November in Edinburgh

Bits and pieces from November - mainly weekends in and around Edinburgh. The weather was starting to get cold but I wanted to see and do a few things before winter set in. First was a hike from North Berwick Bay (this is as close as I get to beach), the waterfront properties below and a view of the bay...to the Law - used as a lookout in Napoleonic times. Standing at a grand height of 187 metres!But it gave us a great view over the Firth of Forth (fun to say!). Hanging out next to whale bones??? Looking out at Bass Rock, a mini Alcatraz although you can't see any signs of a prison anymore.

And then back to the start at the beach. Not so warm.

An afternoon at the Botanic Gardens. (Really should've got myself there in summer.)

We found on old style hot house with the Aussie plants inside and went and hid in the tropical section to warm up.

A bit of a stroll around the gardens,

but no sunbathing on the rockgarden.

Scotland's St Andrew's day was the the 30th November. The day is for (not sure exactly), but they open up Edinburgh's tourist attractions for free, so we visited the zoo and a castle ruin.

The polar bears trying to ignore us. The zebras standing in the frost. The penguins loving the cold.

The anteater with its true scottish eggs (i think the ants were inside?)

It was too cold for the one koala in the UK to be out. But there were other random sightings. Friends and relations

camels hiding indoors and the kilt at the zoo! Craigmillar Castle

This is where we had to climb the wall and break into the fortress (it was too far to walk around the front). I rate this as one of the most interesting castle/ ruins I've been in. So many rooms and corridors - it could have Nancy Drew secret passage ways!!

The first day of December / winter - looking out my window. Got me excited about my snowboarding holiday in a fortnight.