Thursdayday 24 October 2024--It's a drive of about an hour and a half from Anstruther to Edinburgh. Europcar has moved their in-town location from the car park behind Waverley Station, right across East Market Street from our hotel, to one in St James Quarter, just down Leith Street from Princes Street. (There used to be a shopping and office complex there, the St James Centre, which was torn down a few years back and replaced with another shopping and office complex, called St James Quarter. This is progress.) There's another rental agency housed at the East Market location, but Europcar was enough cheaper to justify the half-mile walk. The lad who checks us in looks the car over, and announces that I am to be charged for a prominent scratch above the left rear fender. In fact, the car had scratches all over it, and badly damaged wheel covers, when we picked it up. It took me ten photos to document them all. I show the lad the appropriate photo, proving the scratch is not mine, and he lets me go. What a scam--Europcar can charge customer after customer for the same damage, or even new damage to already-damaged panels, without ever repairing any of it. I guess that's how they keep the rates low.

Clackety-clack goes my large rolling duffel behind me, through the shopping center, across Princes Street, through the rail station, and out the back to the hotel. It's too early to check in, so we drop our bags and go up to Royal Mile Whiskies to say hello to Mark. Then to the Bow Bar for a pint, and then back to the hotel to check in and take a short nap.

Ron suggests the Standing Order for dinner. I've had about enough of Mr J D Wetherspoon, but offer only token objection. It's quick and easy. From there, we go to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's rooms on Queen Street for a couple of drams, and then to the Oxford Bar for a pint. On the way back to the hotel, we pop into Brewdog for a nightcap. I want to hate Brewdog because they think they're so hip, but I like the Hazy Jane IPA too much.