down there.
11:25:31 A bit of the window.
11:41:13 Nice to know that wing is still there.
11:42:43 Definitely some sort of habitation here, although no idea where it is.
11:44:08 Yet more clouds.
11:49:30 ...some fields.
11:56:03 Must have been nearing Heathrow by now. Back into England it is then!