What's a castle without a bagpipe band and parade?

We were at Edinburgh Castle in the morning and heard then saw several  cannons fire repeatedly.  It was the opening of general conference for the Church of Scotland.  His Lord High Commissioner, representative of the Queen was coming out of a chapel with his Jaguar limo awaiting.  We didn't see him but saw the heralds leave with their trumpets.  We then walked up to the castle and saw this marching band. Mom's good eye caught this event.   (I usually miss this at our general conference opening, I guess.)

From the park below, looking up at the castle.

We then spent the day at the castle, John Knox house (he started a "reformation" which was the beginning of the Church of Scotland - Presbyterian in the US) and on an Carlton Hill, (photos to be posted) and then Mary King's Close where we had a ghostly experience.  (The lights suddenly turned on during the tour and our guide was genuinely surprised!)  Lots of ghosts in Edinburgh underground.  We really don't appreciate the deep Scottish history and their significance to English history.  They see themselves as under-appreciated and not getting proper respect.  They are having a vote in a couple of years to break from England (not be part of Great Britain any more).   I think its all talk but we'll see. 

Jan at the entrance to Mary King's Close (a close is an alley way between two tall apartment buildings.  It is the entrance to the leith (lower) apartments -- not a great place to live.

The "Folly" partially built Parthenon on the top of Carlton Hill overlooking the estuary "The Firth of Forth" across is the former kingdom of Fife.