Lineage of the Empress of the North

         There are few cities that can truly be described as "fairytale," leaving visitors enchanted and longing for the opportunity to return. Edinburgh, capital city of Scotland, possesses that mystic ability. It's difficult to explain, which I find to be strange given the literary history of the city (home to many great authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and J.K. Rowling), but I suppose that proves the success of such a place. It is a crossroads between worlds, nestled between north and south, land and sea, stone and forest.
          Perhaps it is something in the blood that beckons me to this place, the heart of an ancestral land. I have never known much of my family's history, despite multiple pleas to look into it. However, while I was in Edinburgh I was able to trace some of my heritage back to the Walker clan (famously known for its shortbread company). The Thompson part remains a mystery, as there are several families it lays claim to. Thankfully I have the good fortune to be able to return to this city with my family for Christmas, and hopefully then we will have learned more of our connection to the past in this capital that Sir Walter Scott called "Yon Empress of the North." Thus this post exists as a promise of further exploration not only of the city and my lineage, but of the rest of Scotland. 

Open your mind, be brave, and be kind. 
- Noah