A day out in Edinburgh

We're down in Livingston* on holiday for a while. It's a good opportunity to catch up with family and friends in what is a quiet time business wise. We've got a few renovations planned to get ready for an extremely full New Year** period, and plenty of r & r too.

We headed into Edinburgh today to take a tour round the parliament at Holyrood, and also visit the "Heart of the Great Alone" exhibition at the Queens Gallery at Holyrood House. The parliament is worth a visit, the building makes much more sense when it is explained to you. The various buildings are meant to represent the leaves on a tree, showing the link with the natural landscape, and the theme is continued within in leaf-shaped windows, complete with metal 'veins'. There is a lot of emphasis placed on our links with the sea too, with the roofs being shaped like upturned boats etc. The debating chamber is fantatic, all open plan and wood to show transparency. It's all free too - why not take in a committee meeting, parliamentary debate or follow it all on Holyrood TV :0

The exhibition at the Queens Gallery is amazing too. It's humbling to think these explorers - Scott, Shackleton and men, undertook such arduous voyages and experiences. With no back up communication it must have been like stepping off the ends of the earth and the resourcefulness, raw courage and endurance is unimaginable today.

I moan sometimes when I'm lying in bed in Glencoe listening to the rain hammering down, or the midgies gnawing at the windows trying to get in, but I definitely need to get some perspective on it!

* No, really
**We're full for Hogmanay 2009, and the hostel is now booked for 2010. Only the bunkhouse and cabin left...