Skywatch Friday - The Balmoral
Streaming clouds provide the backdrop to an Edinburgh landmark, the Balmoral Hotel. I've lived in Edinburgh long enough now to slip up occasionally and call it by its former name, the North British. It was built in 1902 as the railway hotel for the North British Railway Company, and sits beside Waverley Station. Apart from the useful information that it has a very nice cocktail bar, I can tell you two things about it:
- the clock is set fast to help travellers going for a train hurry up and get there on time. There's some debate as to whether it's 2 or 3 minutes fast. I suppose I should check for myself by looking at it when the 1 o'clock gun is fired from Edinburgh Castle.
- JK Rowling finished the final chapter of the last Harry Potter book in a suite in the hotel. The suite has now been named after her, contains her writing desk and a bust of Hermes, the Greek god of travel, signed by JKR, and you can stay there for around £1,000 a night.
That's a great building and an exquisite sky behind it. But the JKR suite is too expensive for my taste!
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that every hotel I'd like to stay in costs $1,000 per night? Sigh...
ReplyDeletefun post
ReplyDeletewe live near one of Brussels' best American style diners, the Balmoral!
have a great evening and week!
Love that sky but I'll go for a cheaper room in the hotel! ;-)
ReplyDeleteLove the clouds you've captured!
ReplyDeleteHi LInda, So glad you stopped by for a visit. I do a lot of Genealogy work on my ancestors.. The Bruce side of my family all came from Scotland ---so I am thrilled to hear from you. Please come back to my blog and I'll return to yours..
ReplyDeleteThat hotel is fantastic ---and I was amused when reading about the clock... Interesting also about the Rowling Suite in the hotel... Wonder if I paid to stay in that suite IF I could gain some of her knowledge.... ??? HA HA
Thanks again, Linda.
Hugs,
Betsy
Great picture, I love the clouds on the sky.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day
Nordis
I am so happy to see you back! You know how I love ALL things 'Scotland!' Especially YOU!!!
ReplyDeleteFabulous shot.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photo and a most useful thing to have a clock a few minutes fast near the railway station!
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