There are good days and then there are bad days when all you want to do is play with kitties. Today wasn't one of those days but it didn't mean I was going pass up the chance to play with kitties!

Look, I am fully aware that the internet is full of cat pictures already and really doesn't need any more but I promise this is a genuine post. I didn't just see some cats and deem them blog-worthy. Actually, let me amend that, I would absolutely blog about random animals I see in my day to day life but I'm not sure I could successfully convince anyone that Mittens the cat is a wonder of the world (I probably could but let's not get into that right now)...

I'm pretty settled into Edinburgh now but when I was fresh to the city, this visit to Maison de Moggy was a wonderful way to explore some of the more popular areas. I'm counting this as a travel post because cat cafes are actually few and far between!

My day started out by discovering this utterly gorgeous shop called Museum Context on Victoria Street. I don't know if I've ever come across a shop so suited to me. Globes and maps and phrenology busts and typewriters and orreries and dinosaurs! Of course, every item costs an arm and a leg but that didn't stop me from dreaming. Maybe I'll save up some money and buy myself a trinket.

I think this day was the day I fell in love with the Grassmarket. Already an iconic part of Edinburgh with its ancient buildings and quaint stalls, I shouldn't have been surprised that this remains one of my favourite parts of the city but it was a gorgeous day to boot. And, you know, Maison de Moggy is right around the corner. What's not to love?

The cafe is set up with a set of two doors to prevent any kitty (or human) escaping in a way that reminded me a little of a decontamination unit on a space station. Once inside, we took of our shoes and went looking for kitties!

The cats have free roam of the cafe and can nap in hammocks, cat towers, on chairs and even in drawers! There were so many different toys to choose from and if a cat didn't want to play, they could get up high and away from humans.

Before our time slot, it had been nap time so everyone was a little sleepy still. Our visit quickly devolved into choosing our favourites...

Now, you're a sharp cookie. You may be thinking to yourself "but Emma! How can it be sanitary to have animals that use litter boxes in a cafe?!" Well, Sharp Cookie, the kitties have their own purpose built toilets with a super cute sign. They are also fenced off from the kitchen so everything is okay to eat too!

But the shop is not without its perils. Elodie, the sphynx cat, loves cake. And I mean, loves it. The staff warned us beforehand and said we should stand to eat it because she'd jump on us. And ohhhh did she. She had also learned to flip the metal covers off the little milk jugs for our tea. What a clever kitty.

Full disclosure: I did not like sphynx cats before I met Elodie. Or rather, I didn't like the idea of sphynx cats. I thought they would feel like petting skin and were relatives of Dobby the house elf. I was very wrong and I feel like I need to go forth into the world and spread the good news about this breed. Elodie was so soft! She has tiny peach fuzz all over her body and was so lively and affectionate. I've totally changed my tune.

When our hour was up, I left the cafe with the biggest smile on my face! Playing with kitties over afternoon tea - what more could you ask for on an August afternoon?! Maison de Moggy was perfect furrapy and I can't wait to go back!

I love Edinburgh. Maybe an unreasonable amount. I've never been in a city I could truthfully say I loved unequivocally before. It's nicely compact due to its geography, has beautiful, ancient buildings, incredible culture (the anticipation for August when the festival season starts in palpable), has easy access to the beach (still on my to-do list) and most importantly, has a huge hill/mountain/extinct volcano for me to climb when I get cabin fever, feel like I need to hike somewhere, stand at the top and say "hmm, yes, good".

For all of July, I sublet a flat that faces Arthur's Seat and in particular the Salisbury Crags. I got in from work repeatedly, utterly shattered, but I'd look out of the window and see the tiny, ant-sized people at the summit and walking the cliffs and convince myself that I'd go hiking the next day. 

Well, I finally got myself up there and boy, was it worth it.

Other than taking the steepest route possible by accident (take the regular route via the north side of Holyrood Park like a normal human), I'd put it as a must-do for anyone heading to Edinburgh. 360 degree view of all of city? Yes please. 

You can see everything from Edinburgh Castle (featuring stands for the Edinburgh Tattoo)...

...to Calton Hill...

...to St Margaret's Loch, Leith and the Firth of Forth.

The name Arthur's Seat is pretty unusual and its etymology is actually thought to come from King Arthur, as a possible location for Camelot... Whether or not that's true is something else entirely though. Lots of geographical features are named after King Arthur but if you want some more reliable history, you can find the ruin of St Anthony's Chapel on the sensible route to the summit. Try doing what I did and look very interested in the ruins as you kick yourself for having practically scaled the southern side of Arthur's Seat when you could have taken a gentle(ish) slope to the top... It was still worth it. 

A bit of housekeeping now. I'm sorry for being atrocious at updating! Work has certainly been keeping me busy but it has also been handing me things to write about and photograph so my to-do list has just been steadily growing. I'm all moved into my new flat now so things will be back to normal ASAP! Promise!

Normal service has been resumed!

Work took me to Luss for the Highland Games! I feel very lucky to be employed in a position that takes me to loads of interesting and beautiful places, and this trip was no exception. Luss is always a peach to photograph.  

However, this was my first Highland Games! I was excited to see all the events and generally be immersed in traditional Scottish culture. Other games held around Scotland are grander, but the Luss games were a nice mix between serious competition and a local community coming together to celebrate its heritage.

And I mean heritage. The games are still opened by the Laird of Colquhoun [Cul-hoon] who was accompanied his son and grandson and by the Helensburgh Clan Colquhoun Pipe Band (it's a good thing I don't mind bagpipes, my ears were ringing with the sound by the end of the day!).

First off was the hammer throw, similar to the 'modern' version found in the Olympics. Rather than on a wire, the weight is attached to a flexible stick. The event was pretty close with the hammer being thrown impressive distances and the following event, the shot put, proved the same.

Next up was the caber toss - arguably the most famous event of the games! I didn't know this until the announcer said so but the point of the caber toss is not the distance travelled but actually how straight you can land the caber. It's thought that this event became a part of the games as throwing the caber in a straight line would have been very useful, way back when, to create a makeshift bridge across a river out in the wilds of Scotland.

It was insanely impressive to watch (particularly when you think of all the splinters!)

Then there were more... unusual events, like the sheath toss which is basically high jump for a stack of leaves. I assume this event came from farming skills but it was still very strange to see the same competitors who had tossed the caber then pick up a pitchfork and throw a bundle of branches over their shoulders.

While all these events were happening, spectators were listening to many bagpipers play as there was also a piping competition going on. Hearing all of them play different tunes at once made everything descend into a cacophony of noise...

But the coos didn't appear to mind so much!

After the games, we departed for Hill House in Helensburgh. Unfortunately photography isn't allowed inside the house, so I can't show you the incredible art nouveau architecture and furnishings (I genuinely developed a newfound appreciation for the style when I was there) but I'd definitely recommend a visit even if you have no idea who Charles Rennie Macintosh was!

There's also a pretty nice view of the Clyde from the rose garden too! Very grateful to have gone on this trip!