Peregrinator Mark: 'Stuck' in Edinburgh

After waiting two hours exposed to the wind on a freezing train platform in Leuchars because the tiny station's waiting room was locked, I began to wonder why the Scots had to close the rail station in St Andrews back in the 1960s. Surely there are enough students and tourists who would like descent access between St Andrews and the rest of the world to make the investment worth their while. Instead of being able to walk to the rail station from a heated hotel or flat just before the train arrives, everyone has to figure out the bus tables and sit in the cold for half an hour or longer in Leuchars. On this particular day, my new wool cap was pulled all the way down so that it covered my neck and cheeks and almost my eyes. There was a golden 'Scotland' with a lion on the front, which I'm sure made me look like a genuine local. The sign over the platform kept changing its mind about how long we would have to wait before the train arrived. At first it was thirty minutes, but then it was forty and then sixty. The platform became more and more crowded. At least the train was running. The road bridge running over the Firth of Forth was closed so that the only easy access to Edinburgh was with the train. Once the train arrived, everyone shoved their way into the few remaining seats. It wasn't the most crowded train ride I had ever been on because I at least had some leg space by the door. As we moved further inland, the snow was deeper on each platform. The less-used stations had snow a couple feet deep on the platforms so that anyone using that station would have to plow their way through as soon as they stepped off the train. We finally made it to Edinburgh, but the station was a mess. I knew that we'd have to wait forever to get a taxi, and our hotel was just up the hill. I had walked it before with more luggage. It is a huge pain to walk it so that £5 for a taxi for two isn't that big of a deal, but I was tired of waiting in the cold. Unfortunately, the sidewalks were completely covered with snow and ice. Mom had trouble pulling her luggage. She eventually had me rush up with the bigger pieces of luggage to the hotel and then come back down to pull the small luggage up in a second round. I was cold, exhausted, and wet. Meanwhile, the weather back home in Mississippi was probably close to 75º F (23º C). The airport was closed as the snow kept coming in so that our flight was cancelled. We were stuck in Edinburgh for a couple more days. On this first night, we went walking around the block to take photographs.