Onward from Dunbar

And onward I went after heading down to the harbour to take a few pics. Tangaroa was there, still in harbour, and so I got to meet Eddie and hear about how he came to own a boat called after the Maori god of the sea. Eddie had lived in New Zealand and his late wife was a New Zealander. He talked fondly of the Coromandel and other places we both knew. It seems he asked his son what he should call his new boat and Tangaroa was the answer. Mystery solved.

Eddie told me some stories of the harbour, how the skipper of an ocean going yacht decided to brave the harbour mouth without checking how deep it was. It wasn't deep enough it seems and it all ended in tears. The sea breaks over the sea wall, yesterday it was calm, and when it does the fishermen have to use the back harbour to keep their boats safe. Fearsome waters these, that's easy to see even in fair weather.

Tangaroa

Dunbar Harbour entrance 

I hit the road, heading north to Edinburgh. My host, Deborah, suggested I do a park and ride rather than take my car into the city. A very wise choice, thanks Deborah. The park and ride was really cheap and so convenient. I had none of the usual hassles of being in a strange city with only a blunt map for reference and Edinburgh was heaving with people. I had the obligatory wander, up the Royal Mile to the castle only to find a huge queue. I don't like to queue so I went as far as I could and left that for another day.

The Fringe Festival would be fantastic with a group of friends, going just for that purpose. As an accidental tourist, it was a little stressful. I did get shots of the old city from Princes Street and of course a piper. I headed out towards Sterling, not too far to drive, and after taking a break for a wee lie down, I wended my way to Stirling Castle. My thoughts were with Annie as I wandered around in one of her favourite places in the world. I certainly wasn't disappointed and felt proud as the guide told my history. That took some reflecting on for this person whose turangawaewae (place to stand) is in New Zealand. It made me even more determined to venture north to Kintail, and venture I did. 

Edinburgh

The stirring pipes