All registered accompanying persons are invited to join the following TWO half-day tours:

City Tour of Edinburgh
Monday, October 4, 2004 09:00 - 13:00 hrs
Edinburgh really is two cities - the Old Town which is built around the Castle and down along the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace. The style here is very traditional and rather medieval, with high tenement houses and very narrow lanes, so called "closes". In contrast there is the New Town, which was built in the classic Gregorian Style, at the end of the 18th century, thus to handle the constant stream of increasing population and business activities.

View the 16th century Old Town, steeped in history with the Grassmarket where criminals were hanged in the olden days. Continue to the 18th century Georgian New Town created by James Craig and built by Robert Adam. Charlotte Square at the west end of George Street is a fine architectural example of its time.

Edinburgh Castle and a walking our of the Old Town
Tuesday, October 5, 2004 09:00 - 13:00
Begin the tour with a visit to the Edinburgh Castle, one of the most famous castles in the world, overlooking the Esplanade where the floodlit Military Tattoo is staged annually in August. The castle stands on an extinct volcano, which has been a fortress from time immemorial and at 1:00 pm every day a canon gun is fired from the battlements. The oldest of castle buildings is the tiny 12th century chapel dedicated to St Margaret and in the Great Hall, built by James IV, is a fine timber roof and a variety of armoury. View the sparking Scottish Crown Jewels and explore the dungeons. An informative stroll through the character 16th century Old Town with its cobbled streets and tenement buildings which were full of activity in years gone by. From the Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse is the cobbled old High Street, which is believed to measure an old Scots mile in distance- hence its name "The Royal Mile". View some of the historic buildings and sites, which still remain and lean about the cramped housing conditions and lifestyles of those who lived in this medieval area of the city.

Proceed to St Giles Cathedral with its exquisite Thistle Chapel. Just outside the cathedral door is the "Heart of Midlothian" a heart-shaped design in the cobbled street - which marks the spot where the Old Tolbooth stood from 1466 to 1736.