In class, we talked about the many ways that the railway transformed everyday experience in the Victorian period. One of the less obvious but very important effects was that train travelers saw their country from a new perspective – that of a fast moving train. Never before had people moved on land faster than a horse can run. Now they saw the majestic countryside flying past. Here are some photos from our breathtaking train ride up to Edinburgh.
The other photos above are from Arthur’s Seat, a large hill near Edinburgh. It’s not hard to see why this region was the birthplace of geology. The majestic mountains and cliffs would make anyone wonder what they’re made of and how they got there. Our guide explained the different ways that Edinburgh’s rock formations came to be: some were dug out by icebergs, some were layers of sediment flipped on their sides, and some came from a volcano. It was these rocks that led James Hutton to his revolutionary ideas about how the earth evolves over time. The rich geological history only adds to the stunning beauty of the region.
