Day 3 From the Royal Mile to the Royal Yacht to the Royal Golf Course

Yesterday was Edinburgh and its famous Royal Mile.  Today we visited the Royal Yacht, the HMY Britannia, and the 'royal-ist' of all golf courses, the 600 year old St. Andrews Old Course. 

Her Majesty's yacht Britannia is the former royal yacht of the British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, in service from 1954 to 1997.  She was the 83rd vessel since King Charles II acceded to the throne in 1660.  During her 43 year career, the yacht traveled more than a million nautical miles around the globe which is equivalent to circumnavigating the earth every year.

Today, she is museum ship and events venue permanently berthed at Ocean Terminal, Leith in Edinburgh, and is visited by more than 300,000 tourists each year.  A great tour of a formerly great vessel, who's time has come and gone in the modern world.

The Royal parlor.  Although  The Britannia sailed until 1997 with a crew of almost 250,
the furnishing and feel of the Royal Yacht are distinctly the 1950's.

The engine room was as clean and polished as the rest of the ship.

The Royal dining room.  The likes of Reagan, Clinton, Gandhi, and Yeltsin, plus, of course all the Royal Family

The afternoon was spent at St. Andrews.  The Old Course at St. Andrews is considered by many to be the "home of golf"  because the sport was first played on the Links at St. Andrews in the early 15th century. Golf was becoming increasingly popular in Scotland until in 1457, when James II of Scotland banned golf because he felt that young men were playing too much golf instead of practicing their archery.  The ban was upheld by the following kings of Scotland until 1502 when King James IV became a golfer himself and removed the ban.

It is on the "bucket list" of any golfer who is more serious about his game then he is about his money.  Although not on any of our bucket lists we have now played St. Andrews and it cost us a British Pound each. (senior rate).

This is the iconic shot of the 18th hole.

A foursome playing on the fairway next to us.

Tom posing on the world-famous 700 year old bridge on the 18th hole.  I did not feel worthy.

Gloria "setting up a putt" close to the 18th hole.

Action shot of me, I just pulled the trigger on this putt.

Relaxing after our 18 holes of golf at St. Andrews

Now, the rest of the story........You will notice we were not in our golfing attire. Baggy jeans, long sleave shirts or coats and no golf shoes.  St. Andrews boasts 7-18 hole championship golf courses, and an 8th.  The Himalaya Course.   We played the Himalaya.  It is an 18 hole putting green!  Himalayan because there are lots of ups and downs between the holes.  Sorta like miniature golf  without the windmills and concrete sides.  We played St. Andrews...............sorta!