Edinburgh - A Scottish Adventure
Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland located on the banks of the Firth of Forth, home to the Scottish Parliament, the world-famous Fringe festival and the destination of my latest travelling adventure. It occurred to me earlier this year, that I have now seen far more of New Zealand than I have done of my own country, the United Kingdom, and so I have made it a mission to rectify this, beginning with Scotland. I spent five days here, which was plenty of time to see the city of Edinburgh. Home to some half a million people, Edinburgh is divided into the Old Town and the New Town, separated by Princes Street Gardens. While the New Town is nice enough, the Old Town is where it's really at, in my opinion at least. Think cobbled streets, lanes, stone buildings hundreds of years old, quirky cafés and shops. The atmosphere reminded me of European towns such as Bruges or Amsterdam, not quite what I expected of Scotland!
See The Sights
Some of the city's major attractions include Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat, and are all well worth a visit. Edinburgh Castle, which dates from the 12th Century, perches high above the city at the top of the Royal Mile and can't really be missed! Even if you don't fancy paying the entrance fee, you can still cross the bridge into the castle's outer walls and the views over the Old Town are worthy of a photo or two!
At the opposite end of the Royal Mile which, somewhat confusingly, is just over a mile long, sits Holyrood Palace, the Queen's official Scottish residence. The palace is on the edge of Holyrood Park and provides excellent views of Arthur's Seat, the extinct volcano towering 250m above the city. Several paths will take you to the summit, which apart from a little scrambling at the end, is a do-able walk for most. Make sure to take a camera for the panoramic views over the city and the Firth of Forth, and definitely a jumper for the cold wind at the top! Calton Hill, accessible from the New Town, is also another fantastic vantage point, meant to be especially pretty at sunset.
Other attractions include the Scottish Parliament, opposite Holyrood Palace. Certain areas of the building are open to the public and you can attend a short talk which mainly explains the somewhat avant-garde architecture! The National Museum of Scotland is also worth a visit and make sure to head up to the outdoor terrace on the 7th floor for more excellent city views.
For Harry Potter fans, check out the Greyfriars cemetery, just off the Grassmarket in the Old Town. Apparently a favourite walking location of J K Rowling, have a look for the head stone bearing the name Tom Riddle, supposedly her inspiration for Lord Voldemort himself.
A Day Trip To The Highlands
If you can spare the time, I would definitely recommend venturing out into the Scottish Highlands. There are several companies offering popular day trips, most for around £50-60. I chose a trip up to Loch Ness, and although it included a lot of driving time, the gorgeous weather really showed off the landscape! Look out for Doune Castle which was used as a major filming location in the 1970's film Monty Python and The Holy Grail. Loch Ness itself is an impressive sight and evoked memories of the sounds and fjords of New Zealand with the steep, green hills rising from the dark water. While not the biggest of the Scottish lochs, Loch Ness holds the most water; at about 35 km long and around 200m deep, it's easy to imagine that old Nessie may be lurking in there somewhere. From Fort Augustus, take an hour-long boat trip out onto the Loch to really get a sense of the sheer scale of your surroundings.
Party Time!
Edinburgh, I discovered, has a pretty decent nightlife. I spent a few nights checking out the pubs and bars of the Grassmarket and Cowgate, and there is quite a choice! From old, traditional pubs to flashier bars, Irish pubs, salsa bars, live music pubs and five-storey dance clubs, there seems to be something for everyone. Organised bar crawls give you a taste of what's going on and are an excellent way to meet new friends!
If you've never been to Edinburgh, then I recommend that you do so. Easily reached by train or plane and with plenty of places to stay, it's definitely a good city break option. While there is enough to keep you busy, it would be easy to fit into a weekend away.