Day 2 began bright and early at 7am with a wake up call from the teachers.  Everyone slept well and those who had not showered on the first night were asked to shower before breakfast.  An hour later the children headed down for breakfast.  Some had clearly showered and a few thought wetting their hair would pass for a shower.

A splendid spread for breakfast ensured everyone had something to eat and with full cooked breakfasts and cereal safely tucked away we left for Edinburgh city.

Neil our guide regaled us with fantastic stories about the city and its inhabitants.  The children were very respectful and listened intently.  A few tried to catch up on the sleep they’d missed out on yesterday.  Neil led us up to the castle and told us more facts about the buildings and weaponry on display.  It was all going brilliantly until we came out of the dungeons to a very persistent drizzle.  Taking shelter in some of the less attractive buildings which showcased the uniforms worn through the ages we managed to hold out until 12:45pm.  At this point we had no choice but to face the elements if we were going to watch the 1 o’clock gun being fired.

Drenched and hungry we returned to the coach and our very kind driver allowed the children to eat their lunch on board as we made our way to Deep Sea World.

In Deep Sea World we began with the underwater walkway.  This automatic conveyor system winds its way through a tubular bubble like pathway under the aquarium.  On all sides and above the children could see sand tiger sharks, rays and many other species of fish.  Divers were also in the water feeding the sharks which was great to see.

After the aquarium we spent half an hour in a shark talk and some of the children shared their own extensive knowledge about sharks with the staff.  This was followed by the chance to observe a training session in the seal sanctuary and finally the much anticipated visit to the shop.

With the pic ’n’ mix stall utterly decimated we boarded the coach and made our way back to the hotel.  As it was a little early for dinner our driver took us to see the Kelpies.  This impressive 30m high sculpture set in a relatively newly developed area of parkland was well worth the visit and gave the children a chance to burn off some energy.

Back at the hotel there was time to change out of damp clothes and get ready for dinner and an evening at the bowling alley.

Teams of six were formed over dinner and boasts and challenges aired (mostly by the teachers).

Then it was off to see who would be crowned Kingpin.

800 bowling balls later and almost the same number of slushies and we had some very happy winners.  However Josh stole the show as he celebrated a string of strikes with some really fancy dance moves.  It was just a pity we didn’t get the camera out quick enough to capture them.

Back at the hotel the children were sent off to get ready for bed and have a little down time before lights out.

Another fantastic day with a super group of kids!