Edinburgh - the Athens of the North

And so our trip brings us to Scotland...land of the Scots.

An international city, Edinburgh, Scotland is often referred to as the Athens of the North.


Seen here is the National Monument.
Carlton Hill - overlooking Edinburgh from the north.

Edinburgh is a north of Newcastle Upon Tyne and located in eastern Scotland on the shores of the North Sea. It is the capital of Scotland and home to the prestigious Edinburgh University: where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle graduated from medical school.

Grassmarket and the 'Last Drop Inn' The Grassmarket is the area where Edinburgh would hold its public executions. Just at the edge of the scaffoldings, where people were hanged, was a tavern with the appropriate name, 'The Last Drop Inn.'

Somewhere between truth and fiction resides the tale of Alexander 'Sawney' Bean - the sort of family you'd expected to see earn their just rewards at the hangman's noose in the Grassmarket. History, or fable, tells the story of young Bean and his wife who...through a tale of mystery and woe, create an family-army of cannibals that kill, and devour, over 1,000 Scots. Is it true? Some swear it is and he, and the two generations of his family (48 members in all), are considered to be Scotland's most famous cannibal.

A depiction of Sawney Bean can be found in the tourist attraction, the Edinburgh Dungeon.

Up the winding Victoria Street and Edinburgh's Old Towne area to Greyfriars Kirkyard & Gate

From the Kirkyard (or cemetary) we'll walk past the church and come to the statute for Greyfriar's Bobby, a dog whose loyalty to his master was memorialized in the Walt Disney film.

For the full story, go here.

Watch the trailer here.

About a block away from Bobby's statute is the Elephant Tea Room where now noted author J.K. Rowling, wrote the first two Harry Potter novel's while she was a single mother on welfare. Today Rowling is wealthy beyond most people's wildest dreams.


From here it is only a short jaunt to the National Scottish Museum where, among other wonderful exhibits, is Dolly - the cloned Ewe. Inside the museum are wonderful exhibits including Scottish History and Archaeology. To help you plan our brief time in the museum, here's a map.

Next we'll wander down the hill to the Queen's home in Scotland, Holyrood...






...which is across the street from Scotland's modern looking parliament building.Things to do when visiting the Parliament, here.

Nearby is a unique example of creative architecture which creates a living space unlike anything we see in the Omaha area - located in the White Horse Close.

From the White Horse Close it is a couple of blocks to the home and final resting place (Cannongate Kirkyard) of noted Scottish economist Adam Smith.

Virtually across the street is the Edinburgh Museum
- small but packed with the history and culture of this great northern city.
Pursue the current exhibits here.

We'll be walking along Edinburgh's world famous Royal Mile.

It is packed with tourist sites, tourist traps, restaurants and other fun eateries.

Up the hill just a bit is one of the reputed homes of Rev. John Knox. As we learned on other pages, Knox was a contemporary Mary, Queen of Scots. Along with Martin Luther and John Calvin, Knox helped usher in the Protestant Reformation.

Wait until you see where he's now buried...

Taking the North Bridge, we can visit the Scottish National Archive. Perhaps the document of most interest to Americans is their 'Declaration of Arbroath.' Signed on April 6, 1320, "The Declaration of Arbroath is foremost among Scotland's state papers and perhaps the most famous historical record held by the National Records of Scotland (NRS). The Declaration is a letter from the barons and whole community of the kingdom of Scotland to the pope in 1320, asking him to recognise Scotland's independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country's lawful king." Some have suggested, although no documentation supports this claim, that Thomas Jefferson modeled, to some degree, the American Declaration of Independence upon the Arbroath. For some historical context, William Wallace, as depicted in the film Braveheart, died in August of 1305.

The Declaration was in Latin and was sealed by eight earls and about forty barons.
You can view the individual seals up-close, here.
You can view the document, up close, here.
The original document was sent to the Pope

Along the Royal Mile you will notice small alleyways which meander off into darkened passageways. These are called a "Close." Beneath portions of the city is another underground city including the entrance at Mary King's Close.

This one charges an entrance fee - so you might want to see if its something you want to do, BEFORE we get there.

Across the Street is St. Giles Cathedral.


Here is where we'll find the grave of John Knox (right under parking stall #23),the statue of Adam Smith and of Charles II.

Who is David Hume? Scotland's Enlightenment period had a profound influence on the founders and framers of the American Constitution. "David Hume was a Scottish historian, philosopher, economist, diplomat and essayist known today especially for his radical philosophical empiricism and scepticism."








Up the close and down the stair,
In the house with Burke and Hare.
Burke's the butcher, Hare's the thief,
Knox, the boy who buys the beef.
- Scottish Children's Nursery Rhyme.

While the greatest minds in the world were meeting in Edinburgh, a much more sinister plot was also being hatched. Two Irish fellows, Burke & Hare learned just have valuable a fresh corpse was to the local medical school. Eventually they move from grave robbing [New Carlton Cemetery] to murder... Watch the trailer here. Burke & Hare.

The Anatomical Museum of Edinburgh, "...held various items related to the West Port murders, including life and death masks of both Burke and Hare, items from Dr Knox's collection and Burke's skeleton."

Scotland has numerous famous writer's including [above] Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde), Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and the home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes). Stevenson's book about the split personality of Dr. Jekyll was based upon the historical figure Deacon Brodie.

Within a block of this site are two opportunities to shop for "authentic Scottish goods" and then samples at the Scotch Whiskey Experience.



From here the Edinburgh Castle looms, history here. Set upon a dormant volcano "plug" the castle is the home to Scotland's 'Stone of Destiny.'

"The Stone of Destiny has played a central role in the coronation of Scottish kings.Like most Scottish national icons, the origins of the Stone of Destiny, also commonly known as the Stone of Scone, have been lost in the mists of time and subject to several legends.

In 1292 John Balliol became the last king to use the Stone of Destiny in Scotland as it was captured by Edward I of England in 1296 and taken to Westminster Abbey in London. It remained under the coronation chair, on which English and subsequently British sovereigns sit during their coronation, for the next 700 years. The last time it was used was at the coronation of HM The Queen in 1953.

On Christmas Day 1950, four nationalist students removed the Stone from Westminster Abbey and drove it north. It resurfaced some four months later following a huge public outcry, having been left symbolically in Arbroath Abbey, draped in a Saltire. It was taken by the police and restored to Westminster Abbey. (To see the trailer of the film - which is available on Netflix, go here.)

On St Andrews Day, 30 November 1996, the Stone of Destiny finally returned to its homeland amid much ceremony, and was installed in Edinburgh Castle, taking its place alongside the Honours of Scotland, the country’s crown jewels. About 10,000 people lined the Royal Mile to watch the procession of dignitaries and troops escort the stone from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the castle." Source: VisitScotland.com

There was some debate, at the time (2012), whether the stone in question was a fake. Watch it here.

"The only original building left in the Castle complext" is the Chapel of St. Margaret.Queen Margaret was the niece of Edward the Confessor, King of England. Eventually her daughter would marry King Henry 1st of England. "Margaret was very pious and cared especially for the poor and orphans. It was this piety that caused considerable damage to her health with the repeated fasting and abstinence. In 1093, as she lay on her deathbed after a long illness, she was told that her husband and eldest son had been ambushed and treacherously killed at the Battle of Alnwick in Northumbia. She died shortly after aged just forty-seven." Source: http://www.historic-uk.com.

The castle at night...
Read about the history of the Edinburgh Castle here.

Flesh Market Close at Night...

Advocates Close...

Other sites we'll need to consider, albeit distant, include the monument to Sir Walter Scott (above).

If you're up for a hike, behind and southeast of the the Queen's Palace, in Holyrood Park, is Arthur's Seat. Which is massively popular, more here.

The Dean Village (which is about two miles east of the Castle. For more information, go here.

Rosslyn Chapel - which was featured in the culmination of the Dan Brown film,'The Da Vinci Code.' Film overview here. Rosslynn Chapel scene, here. Is this tale of the holy grail true? Some believe it is...most do not. But it's fun! The Legend of the Holy Grail can be traced back, according to some sources, to Joseph of Arimathea. Perhaps best known as the figure in the New Testament that removed the body of Jesus from the cross and buried him in Arimathea's family tomb. While this can be found within the Bible, Arimathea is then credited, in some versions of history, as forming the first Christian settlement outside of the Middle East...in Wales. And bringing with him the Holy Grail or the cup that Jesus drank from during the last supper...as depicted here in Da Vinci's painted (located in Milan, Italy). [Here is an interactive site which explains the original painting and discusses the damages done to it over time.]This legend will eventually incorporate King Arthur and His Knight of the Roundtable...as discussed in this video from Month Python and the Holy Grail.

See more here. Despite the popularity of the film, the Chapel is mysterious and beautiful.

See the BBC notes and amazing photographs here.




Sources of these photographs include Beautiful Edinburgh,, Old Edinburgh, Photography Across Scotland, and Edinburgh Photographers. Another excellent site is Edinburgh and Beyond Photography.Only in Edinburgh is also a wonderful site for photos and information.
If you're on Facebook, please 'like' these sites.

Famous musicians.

Assignment Three - Locke's Liberal Democracy and the Monarchy

Imagine a world where one person was able to make the rules, enforce the rules and then judge, in a ad hoc fashion, who followed, and who did not follow the rules. Their judgement could result in imprisonment and even death. It's not a form of government that many people would want to live under. And yet a quick study of American history shows that when the Colonists fought King George III during the revolutionary war - that, a Monarchy, was the form of government they were rebelling against. In addition to having complete or ad hoc power, history tells us that King George's behavior was erratic. A recent film titled, 'The Madness of King George' ventures into this discussion which, among the various maladies, included the reputed fact that during these episodes of madness, his urine turned blue. He would also speak for great lengths of time "until foam ran out of his mouth." Not pleasant and certainly not the behavior that we actively seek in our leaders today, ahem. Recently Britain's national media company, the BBC, discussed this very issue.

The human reaction to being enslaved by those with power is as old as history itself. Both Plato and Aristotle discussed this in their individual writings ~3500 years ago.

Our own American ideals, expressed largely in Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence were in fact based upon the ideas of numerous others including England's John Locke.

For this assignment we want to examine Locke's ideas on liberal democracy. You can read his Second Treatise on Government, here.


For this assignment students want to:

1. Define what is meant by 'Locke's ideas on liberal democracy. To simply read his Second Treatise will probably not help the student understand all the concepts. Student's might want to source other online sites to get a clearer definition of what this phrase means.

2. Now that you understand what Locke's liberal ideas were, contrast them to the ad hoc power of a Monarch. Discuss in your essay (more on that below) what the difference between a liberal democracy and an oligarchy or monarchy are.

3. Tie-in your knowledge and experience of our trip to the U.K. to elaborate on this discussion. What did you learn, which sites did you visit, what stories did you discover that help you better understand why Locke, and later Jefferson pursued these ideas? Bring the discussion out of the sphere of academia and into the sphere of critical thinking and better understanding of what it means to live in a free society - such as the United Kingdom or the United States.

Your essay should be four, double spaced pages long and include a bibliography of sources used. Be certain that this work is based upon your learning experience and that your essay is in your words. You can quote websites, tour guides, your instructor or other credible academic and historical sources. Use APA citations in your paper including in-line cites. Finally, if you would like to include photographs from your excursion, as an addendum to your submission, you are encouraged to do so. Also, if you have any comments which you would like to share with future participants in this Study Abroad program, please email them to the Bellevue University, Study Abroad coordinator (studyabroad@bellevue.edu) and myself (rick.galusha@bellevue.edu). Please know that your quotes are provided for use in marketing efforts and that in regard to these quotes, provided outside of the assignment process, waive FERPA protection (in other words, we can use them without violating your rights to privacy as a student. Your assignments WILL have FERPA protections but the quotes your choose to share will not.)

4. Finally, in the closing paragraph of your essay, please includes any constructive comments so that we can continue to improve upon this trip. Fair criticism is encouraged since, although we cannot control all aspects, all the time, it is fair criticisms and concerns that help us improve.

Finally, Thank-You for joining us on this journey of exploration and discovery. If you enjoyed it, please tell everyone you know, if you did not enjoy the trip, please tell all the folks you really don't like.

Assignment Two - The Influence of English Pop Culture on American society

This painting by renown Highland artist David Wilson. For more information on Wilson and his fascinating work involving light and the Scottish countryside, go here. Additional information on Wilson including bookings and highland climbing or walking tours can be obtained here.


The relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is long and historic. Clearly England had a profound cultural, governmental, architectural and economic influence on the developing United States. Does it still? In this assignment student's are asked to examine how the 'pop culture' of Swinging London (~1963 to ~1968) influenced life in America. Specifically, using your own research and our Walk Across London, try to identify trends, social mores, norms and other activities which were shared with American Baby Boomers during this time.

The influences can be television, film, comedy, or it can be fashion,

Or the influence can be musical...including aspects such as the incorporation of English folk music, (such as bands like Renaissance, Steeleye Span or Richie Blackmore (Deep Purple), or psychedelic music (based upon the use of artificial stimulants or drugs) including the music of The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, 'Sgt. Pepper' (Beatles) or 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' (Rolling Stones), or, perhaps, how the British kids of the 1960's transmogified African-American blues into popular music including bands such as Led Zeppelin, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac Blues Band, Cyril Davis, Alexis Korner, John Mayall, Long John Baldry and later acts including Humble Pie, The Faces, Bad Company, Rory Gallagher, Gary Moore, Russ Tippins, Bad Bob Bates, Dr. Feelgood and Aynsley Lister.

Our goal is to recognize and examine the unique relationship between these two great nations and how they have influenced each other...and the world.

Student's should compose an essay (specifics below) which identifies cultural aspects that originated in British society during the 'Swinging London' period.


Your essay should be four, double spaced pages long and include a bibliography of sources used. Be certain that this work is based upon your learning experience and that your essay is in your words. You can quote websites, tour guides, your instructor or other credible academic and historical sources. Use APA citations in your paper including in-line cites.

Finally, if you would like to include photographs from your excursion, as an addendum to your submission, you are encouraged to do so. Also, if you have any comments which you would like to share with future participants in this Study Abroad program, please email them to the Bellevue University, Study Abroad coordinator (studyabroad@bellevue.edu) and myself (rick.galusha@bellevue.edu). Please know that your quotes are provided for use in marketing efforts and that in regard to these quotes, provided outside of the assignment process, waive FERPA protection (in other words, we can use them without violating your rights to privacy as a student. Your assignments WILL have FERPA protections but the quotes your choose to share will not.)