Poetry - A tour with a difference

21st July 2023

Today we headed for Edinburgh to take part in a poetry tour hosted by Ken Cockburn, who has extensive experience in running poetry sessions for children and adults. It was a lovely hot day as we set off to visit historical places with meaningful characters. At each spot or chosen building Ken recited a poem which indeed made the character come to life as we experienced their way of living; albeit hardships, illness, theft and imminent death.

A Selection of Pictures

This is where we began our tour with our guide. The weather was tremendous.

We stopped at Dunbar`s Close Garden which is set in the heart of Edinburgh`s Old Town and located off the Royal Mile. This hidden gem offers a serene and peaceful environment to stroll and enjoy at your leisure.

The grave is of Robert Fergusson who was born in 1750. He was a Scottish poet who died in an asylum having suffered from mental health problems. He was just 24. Despite his short life his work and career was important in regards to his influence on Robert Burns and Robert Lewis Stevenson. Fergusson wrote in both Scottish English and the Scots language and many of his existing poems were printed from 1771 onwards. He attended the University of St Andrews where he studied English literature and excelled at mathematics. In 1789, Robert Burns paid for a gravestone to be placed on his unmarked pauper`s grave.

The Scottish Parliament Building which is situated at Holyrood, held it`s first debate in 2004. It was designed by the famous architect Enric Moralles, who sadly didn`t live to see it`s completion. The building has been criticised for being over budget and too modern. However, it has won numerous awards for it`s architecture, yet there are concerns over its structural ability in comparison to the previous Houses of Parliament.

This is the back entrance of the building and still impressive. It faces `Arthur`s Seat` which is indeed an ancient volcano that sits 251 metres above sea level. It is one of four hill forts dating back to around 2000 years ago.

This is where the tour ended. There were many areas within the old town that we visited and enjoyed Ken`s poetry. It is a tour I would recommend to others and is excellent value too. Our group and Ken then headed for refreshments.

Lovely day had by all.