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Edinburgh, Scotland By Jan Butsch Schroder It’s cold, rainy and gray and the sheep outnumber the men by 5 to 1. Would this tropical-blooded Southern girl really go to a place like this on purpose? Yes, and I’d return to Edinburgh, Scotland faster than you can get a Scotsman to down a wee dram of whiskey.
My stepson was studying at the University of Edinburgh for the spring semester. My husband and I wanted to visit and it seemed that March was the only time we could go. My hesitation about the dreadful weather was overcome by the way I saw people’s faces light up when I mentioned our trip. “That is my favorite city,” they said. So with a suitcase stuffed with old cashmere sweaters, a few hand knit scarves, gloves, long underwear and a long down coat, we were Scotland bound. Without much of an itinerary in mind other than: 1) drink many pints of beer, 2) avoid haggis and 3) see sheep, we were free to explore at our whim. Our first day was surprisingly sunny so we scraped our plans to tour the city in favor of climbing Arthur’s Seat, a rock formation that you can climb up to have the best views of Edinburgh. After a short walk from our guesthouse, we saw some steps that led vertically up the mountain. After chatting with a friendly local, we were assured there was an easier, more scenic path around the back. The views from the top were spectacular and well worth the 823-foot climb. The rest of the afternoon we wondered down to the Royal Mile and headed to the Visitor’s Centre to get a feel for the town. We loved the busy sidewalks, and the warm, inviting smells emanating from the many shops that sell baked potatoes. I wonder if people buy a couple of small spuds sometimes just to warm up their frigid fingers? Edinburgh is divided into Old Town and New Town, still called that despite its development in the 18th century. Although we rode the bus through New Town, we primarily remained in Old Town, which dates back to the 12th century. The Royal Mile runs one gently sloping mile – from the Edinburgh Castle at one end to the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the other. In between are shops, restaurants, offices, pubs and hidden alleys, also called closes, all dating way back before Christopher Columbus’s great grandparents had even started courting. Edinburgh is a city best explored on foot and you could spend an entire day just wandering around these mysterious passages. After all this walking it was time for a visit to a real Scottish pub, so we stopped in the Café Royal Circle Bar, a Victorian-era pub where we had a cheese platter, squash soup and the first of many Scottish pints.
You can’t visit Edinburgh without visiting its most looming monument – the castle. A lot of the displays, here and many other Scottish sites, are of military history. It seems that in addition to wearing kilts, drinking whiskey and raising sheep, the Scots loved to go around killing each other. That stuff interested me not a whit, but I enjoyed walking through the castle and seeing the Scottish Crown Jewels. Especially fascinating was the area where the prisoners were kept. A sign informed us that each prisoner got 1 ½ pounds of bread, ¾ pound beef and 2 pints of beer a day, the latter perhaps designed to keep them peacefully napping in their hammocks. Every day for 145 years the One o’Clock gun is fired in front of the castle and while we were there Bombardier Allison Jones made Scottish history by being the first woman to fire it! At the opposite end of the Royal Mile is The Palace at Holyroodhouse, which was founded as a monastery in 1128 and is now the Queen’s official residence when she visits Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scots, who became queen as the age of six days, way too early to even enjoy wearing the pretty crown, lived here from 1561. After royally messing up her romantic and political life she fled from Scotland in 1567 only to be put in jail in England and sentenced to death by her own cousin, Elizabeth I. If you’d like to see the most controversial building built in recent history, visit the fantastically over budget, publicly vilified $925 million Scottish Parliament building, opposite Holyroodhouse, which was completed in 2004. One of the most interesting sites is not to be found in a guidebook and doesn’t even have a marker – the Chinese restaurant on Nicolson Street that used to be Nicolson’s Coffee Shop, where J. K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter. It seems her flat was not heated so she would spend her days here, creating the fantasy world of Hogwarts, perhaps modeled after the nearby George Heriot’s School, which was founded in 1628. Visitors aren’t allowed but it’s fun to pass by and imagine a game of quidditch on the expansive front lawn. Our first hotel, Southside Guest House, was near the university and was quite charming. Innkeeper Franco fixed a lovely cooked-to-order breakfast each morning and was happy to help with any directions. My only caveat was to warn you of the room on the top floor where we were. A loud water pump was a wee bit of an annoyance, particularly in its unpredictability, but the location, reasonable price and charm compensated for it. Later in the week we moved to The Point Hotel. Renovated from its previous incarnation as a department store, it was all Scottish traditional on the outside but the interior was minimalist, with bright red and yellow accent walls, like a box of Crayola crayons had exploded on an Ian Schrager design. Located right below the castle, most of the rooms have amazing views, which are particularly magical at night. We ate at many good restaurants and Edinburgh has a range of ethnic cuisines to choose from. One night my husband treated his son, his stepson’s girlfriend and me for a joint birthday celebration and we ate at The Tower. Located at the top of the Museum of Scotland, it has lovely views and excellent food. I love to visit the theater when we travel, even more than shopping. (Well, I did manage to put in some major time at the H&M here, which was totally awesome, a fact not appreciated by my husband. whom I had left waiting for me for 45 minutes, a major tactical error on my part.) Anyway, we picked up a local free paper and found a production of Present Laughter, playing at King’s Theatre. Simon Callow, the Scotsman who danced himself to death and was the funeral in “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” played the lead. We loved the play and enjoyed the chance to see this beautiful theater. Here are just a few of my random observations from my first visit to Edinburgh.
As for our initial itinerary? We managed the beer drinking and sheep-seeing, but my husband, being in an adventurous mood, opted for a bit of haggis sausage at breakfast one morning. He pronounced it tolerable – for a bite or two. If You Go www.toscotland.com Edinburgh Information Centre Accommodations: The Point: All Scottish charm on the exterior and modern, minimalist design with Crayola colors on the interior, the location is just a few blocks from the Royal Mile. Our room had a magical view of Edinburgh Castle – be sure to request one when booking. Southside Guest House. Housed in an 1860’s home, this guesthouse has a perfect location for walking or taking the bus to just about everything. The full sit-down breakfast is delicious. www.southsideguesthouse.co.uk/ Restaurants The Tower Restaurant. Spoon. Kebab Mahal Sites Edinburgh Castle The Palace of Holyroodhouse The Scottish Parliament Travelgirl tip: If you’re doing a lot of sightseeing, consider purchasing a pass. The Edinburgh pass offers free entry to more than 30 attractions and free bus transport. The cost is 20 pounds for a one-day pass, 36 pounds for two days and 45 for three. Purchase at www.edinburgh.org/pass If you’re traveling outside of Scotland, buy an Explore pass that saves you on admission to 75 of Scotland’s historic properties, including Edinburgh, Stirling and Urquhart Castles. Prices start at 13.50 pounds. |
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