Chrismanay

Having spent most of Christmas indoors, cuddled up by my parents’ wood-burning fireplace, I came back such a wuss that I couldn’t sleep in my bed anymore without the heating on. I was permanently cold and boring, and felt very much like just sitting it out, hibernating until spring. But it only took one motivational blog article (click) to get me up on my feet again, go outside, and do winter.

So last night after work I grabbed the Scotsman, who had been quite obliging lately and even went to the ballet with me, and up we went Calton Hill to watch the late Christmas Market and early Hogmanay shenanigans from afar, and maybe some star gazing. I thought it a good idea to then share my romantic proposal story from when I had visited Edinburgh for the first time and witnessed a guy on his knee asking for his ladies’ hand on top of Calton Hill, very likely during sunset, but others might correct me.

However, the Scotsman has toughened up since meeting me and is not as easily scared anymore. But he did ask nervously half-jokingly if I was going to propose to him. It didn’t help that I really wanted to go up the hill even though it was very icy in places and we had to drag ourselves up the path on the hand rail. I thought it was good fun. Also, the monuments were strangely illuminated, with the National Monument changing colours from red to orange, moving spotlights, and the Nelson Monument in blue and pink. When we were almost at the top music started to play: the title song from the latest Bond movie, Skyfall, which is set in parts in Scotland and has a great finale in a Scottish castle.

It was ridiculously perfect - wrapped up warm, a clear, crisp night with great views over Edinburgh with its Christmas lights, music playing, a light show, and just the two of us.

And a few terribly bored guys who were preparing sound and lights for the following evening’s torchlight procession which would finish on top of Calton Hill. Only 24 hours later the hill would be crowded with people spoiling the views, and parts of the hill would be closed to the public anyway. The bored guys started to chat with us and almost didn’t let us leave - but off we went to enjoy the scenery a bit more and then to a pub where I learned how to pronounce another great Islay whisky: Bunnahabhain (click).