Edinburgh

We have often taken a train into London and I can tell you the car park cost more than the £1.00 we were charged at Leuchars, our son’s ticket was more than £1.00 and the scenery whilst waiting for the train to arrive was not nearly as relaxing…..

We visited just before the Edinburgh Festival kicked off, it was therefore before it became really busy, but that’s not to say it was quiet! There is a lovely buzz about the city, it always feels a more friendly place to visit than London, but then that’s generally the case in Scotland from my experience. Here you are much more likely to get talking to strangers in the street and to not say hello on your morning walk is more likely to mark you out as a tourist than anything else.

Arriving in Edinburgh I never know where to start, there is always so much to see and do, best thing is just to bimble and see where the wandering takes you. In our case the first stop was the Scott Monument, a Victorian Gothic construction which stands at over 200 hundred feet and was built as a tribute to the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. To get up to the viewing platform means tackling my nemesis, the spiral stone staircase.

I have always disliked them, mainly because they feel to me to be so unsafe – especially if there is someone coming the other direction!! But, like flying, you can’t let these things get the better of you, so hubby went to check out a gallery whilst my boy and I climb our way as high as we were allowed to go. Sadly this was not to the very top and it had to be done in a group, due to a mixture of people being taken ill whilst up there and vandalism of the monument. If there was an upside to this it was the brief bit of history from the guide and the fact there was no chance of having to cross on the stairs!

The views are brilliant, definitely worth the climb, looking over Waverley Station and Princes Street Gardens, out to Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh Castle, it’s a shame you are limited on the time you spend up there as it really is mesmerising.

We were lucky to get such a beautiful day, I can’t imagine it would have been as much fun, or the view as good, if the rain had hit. As it was we were able to ramble about exploring, stopping in the Grassmarket to eat outside, at the Black Bull. Enjoying a nice chilled glass of wine and a chat and a gentleman passes by, all dress up on a beautiful grey horse, led by a young girl….. ten minutes later the say gentleman returns, minus the horse and the girl…. A perfect place to people watch, I can imagine it being even more fun during the festival!

Edinburgh is not only a good place to watch people, but if you keep your eyes open you will see some amazing architecture, interesting shops and funny little quirks. So many people will visit and yet barely scratch the surface of the treasures which just waiting to be discovered. I remember years ago visiting the Old Town, back when the entrance was just a door like any other front door. You would meet at the top of the hill and the guide would walk you down and through to discover the streets which remain, covered over and buried by the modern city. Nowadays it is all quite commercial and although they now make it ‘an experience’ I do think it’s detracted from the atmosphere it used to have. It can be really quite spooky, with the room filled with small dolls and toys for the little girl, abandoned by her family, supposedly still haunted by her. I seem to remember they even filmed an episode of Most Haunted there, although I’m not sure they ever captured any evidence of anything…

Everywhere you look there is something to see, one day is not enough, next time we will have to make sure we have longer to spend there as there will always be something new, whether it is one of the new Harry Potter shops, where you can buy a Butter Beer and a Gryffindor scarf……