Visiting Edinburgh

Finally, I’ve had time to explore Edinburgh—or the Old Town part, at least. The one time I’ve been to Scotland before was on one of those “if it’s Tuesday, it’s Glasgow” tours. We stopped in Edinburgh for the night, nowhere near Old Town, and saw one of those hokey Renaissance shows over dinner. I got to taste haggis but that was about the only genuine part of the evening.

So after we parted with Mary Jo and the Mayhem Consultant in Shetland this summer, IT Guy and I traveled on for a few days in Edinburgh. We stayed at the newly renovated Bonham hotel a few blocks from the city center, just over the border in the New Town. The hotel was three Georgian town homes tied together, with an amazing view, lovely wood and sculpted plaster everywhere, plus fabulous high ceilings and windows that open. Which was good because the city was in a heat wave, there was no a/c, and “newly remodeled” means the place smelled of paint. But the room was gorgeous and the view worth every bit of the smell.

For the next few days, we walked probably five miles a day, up and down the city center and through the narrow medieval closes, and along the Royal Mile from the Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. With the crowds of summer everywhere, it’s not quite the same as following a medieval donkey wagon up the hill, but it did give a good feel of how tired people must have been before the car! I’m pretty sure everywhere we went was uphill, both ways.

We had drinks at the Tolbooth Tavern, where they once performed an exorcism so terrifying the supposed warlock died of fright, but we never met the ghost that was supposed to haunt it. We took a guided tour of the Castle, where we jostled through such huge crowds of tourists that they probably could have stormed and conquered the infamously impregnable walls. (Well, a little mead and some knights dressed as merchants managed to breach the walls, but y’know, actually climbing them—oh, wait, that can and has been done also. Oh well. It’s still a formidable sight!)

Holyrood Palace, where Mary Queen of Scots once lived, is enormous. Also gloomy and probably cold and damp in winter. Queen Victoria apparently used it as a depository for every depressing painting, old carpet, and tapestry that came her way. It might have been interesting to see how it was decorated in Queen Mary’s time in comparison. Photographs weren’t allowed inside, so you’ll just have to check the website to see some of the sumptuous hangings that surrounded Queen Vicky, who stayed there on her way to Balmoral, her vacation home in the Highlands.

Everywhere we went, guides sang the praises of Sir Walter Scott in bringing history and invention to the city, as well as for his famed books. A gothic monument to top all gothic monuments was erected for his statue, sitting prominently in the city center. Visible from everywhere, it makes a great meeting place.

Really, there was entirely too much to see and do even if we’d been able to spend a week, which we couldn’t. We never had a chance to venture inside the museums or churches or take a ghost tour through the ancient cemetery. Sounds like a good reason to go back, doesn’t it?

Have you been to Edinburgh? What did you enjoy seeing? And if you haven’t been, what would you like to see?

 

Comments

[Mary T]

Thanks for the tour. Edinburgh is one of the places I would have loved to have visited back in the day. When you visit these places it does seem like there is never enough time to see as much as you would like.

[Kathy Lynn Emerson]

My fave is the John Knox House, not that Knox ever lived there. In the 16th century it’s likely it was home to a shop and several families. Talk about living cheek by jowl!

[MaryJoPutney]

Pat, you got Edinburgh, we got Ireland--and never enough time for either of us! It's been a long time since I visited Edinburgh; it's surely time I visited again!

[Sue McCormick]

I have been there, but my one short day was marred by one of the most sever air-bourn allergy attacks I've ever had.

Still I do have great memories of the visit. We've wished to return for another visit.

And you're correct, Edinburgh is all uphill in both directions.

[Patricia Rice]

I know, we really need to spend weeks or months in each place! Life should be so long.

[Patricia Rice]

I know. At some point, we may all end up living like that again out here!

[Patricia Rice]

oh no, you didn't tell me about the allergy attack! You're usually not prone to those, are you? Wonder whatever brought it on?

[Anne Gracie]

I would love to see the Edinburgh Tattoo. Went to Edinburgh as a kid, blew through it fairly quickly as a young adult, haven't seen nearly enough of it yet. Loved the blog. More please . . .

[Patricia Rice]

OK, Typepad is playing games with me. It attributed the air-borne allergy attack to Mary Jo earlier. Now that I'm checking back in, Sue's name is on it. Sigh, technology does not like me.

So your allergy attack was in Edinburgh? That's sad. Breathing while going up and down those hills had to be painful!

[Patricia Rice]

Oh, I want to see the Tattoo too! They had the stands all set up in the courtyard but it was weeks away. We should meet at the Tattoo!

[Joanna]

I love Edinburgh we spend a few days there every year. It's easy for us we live in Newcastle so journey only 1.5 hours by train.

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

Pat -

Thanks for the tour of Edinburgh. I'm not sorry I missed the depressing palace. But I think that huge gothic monument built for Sir Walter Scott's statue was really most splendid. I'm a sucker for gothic.

[Maryellen Webber]

I was lucky enough to visit Edinburgh about 30 years ago. I have to agree that we walked up hill everywhere! Fortunately I was in better shape then! I was a guest at a wedding with the groomsmen dressed in gorgeous kilts! Bagpipes were played as the bride and groom proceeded outside, a romantic moment! I loved my tours of Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. I hope to return to Scotland once I trace my Scottish ancestors.

[Constance]

I’m lucky to have been to Edinburgh twice, 34 years ago and 2 years ago, each time in late June. The primary change we noted was the size of the crowds everywhere! Skipped the Castle this time because the lines were so long, we might still be waiting! But loved revisiting St. Giles Cathedral and the Royal Botanic Garden (a lovely spot for tea!), and went to the Scottish National Gallery for the first time, which was wonderful. Also, I was on a quest to bring back an Outlander Souvenir for a friend’s mom who is addicted to the books and the tv series. There was nothing to be found anywhere! When we made it up to Culloden a few days later, I was informed that most Scots don’t see the series because it’s on a pay per view channel there! They weren’t prepared (at least not 2 years ago) for its popularity!

[Patricia Rice]

oh, you're so lucky! That gives you time to explore without exhausting yourself.

[Patricia Rice]

you would have really loved the monument, then. It's very accessible.

[Patricia Rice]

The kilts and bagpipes are amazingly impressive. And it's so haunting to hear the pipes over the hustle and bustle of the city.

[Patricia Rice]

The crowds are truly horrific and spoiled the Castle, even though we took a tour that got us past the lines. And we saw nothing Outlander either, although we heard all about Ann Cleves and the show about her mysteries when we were in the north.

[Constance]

But somehow Jimmy Perez and the other characters in Cleeves's terrific Shetland series don't inspire the same adoration as Outlander, at least in the States. My husband and I fought over who got to read the latest in the series first, and are hoping that public tv will bring us more of the show!

[Shannon Arthur]

I usually spend one-two days in Edinburgh on my way to somewhere else in Scotland. The mile is great. I love the chapel at the castle because her son built it to commemorate his mother's memory. She apparently had an arranged marriage that became a love match that ended sadly. My last trip was to catch up on Georgian Scotland. I got to the Georgian House, and I stayed in a Georgian B&B.

Generally I go at the beginning or end of the tourist season; crowds bother me more and more as I grow older. And for some reason, tourists think I look like a local, stopping me for directions.

Did you know that there's a huge debate in Edinburgh every time there's a need to approve building a new hotel. There's a group that opposes any more hotels, arguing that the city is too crowded at the height of the season and that additional lodging is simply going to further aggravate the problem.

[Annette N]

Thank you Ma'am. You have given me quite a gift today. The descriptions, information and pictures are all wonderful. Thanks.

[Patricia Rice]

yes, the beginning or end of tourist season would have been better, but we were there because of a conference and didn't have that option. I'm a serious introvert, so crowds really bother me. I can understand the concern about squeezing in more hotels and people, but I'm going to guess that preventing hotels simply means the ones already there will charge through the roof. ;)

[Patricia Rice]

it's so very difficult to squeeze so much fascinating info into a very tiny blog!

[Teresa Broderick]

Lovely post. I visited Edinburgh once many years ago and it was a flying visit. I'd love to go back again but what you're saying about the crowds would seriously put me off. I don't like crowds at all. If I visit historic places here in Ireland I go out of season. Much more comfortable. Sounds like you had a wonderful time though.

[Andrea Penrose]

Such a fun post, Pat. There's NEVER enough time to explore all the history in a city! Your pictures give such a great feeling of dark stone—intimidating, and probably even moreso in the dead of winter. Scottish winters were likely not filled with sweetness and light.

I've been to Scotland several times, but never have made it to Edinburgh. It's also got a great art heritage, so I really want to get there soon.

[Patricia Rice]

As someone says above, it's better to go in "off" season. I didn't have a choice because we were there for a conference. Mid July was definitely not the time to go!

[Patricia Rice]

yes, we were fortunate to have sunny nice days. I'm not really up for grim and drippy. Those streets would really be dangerous!

[Cynthia Rinear Bethune]

A friend and I spent 3 days in Edinburgh way back in 1982. Everyone warned we would be cold in Scotland, but there was a heatwave while we were there and it was lovely. I remember shopping along Princes Street…and still have the royal Stewart tartan throw I bought… using it right now! We ended our stay by taking the sleeper train back to London.

[Patricia Rice]

the tartans along Princes Street are gorgeous, arent they? And in July, theres no problem with the weather!

Patricia Rice
http://patriciarice.com