The last few days that we were in Scotland we spent in Edinburough. This is the capital of Scotland. Edinburough Castle is on Castle Rock towering above the rest of the city, and as a result is virtually impossible to capture. Only once in it's history has it fallen into enemy hands, and then it was due to a traitor inside, not because it's defenses were breached. Holyrood Palace is the Queen's official Scotish residence and it stands at the end of the Royal Mile down from the Castle. It is so named, because a Scottish King of olden times was hunting boar and was wounded. He fell from his horse and was about to be trampled by the boar, when he cried out "Christ save me!" Legend has it that at that moment, a stag appeared before him and scared away the boar, and when he turned to face the king between his antlers was hovering a holy rood, or a cross, and the king built a monastary on that spot. The monastary was gradually added onto and became a residence. Along the Royal Mile between these two great buildings is the Old Town. This, along the river, and inside the city walls, is were Edinburgs lived for years. Many of the buildings are 10 stories or more up, and just as many stories underground. By the 1800s without proper sanatiation and running water, it was getting unbearable. The wealthier constructed fancy homes with yards on the other side of the river, and it became known as the New Town. All the poor were condeemed to live in the older buildings which became known as the Old Town. When plagues came through there were many instances where the city fathers would just brick up an area leaving those inside to die in the dark. Many of these areas still have not been reopened, and ghost tales and tours abound in the lower levels of the Old Town.