The Balmoral Hotel

The Balmoral Hotel has an interesting history.

Like many of its nature it started life as a railway hotel called the Northern British (Railway Hotel).

It is still positioned right above the main station Waverley.

It has a clock which runs 3 minutes late to help passengers.

Forte Hotel Group acquired it and then Granada, when they took over Forte.

Rocco Forte reacquired in 1993, it was opened by Sean Connery, son of an Edinburgh milkman.

There is a photo of Sean Connery in Dr No holding Ursula Andress in a headstand in my room.

It had a £23m refurbishment but look carefully and you can see signs of its earlier state.

Today after using the pool we ventured out with Alice to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

This is a good way of appreciating fine portraiture, Scottish history and the ‘Great Scots’ like James Boswell, Sir Walter Scott, Gladstone and – more controversially – Earl Haig.

Winston Churchill, as Dundee’s MP, is also pictured.

For our final blow-out dinner we chose Timberyard in the shadows of The Castle, which – after walking the Royal Mile – we saw on all its glory.