Edinburgh

I'm having such trouble spelling the name of this city, I don't know why as I didn't before. Yesterday was Sunday and I had the whole day free. I got the bus into Prince's Street, wandered into the Royal Mile for a coffee, sat outside on a terrace and got a wet bottom as it had rained; actually it rained quite a lot yesterday, although it wasn't at all cold.
Anyway, my plan was to walk to the Botanic Gardens, but I came across the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on the way. The top floor has a gallery of 16th-17th century portraits, including one I'd not seen anywhere before of Margaret Tudor; Henry VII's elder daughter who was given in marriage to the king of Scotland. She was Mary Queen of Scot's grandmother.  The portrait is of a stout redheaded lady, her husband; I'm not sure if it's the king or her second husband, and a servant in Henry VIII's livery. Margaret has a little sprig of flowers in her dress: a carnation or pink (I think they called it a gillyflower) and rosemary (Shakespeare said rosemary for remembrance).
Unfortunately, there wasn't a postcard of it, and I can't find it online. Update: Here's a link to a blog with Margaret's story: http://garethrussellcidevant.blogspot.com.es/2010/10/october-18th-1541-death-of-margaret.html
and I've found a black and white copy of the picture:

I've had a nice reply to my enquiry to the Scottish Portrait Gallery: 

Thank you for your email enquiry regarding the painting of Margaret Tudor. It is believed that the gentleman in the portrait is Margaret’s third husband Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven. Yes the portrait is from the Bute Collection from Mount Stuart and as a result there has been little research done on the painting.

The painting is by an unknown artist and dates to 1535-40, painted on oil on panel. Margaret married Lord Methven in 1528 after divorcing Archibald Douglas in the same year for reasons of neglect and infidelity and so the date of the painting ties in with the identification of the gentleman as Margaret’s third husband. The date is based on the costume, particularly that of Margaret Tudor’s.

Previously the gentleman was thought to be John Stewart, Duke of Albany who was Regent of Scotland from about 1514 – 1524 before the young James V (Margaret’s son) began his majority. After losing the regency he lived mainly in France where he died in 1536. Considering Albany’s exile in France from 1524 it is unlikely that he would have sat for a portrait with the Dowager Queen at the time the portrait was painted. I’m sure you will agree the portrait is very enigmatic and there is a great deal of symbolism, the pink carnation, the purse, ink pots, gold pieces, the medal Margaret where which depicts a scene of Susanna and the Elders. It certainly merits an in depth study.

While I was in the gallery it rained, and later when I stopped in a pub for lunch (the Orchard), but I think that was the last bout of rain. In the Botanic Gardens it was damp but not actually wet.
Here are some of my photos of these lovely, fairly wild-type gardens.

Britain's biggest plant fossil

Part of the lovely Physic Gardens

I must find out what these are

amazing gates!

At the bus stop, opposite the entrance to the gardens, a baseball game in the park.