Day two

After a leisurely breakfast with tour members, we were off on a ten minute walk to the Museum of Scotland, a treasure house (literally and metaphorically) of Scotland's prehistory and history. The goal was a close review of the Roman collection but inevitably one's eyes wandered to a wonderful display on Scottish post-glacial environments and the earliest settlers of Scotland. The museum highlight was the truly staggering Newstead collection from Trimontium ... wood, leatherwork, and tools in abundance. The best examples of day-to-day Roman material culture, bar none, and especially strong (because of Newstead soil preservation conditions) in items that rarely survive in the archaeological record. The afternoon was "free" and being a first-time
visitor to Edinburgh, I made the obvious choice and spent the time visiting Edinburgh Castle.
The castle offers both rich history and spectacular views. It's a favourite with travelers from all over the world (reputedly second only to the Tower of London as a UK destination) and is well-served by guidebooks and informative displays. The Romans didn't seem to pay much
attention to this natural defensive position. Roman roads passed to the east (Inveresk on the Firth of Forth) and a major fort was established at Cramond, northwest of Edinburgh.