Edinburgh, Scotland | 10:14

I had a great sleep last night but was woken a bit too early. At about 07:00 or 07:15, construction started working in the room next to ours, and there was loud banging. I’d only wished that they would have held off for a bit, but no big deal. I got up and headed to breakfast. The twins have checked out and are on their way to Glasgow. Chin has checked out as well and is on his way to London. I don’t check out until tomorrow, and I’m not sure what today will bring.

Tonight I think I’ll get some more bangers and mash! I’ve known about bangers and mash (sausages with mashed potatoes) for years, but didn’t know why they called the sausages ‘bangers’. Well, I found out yesterday, and I’m that much smarter. Back during “the war” (I’m not sure if they’re referring to WWI or WWII), food in Scotland was getting scarce, and they needed to find a way to stretch what food they had further. They started adding water to their sausages to make them bigger. When they would cook the sausage on the stove, the water would come into contact with the hot pan and pop or “BANG!” Thus- sausages became “bangers.” Now you know everything I know.

14:12

I found lunch at The World Famous Maggie Dickson’s Pub. I had never heard of it, but when I went in I saw that her story had been posted on one of the walls:
In 1723 Margaret Dickson, a fish hawker in Edinburgh, left the town to visit relatives after being deserted by her husband. On the way south, she stopped off in Kelso at an Inn to break the journey. She stayed a while and worked in return for her board and lodgings. While she was there, Maggie formed a relationship with the landlady’s son and fell pregnant with his child.

This was not in her contract of employment, so she concealed the fact that she was expecting, and in time the child was born prematurely. When the baby died a few days later, she was determined to throw the body into the River Tweed. Losing her nerve, she laid the baby at the water’s edge.

The body was discovered later that day and traced back to Maggie. Arrested and tried under the 1690 Concealment of Pregnancy Act, she was sentenced to be hanged in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh, on 2nd September 1724.

Maggie was hanged, and after her death was pronounced, the body was to be taken to Musselburgh for burial. On the way there, the funeral party heard noises from Maggie’s coffin. On opening the coffin, they found Maggie to be very much alive!

Recovering to full health, she was allowed to live as it was seen to be God’s will that she survives. Living the rest of her days in Edinburgh, she was known by all as the celebrated ‘Half-Hangit Maggie’!

19:33

I did a bit more exploring, and I have to admit that I was a little bit sad. Tomorrow I have to leave this city is making me somewhat emotional. I guess all I can do is start planning my next trip to this beautiful country. It may not be for a year, or three years, five years or ten years from now, but I’ve started to plan my next visit.

As promised, my “last meal” was back at Monster Mash for some more bangers and mash. This time, however, the bangers were pork & blue cheese, and the second one was a Moroccan lamb. The mash had grain mustard mixed in, and it was great! I topped it all off with onion gravy this time.