To start the morning off we had a hearty Scottish breakfast - tatty scones, potato cakes, sausages, fried ham, eggs, toast, etc. We left at 9:30 for Edinburgh and toured the Covenanter sites in the town, managing to climb the Granny's Green Steps not once but twice. (Not just any granny could make it up these steep steps!) We also saw St. Giles Cathedral, parts of the National Museum of Scotland, Greyfriars Kirkyard, and The Grassmarket (where an X marked the spot the gallows stood for many Covenanters).

After a pack lunch we toured Edinburgh Castle, seeing the crown jewels, National War Museum, dungeons (including where Americans were imprisoned for being privateers during the "War of American Rebellion."

We had just under two hours for shopping and sightseeing before meeting for a three course Scottish dinner at MacGregor's on the Royal Mile. It was amazingly good food, and many traditional dishes. Haggis was enjoyed by many, and the meal ended with sticky toffee pudding or a traditional berry dessert with whipped cream. Yum!

Returning to Stirling, we stopped at a Ceilidh (pronounced Kay-lee), where there were bagpipes, accordions, singing, and Scottish country dancers. Traditionally, families or villages would gather during the winter, supplying their own entertainment in this manner. Much of the singing was in Gaelic, but once they realized there were visitors from Delaware, they were kind enough to explain some of the songs. It is a local effort to keep alive the traditional Scottish arts.

A few just returned from a jog, and we'll gather at 8:15 for devotions before breakfast at 8:30. Tomorrow we'll be going to Airdrie for prayer meeting and morning worhsip at the Reformed Presbyterian church there, having lunch with the congregation, going for a walk (here "hike" is outdated) at Dalzell Estate, then having tea and evening worship before returning to our hostel.

We've received comments from others who are surprised at the good behavior and polite manners of our group. We're asked what kind of school and where we are from. It's a delight to be escorting this group - they are pleasant to be around, engage others in conversation, are thoughtful of others, and represent themselves well.

Good night!