Edinburgh, Scotland's World Class City
Written: Feb 25 '00 (Updated Jan 24 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful, historic, friendly city.
Cons: None noted.
The Bottom Line: Edinburgh, the city of Sir Walter Scot and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is Scotland's most charming destination
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| Howard_Creech's Full Review: Edinburgh |
Edinburgh, pronounced Edin-"Burr"-uh, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. A wonderfully preserved medieval "old city" that climbs the famous castle hill, and beneath that the "new city", built in Georgian times. Princess Street and it's imposing gorge, The "closes" or multi level alleyways of the old city, the view of the city and the dark blue waters of the Firth of Forth from the walls of the castle, all are part of the balance between the old and new that Edinburgh is famous for. The "auld reekie" (named by Robert Burns for the persistent pallor of coal smoke that hung over the city) is Scotland's most charming city.
My wife and I took the "Flying Scotsman" up from London. This was something that I had always wanted to do, ever since seeing Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps" for the first time as a teenager. We stayed in an 18th century Georgian Rowhouse Bed & Breakfast in the "new town" in which each of the four guest rooms had a different size bell at the front desk. If you wanted something, you tugged on a cord in your room and the mistress of the house knew which guest was in need of attention by the sound of the bell. Shortly after our late afternoon arrival, our hostess knocked at our door with tea and cookies. The breakfasts were to die for, eggs, bacon & sausage, beans, tomatoes, toast, oatmeal, scones, and dozens of other selections. We left our B&B well fortified to explore the city of Sir Walter Scott, and Arthur Connan Doyle.
Edinburgh is best seen on foot, the old town, castle, churches and cemeteries are so well preserved that walking around is like "time traveling" back to an earlier age. There are dozens of historic pubs in the old town, whose ambiance, decor, great beer, and patrons make everyone feel welcome. One of the best is the "Ensign Ewart", (521 Lawnmarket) named for the NCO who singlehandely captured the French battle standard at Waterloo. I would advise caution when eating in Scotland because the food is "different" to the point of strangeness. Haggis, the Scottish national dish is sheep liver, chopped leeks, and oatmeal sowed into a sheep's stomach and boiled. Take my word for it, it tastes awful. The new town, and especially Princess street, are what most visitors start with. A walk along Edinburgh's premier shopping street with the Castle looming above you, is not to be missed. The new town is laid out in in typical organized Georgian fashion, miles of row houses, beautiful public spaces, the "Royal Mile", and (just a couple minutes walk from the western end of Princess Street) under the Tellford Bridge, at the bottom of Edinburgh's famous gorge, is the Hamlet of Dean. A lovingly restored "old time" village in the center of a large city. The river Leith runs along the edge of the village and the water is clean and cold enough to support a healthy population of trout.
Less than an hour from Edinburgh lies the island of Inchcolm, home to a ruined 13th century abbey church and a huge population of protected birds.
Puffins, Comorants, Gannets, Oyster Catchers, Gulls, and Terns fill the skies and rocky cliffs of ancient Inchcolm. Common Seals and Grey Seals swim in the small bay and sun themselves on the many rocky outcrops that jut above the surface of the Firth of Forth. Sailboats with brightly colored sails are seen in every direction on pretty, sunny days. Inchcolm is reached by ferry, the helpful Scottish Tourist Board folks at the train station will help you make all the arrangements.
When we left Edinburgh, we wanted to try a "sleeper" on the "Flying Scotsman", and for less than the cost of an average hotel room you can sleep away the the trip back to London in style in a private sleeper compartment. When you arrive in London, in the early morning, your conductor will awaken you with a cup of hot chocolate, a couple Walkers shortbread cookies, and a copy of the London Times.
If you enjoyed reading this European Travel Review, please read my other European Travel Reviews:
France
Paris
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The Camargue
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Italy
Venice
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Volterra
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Bomarzo
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Spain
Catalonia/Catalunya
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Germany
Bavaria (Oberpfalz)
http://www.epinions.com/content_17703145092
Belgium
Bruges
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Scotland
Edinburgh
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Recommended:
Yes
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Howard_Creech
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Member: Howard Creech
Location: Louisville, KY
Reviews written: 334
Trusted by: 1275 members
About Me:
Photographer/Writer fascinated by Movies, Music, Books, American Diner Food, History, "Popular Culture", and Travel.
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