More About Weather

Warm and Sunny

Better show this photo of warmth and sun now, before the weather turns to its cool and cloudy reputation. Unusually fine day, 71 degrees, warmest day of the year. Everyone was out. The photo shows countless people stretched out in Princes Street Gardens, the huge green park between Old Town and New Town. Actually, since we arrived almost two months ago, the weather has been terrific; most days sunny with no rain. We understand that this is the driest Spring in 50+ years.

Interestingly, these gardens used to be, back 200+ years ago, just the opposite of a park. The place was a cesspool. Literally. New Town had not yet been built. Old Town, where the castle sits high on a fortress-like hill and where the entire population of Edinburgh was squished into a very limited protected space behind the castle wall, dumped all of their waste and sewage over the side of the hill into Nor Loch (North Lake). The stench was reported to have been horrible. Add to that the air pollution from the smoke coming out of the coal fireplaces. It was so bad in fact, that Edinburgh earned the distinction of being the most polluted city in Europe. The city earned the nickname, "Auld Reekie." That is Scots for "Old Smokey" or "Old Smelly."