Here is our guide to finding some peace in Edinburgh, away from Fringe performers demanding you accept their flyer for a show you have no intention of seeing.  All of our suggestions are linked to our previous articles and remember we’ve personally been everywhere we suggest! 

Our things to do section is full of  ideas, but here are some of our personal favourites: 

1.  Explore Dr Neal’s Garden in Duddingston and escape the mayhem in this peaceful hidden garden in Edinburgh.  Take a picnic and enjoy reading a book in the shade.  Another excellent garden in the north of the city is the Edinburgh-Kyoto Friendship Garden. 

2.  Take a stroll along the Water of Leith and get the ‘country’ feel.   Walk one way and get the bus back to your starting point if you don’t wish to cover the same ground.  The Roseburn to Dean Village section is particularly stunning in the summer. 

Explore the botanics

4.  Another wet weather activity is an underground adventure at Mary King’s Close (although you have to walk on the Royal Mile to get there, so avoiding Fringe people completely may not be possible). 

5.  On beautiful sunny days, head with kids to Inverleith Park Playground or to the neighbouring botanical gardens for a stroll amongst the gorgeous grounds.  You can also take younger family members squirrel hunting there. 

6.  Great views are to be found at the top of Nelson’s Monument on the top of Calton Hill 

 7.  The Scott Monument affords 360 degree views of Edinburgh and you even get a certificate to say you climbed all 287 steps to the top! 

View from the Scott Monument

9.  Whilst you’re down at the yacht, you could treat yourself to spending spree at Ocean Terminal shopping centre. 

10.  And if you really can’t stand to be in town during August, then head on one of our suggested day trips.   Our favourite get-aways are Jupiter Artland , Vogrie Country Park and the Samye Ling Tibetan Monastery in Dumfries and Galloway. 

Jupiter Artland, West Lothian

The Royal Mile runs through the heart of the Old Town and is a must for any visitors to the city.  As a resident, I have walked up and down the street hundreds of times over the years, but there is always some small detail that I notice every time I explore the area.   The Royal Mile  runs from Edinburgh Castle down to Holyrood Palace and consists of six different sections.   

Edinburgh Castle

Starting from the top, there is Edinburgh Castle where you will find the Scottish Crown, Sword and Sceptre, and the legendary Stone of Destiny.  Free guided tours are included with the admission price, or you can take it at your own pace with an audio tour.  At peak tourist times, it makes sense to buy your tickets in advance as the ticket queues can take up valuable sightseeing time.  If your budget doesn’t allow full entry to the Castle, make sure you still walk through the grand entrance so you can say you have been within the Castle walls.  This is now possible due to the relocation of the box office inside the grounds, leaving the esplanade clear for taking excellent photos.   

There are panoramic views of Edinburgh to be had from the castle esplanade.  Look out for the magnificent George Heriot’s School built in 1628 which looks like another castle, straight out of a fairytale.   

As you head down the Castlehill section of the Royal Mile, you will see the Scotch Whisky Experience which also houses Amber Restaurant.  On your left, you will see Camera Obscura which is a 150 year old observatory and a fun place for children and adults alike.   

The Hub

Directly opposite, you will see The Witchery Restaurant and this is also where Adam Lyall (deceased) conducts his nightly tours from.  Further down this side of the road, you will see a converted church which is now known as The Hub, a cafe and restaurant  and the box office for Edinburgh’s International Festival.   

Moving down the Royal Mile, you will start to see many tourist shops which basically sell all the same souvenirs, but at a variety of prices, so it pays to shop around.  

The Writer’s Museum is set in a charming courtyard which you can access through Lady Stair’s Close.  This is the place to learn about the three great Scots writers, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, through manuscripts, portraits and their personal possessions.  (free)   

Moving down the Royal Mile, you will come to the High Kirk of St Giles (St Giles Cathedral)  which has been an Edinburgh landmark since 1160.  Make sure you see the rib-vaulted ceiling of the Thistle Chapel.  The cathedral looks good at any time of the day or night and in all weather conditions (admission is free, but a donation is welcomed; there is also a small charge requested if you wish to take photos inside).   Opposite the cathedral, there is the spooky Mary King’s Close to explore which is a perfect all-weather activity for those aged 5 and up. 

High Kirk of St Giles

Further down the Royal Mile, you will cross North Bridge, and to the left, the road leads down to Princes Street.  Stay on the Royal Mile though, and on your left hand side you will come to the Scottish Storytelling Centre which is a theatre with a wide range of entertainment.  Those in the know enquire about the local storytellers who can often be found here.  This is also the place from which to access John Knox’s House, home to the fiery religious reformer in 1599.  The house is a beautiful building to admire from the outside as well.  Across the road is the Museum of Childhood, another council-run museum (free admission) which allows older generations re-live toys from their childhood. Young children also like this museum as they try to comprehend what amused the oldies in times gone by!  

Why not stop at Clarinda’s Tearoom in the Canongate for tea and cake?   Make sure you adhere to the rules in this cute eatery.   

Further down is Dunbar’s Close Garden, not often found by tourists.  This is a perfect little green area to enjoy a break from the main street. You will often find locals having their lunch here in the warmer months.   

Right at the bottom of the Royal Mile you will find the Scottish Parliament.  It was designed by Spanish architect Enric Mirrales and despite being a controversial design, he won the contract.   

Directly opposite is the Palace of Holyrood House which is the royal residence best known for tales of romance and intrigue during the time of Mary Queen of Scots.  The state rooms are still used by the present-day Queen, who stays here when she is in town.  There is an admission charge, but you can still take a good picture of the palace through the gates to the left.   

Although, not strictly on the Royal Mile, you will see Arthur’s Seat which is a fabulous place to get sensational views across the city.  It forms part of Holyrood Park and it is worthwhile walking one of the several circular routes around the extinct volcano.  You will look down on the Palace and see the spires of the places at the top of the Royal Mile and a fantastic view of the Castle.   

The Castle from Arthur's Seat

Bear in mind that it’s still light in the evening till around 10pm in the summer, so this free activity can be enjoyed when other tourist attractions are closed.   

This guide is by no means a definitive list of what there is to do on the Royal Mile, but gives you a selection to choose from.  The whole area buzzes with charm and surprises and despite having trod the pavement for thirty five years, I still enjoy exploring the hub of activity that is The Royal Mile.

Craigmillar Castle

Craigmillar Castle

Views over Edinburgh from the top of the castle

The castle is easy to get to – just head on any bus destined for the Royal Infirmary Hospital and follow the footpath to the castle (800m).  If you’re taking your car, there is parking on site, with one accessible space.

Looking down over the castle from the fourth floor

You can buy a castle guide to learn about the history of the place and there are also information boards in the grounds. 

We spent about an hour exploring the castle and the grounds today, playing hide and seek and a small break for a drink.  It’s not the first time we have all been, so it wasn’t new to explore to our reviewers, but you could easily spend a couple of hours here, more if you bring food or a book.

Magnificent doorway

The Edinburgh Blood Donor Centre is open between 10am and 4pm on a Monday and Friday, and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays the hours are 12 noon to 7.30pm, so there is an excellent degree of flexibility for workers and students.

You can register online or call 0845 90 90 999 for more information, or text Blood to 61611

Edinburgh Spotlight and their family have already donated blood this week, please spread the word if you can’t do it yourself.

*updated July 2010*   There is a special Fringe-related donation session on 11th August between 1.30pm and 3.30pm where cast, crews and productions companies associated with the Fringe will be encouraged to give blood.  There is a facebook event to register your attendance.

Original article initially posted Dec 2009.

An inhabitant. Image courtesy of venue.

Both of them had a great time and we’ve translated what they had to say about their visit.

Lauryn (aged 11)

 I found the tour really interesting as I have been studying ancient times at school. It was good to think back to the way Mary King’s Close would have been when it was lived in all these years ago.

I bet it was really smelly when people used to shout “Garde loo” and throw their toilet out of the window. Our guide Megan, who was pretending to be a maid for a rich family that lived in Mary King’s Close 400 years ago, was funny and her stories were good, especially the ones about ghosts. The stories about the plague were really sad, and it is a shame that so many people including children died. There have been lots of toys, teddies and gifts left by people from all over the world for one of the wee girls that died - even a Westlife CD. I don’t think I will ever look at Princes Street Gardens the same any more now that I know that it used to be the Nor Loch. They used to pour all kinds of things in there, including bodies, and it must have been horrible.

I am glad Edinburgh has changed now, because I don’t think it would have been very comfortable living next to the cows and the chickens as the people did back when Mary King’s Close was still open.
 

Michael (aged 5)
I liked the ghost stories but I had to hold on to my dad’s hand because it was dark and there were a lot of steps to go down. I liked the figures and the stories about Mary King. I would go back again, and I hope I see a ghost next time. The Loch sounded horrible and smelly!

We say:

Mary King’s Close is an excellent attraction to take your kids too, provided they are over five and not too squeamish. The two children that visited have a healthy curiosity in the macabre, so the ghost stories were right up their street (or Close in this case). The guide, Megan, was spot-on with her blend of humour and history, and it was a good all-round experience, especially on a rainy day. My only slight quibble is that the gift shop was too pricey – but this is par for the course with most city centre attractions.

You can find out more on their facebook page and on twitter.

Suitable for disabled?  Please read their access policy before visiting.

Gorgie City Farm is an excellent trip for children of all ages. It’s still free to enter, but a suggested donation of £2 is welcome.   It’s placed off Gorgie Road and is open every day from 9.30am – 4.30pm in the summer (slightly different in winter).

Map of the farm

They’ve got a good selection of animals, turkeys, pigs, goats, sheepetc including a hands-on section where they encourage you to touch the animals.

It’s a good way to spend a couple of hours and the animals seem happy.  They are also used to little people standing close by.  There are mini gardens to explore

A lot of the farm workers are volunteers and this has continued to be successful through donations by local companies and the fact that Asda provides the pig food!

There is a tractor that kids are positively encouraged to climb over and there’s now a wee playground for them to let off steam.   You can buy tea and coffee and have something to eat at Jemima’s Pantry which is at the exit to the farm.  You can also have  children’s party.

Asleep in the summer heat

It’s well worth to visit at any time of the year, especially when the lambs and calves are born, they’re so cute!  There are also lots of events on during the year, so check the website out.

Suitable for disabled ?   On the whole yes, but the farm is on a few slopes.

Hungry goats

Keeping cool

In with the hens

Your Healthy Living Show 2010

Amanda Hamilton

Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th June sees Your Healthy Living Show return to the George Street Assembly Rooms.  Tickets are currently available on a ‘buy one get one free’ basis until May 23rd and are available from the show’s website.  The aim of the show is to help consumers eat well, feel great and look healthier, naturally – without costing the earth.  

Following the success of the inaugural show last year, the fun, interactive and great-value two-day event will demonstrate that eating healthily and living naturally and can be inexpensive and easy.  

What’s On  

TV personality and qualified nutritionist, Amanda Hamilton, will be leading a series of Free Expert Talks throughout the weekend.  Best known for presenting BBC 2’s Sunday lifestyle show Something for the Weekend, Amanda is also an author, developed her own skincare range and studied Ayurvedic medicine and Yoga in the Himalayas.  Amanda will be offering advice on subjects close to her heart such as natural skincare, healthy effective weight loss and family health.  

Showcasing simply the best great food, including locally sourced, raw, organic and Fairtrade food and drink producers, the hugely popular Famers’ Market will return bigger than ever.  Giving visitors the chance to sample, taste and take home a wide range of produce will be the likes of Summer Harvest Oils, Coconoil and The Chocolate Tree.  Free wine tastings, guided by the UK’s first organic wine merchants, Vinceremos, will give visitors the chance to enjoy a selection of wines, while learning about the benefits of drinking organic. Celebrity chef and lifestyle TV presenter, Paul De Costa-Greaves will be hosting live cooking demos throughout both days, preparing simple, good-value and healthy meal options.  

Deanne Berry from GMTV

 Recognising that general fitness is a key part in promoting a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle, this year’s show is introducing a brand new Active Zone.  Hosted by experienced tutors and specialists from the Edinburgh area and beyond, a full programme of free sessions will give visitors the chance to try out simple Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi moves and sign up to regular classes available right on their doorstep.  Deanne Berry from GMTV and Eric Prydz fame will be teaching her famous dance routine.  

An extensive Complementary Therapy Centre will offer a range of treatments to experience, all carried out by award-winning Napier’s therapists at special reduced rates.  The Natural Beauty Zone features pioneers in the field, such as Live Native from Isle of Skye, offering tips on how to look after skin and hair organically, and giving free advice on natural cosmetics and make-up.   

Local Edinburgh health heroes Real Foods, Napier’s and Hannover Health will also be returning to offer free and practical advice, while expert exhibitors will be on hand to offer a range of services such as allergy testing and spinal checks, alongside free diet and nutrition advice.  

Back by popular demand is Jan de Vries, renowned author and therapist at the forefront of complimentary medicine, who will be joining Amanda for the series of free expert talks. Jan will be joined by local experts, celebrities and leading specialists such as Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s foremost nutritionist specialising in women’s health and Medical Herbalist Dee Atkinson of Napiers.  

Discounts, special offers, free samples and competitions will all be running throughout the show and all visitors will receive a free reusable natural cotton bag on arrival.  Tickets are now buy one get one free when booked before 23rd May 2010 or great value at just £5 on the door, concessions £3 and under 16’s are FREE when accompanied by a paying adult.  

For more information and to register for tickets visit: http://www.yourhealthyliving.co.uk/  

Follow the lead up to the event on twitter or join their facebook page

Learn to dance with Deanne Barry

Edinburgh's secret garden

You can read more about the founders of the garden, Drs Nancy and Andrew Neil.  Thomson’s Tower is a curling museum housed in the gardens and where the rules of the game were first penned.  This is open Saturdays and Sundays in June, July and August, 12-5pm and costs £2 to enter.  I have been inside and it’s fascinating to learn the history of curling in this restored building and see photos of players on a frozen Duddingston Loch in the 1920s.

Dr Neils’ Garden is open every day from 10am till dusk, including weekends and a suggested donation of £1 per person is advised.    There are also ways you can help  out to support this fabulous garden.  I thoroughly recommend you visit Dr Neil’s and enjoy the peace away from the city hustle and bustle.  Enjoy the photos.

Entrance to the garden is in the far left corner

There is free parking on the nearby street and part of the gardens are suitable buggies and wheelchairs, although the path slopes down, so some strength would be required.

Arthur's Seat and Duddingston Kirk in the background

Colourful flowers

Sundial accurately predicts spots of rain

Bridge over the pond

Dr Neil's flowers

Thomson's Tower

Dr Neil's Garden location map

By the waterside

The Water of Leith walkway starts at Balerno, and – if you’re planning to walk part or all of the route – is best reached by the regular 44 Lothian bus service. From here, it runs next to the water and winds its way past fields and long-abandoned mills, through disused railway tunnels and alongside modern housing developments.

This section ends at Slateford, where the fascinating and modern Visitor Centre is placed, providing information, displays, gifts and refreshments.

Enjoyable at any time of year, the following photos were taken during early spring, when the greenery of the trees and plants provided a beautiful setting for the crystal-clear water as it flowed its way through the city towards its endpoint at Leith.

Popular with cyclists, walkers and joggers

Under the bridge

Currie Kirk

House on the Water of Leith

On the path

Weir

Bridge at Colinton

Disused railway tunnel

Weir in Craiglockhart Dell

Fishing at the weir

Inside the grotto

Water of Leith at Slateford

At the visitor centre

Main tourist information centre

The main Tourist Information Centre in Edinburgh sits on top of Princes Mall / Waverley Market.  Opening hours vary throughout the year, with longer opening hours in the summer to deal with the extra tourists visiting the city.  The tourist centre sells Edinburgh and Scotland related books, maps, small souvenirs and stamps.  The staff speak a number of languages as indicated on their name badges.   Free information leaflets covering Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland are available but apart from the basic ‘Welcome to Edinburgh’ leaflet, you need to request these from behind the counter, depending on your interests.  

The centre also offers accommodation booking service but charge a small fee on top of the price.  You can also buy the Edinburgh Pass here which is perfect if arriving by bus or train, but be sure to visit the Information Centre at the airport if arriving by plane as the airport bus is included in the Edinburgh Pass.
 

You may wish to have a look at out things to do section which covers all the places that the tourist information would as well. 

The staff are very helpful and the centre is completely accessible.  Be sure to pay a visit when you’re into town but we can’t promise there will be no queues like the picture denotes. 

Inside the centre

Stockbridge Duck Race

The date for this years’ fabulous Stockbridge Duck Race has been announced and it will be taking place on Sunday 4th July 2010.  Ducks will be launched over the bridge around 3pm.

There is a facebook group to be kept up to date with the latest duck racing news.

The Stockbridge Duck Race is an annual event held to help raise money for local charities. The chosen charities for 2010 are Stockbridge House, now LIFECARE and St. Columba’s Hospice.

All ducks are numbered and released into the Water of Leith from the the main bridge, then caught by our resident duck wardens further down stream.  The first lucky ducks to cross the line are noted and the owners are awarded a prize generously donated by many businesses.

The ducks are now on sale at Hectors, The Antiquary and The Bailie and a few other Stockbridge shops, costing £1.50 a duck.  Spread the word about the Edinburgh race of the year and contact the organisers via their facebook page if you can donate some prizes.

A great fun day out for all the family with the added benefit of raising money for charity.  Edinburgh Spotlight will be buying their duck and feeding it up prior to the race

Released over Deanhaugh Bridge

Jean is easy to find

Greenyonder tours are conducted by Jean Bareham, an Edinburgh born and bred resident.  I recently attended her ‘Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile’ tour along with my Australian friend - which runs every Friday morning and Sunday afternoon from April through to October (with a few exceptions) and 6 days a week throughout the Fringe in August.

You can book in advance, or just turn up on the day and it’s easy to find the start point of the tour as Jean stands outside John Knox’s House with a clear sign.  This tour is not just for tourists, but for residents as well.  There are many gardens that you have probably walked past many times as you didn’t know about them and Jean points them out and explains the history behind the stories of the gardens.

Hidden green spaces

I’m not going to spoil the locations of the gardens in this review, but I was pleasantly surprised – I thought I knew the Royal Mile well before being shown around by Jean.

Great buildings and gardens

The tour is approximately 90 minutes long and there are various walls and benches that you can rest on as you go and only a few steps to negotiate.  Jean was very helpful in checking that everyone (of varying ages) was managing fine and helping us across roads where necessary.

We visited garden gems, including public ones, looked at some private gardens and discovered interesting community gardens which are popping up on the smallest of available green spaces.  Edinburgh residents might not associate the Royal Mile with gardens, but they are there for the viewing.

Jean has a picture book to hand to show various gardens from years ago and you only need to look around to see how they have changed to their current state today.

Although I have a fascination with gardens, I don’t know much about the actual plants, but again, Jean is on hand to explain all the names and how often and when they flower. Although not a historic or architectural tour, Jean explains the basics and points out wonderful buildings. Ample time is given for photos of the gardens and flowers, but once the tour ends, you can of course re trace your steps and spend more time in your favourite gardens.

Bamboo in Edinburgh

Jean is an encyclopedic knowledge of Edinburgh’s gardens and I was surprised how much new information I gained in 90 minutes. A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a morning and my Australian friend now looks at the Royal Mile in a whole new light. Every time I am in the area when the sun is out over the summer, I will be popping back to my favourite garden and escaping the hustle and bustle of the High Street with a good book.

Dunbar's Close Garden

Other tours are available, such as By Leaves We Live, Hidden History and Healing Herbs by medical herbalist Julia Cook.  All tours for this season can be found here.  Have a look at the short BBC video on Jean’s tours.

Beautiful flowers

Greenyonder tours are highly recommended by us.

Suitable for disabled?  On the whole yes, despite some sloping paths and a few steps.  The tour could be slightly modified to allow you to experience the hidden gardens.

Banshee Labyrinth fair

On Sunday 25th April, this new venue on Edinburgh’s bar & music scene is holding a free alternative fair. Featuring clothing, jewellery, vintage goods, food and crafts, there will be a wide selection of goods for people to browse and buy.

Taking place from 12.30-6pm, this is the first event to be held in The Banshee Labyrinth. If their claims are true, you may be rubbing shoulders with long-dead denizens of Edinburgh’s past as you peruse the goods for sale in this unique venue…

Check out the Banshee Labyrinth’s event page on Facebook.

From 19-23 April, visitors will have a rare opportunity to meet ex-crew members of this regal old lady of the seas, as 60 ‘Yotties’ (Royal Yachtsmen) will be returning for a special reunion. In their distinctive white overalls, the Yotties will be joining the attraction’s regular maintenance staff to work on restoring one of the Yacht’s escort boats, as well as other tasks to help keep Britannia ship-shape.

During their duties, the Yotties will be only to happy to share their experiences with visitors, telling tales of what life used to be like on board when the Royal Yacht was in active service.

A fascinating attraction to visit at any time, the presence of the Yotties will help bring the history of the vessel to life.

Mary King’s Ghost Fest 18 – 23 March 2010
Paranormal investigations, celebrity ghost hunts and other spooky goings on at The Real Mary King’s Close.

Ceilidh Culture 26 March – 18 April 2010
Edinburgh’s traditional arts festival, featuring music, dance, storytelling and more.

International Science Festival   9-25 April 2011
The International Science Festival features a host of fun and educational events, lectures and attractions celebrating all things scientific.

Beltane Fire Festival   30 April 2010
Beltane is an ancient Celtic festival and Edinburgh plays host to some colourful and exciting celebrations to mark the date.

Imaginate Festival  10 – 16 May 2010
The Imaginate Festival is Edinburgh’s children’s festival and has loads of plays, activities and fun things to do for youngsters of all ages.

Leith Festival   11 -20 June 2010
Come and celebrate all things Leith at this festival, featuring music, dance, art and other exciting events.

Edinburgh International Film Festival  16 – 27 June 2010
The Edinburgh Film Festival is an internationally-renowned event on the movie festival circuit and attracts premieres and stars from all over the world.

West Port Book Festival 24 – 27 June 2010
An annual independent book festival taking place in 11 venues across Edinburgh’s West Port district.

Edinburgh Art Festival   29 July – 5 September
Edinburgh Art Festival celebrates the visual arts in all its diversity, from world-class exhibitions to strikingly original installations.

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival   30 July – 10 August 2010
Get your gladrags on and party to the sounds of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, a popular event which attracts international talent.

Edinburgh Mela Festival   6 – 8 August 2010
Celebrating the cultural diversity of the city, the Mela Festival brings colour and exotic flair to Edinburgh in August.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival  6 – 30 August 2010
Getting bigger, better and – some may say – weirder every year, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the highlight of many a festival-goer’s calendar.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo   6 – 28 August 2010
Selling out months in advance, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a spectacular event taking place on the Castle Esplanade.

The Edge Music Festival      August
Adding alternative music to the August festival mix, The Edge Music Festival attracts A-list bands as part of its programme.

Festival of Spirituality and Peace  7-29 August
The Festival of Spirituality and Peace features music, dance, talks and other events highlighting humanitarian issues and causes.

Edinburgh International Festival   13 August – 5 September 2010
The one that started it all, the Edinburgh International Festival is a feast of world-class music, dance and theatrical performances.

Edinburgh International Book Festival  14 – 30 August 2010 
This literary event attracts major names in the writing, publishing and political fields to the serene Charlotte Square Gardens setting.

Scottish Story Telling Festival    22-30 October
Celebrating the great Scottish oral tradition, the Story Telling Festival showcases the talents of national bards, poets and tale-spinners.

Edinburgh’s Christmas    Date TBC – late November
Edinburgh sparkles at Christmas and features events, attractions and shows for all the family to enjoy during the festival season.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay   29 December 2010 – 2 January 2011
End the year with the biggest street party in the world!

White Hart Inn

 Graeme E Pearson is an Edinburgh man who has been singing to residents of Edinburgh and tourists for over a decade.  He sings both alone in a number of pubs around town and with his band, The Mutineers.  He also takes people on the only musical walking tour of Edinburgh which we reviewed last year.   

Last Sunday I headed out to see him sing in The White Hart Inn at the Grassmarket, which is one of his residency spots in Edinburgh.  It was hard to get a seat as the crowd gathered in this cosy pub to see Graeme play his set.  It’s hard to miss this tall Scotsman who wears tartan trousers and a tartan hat.  He said hello to everyone in the pub as he set up his sound system and explained who he was and what was about to happen (for the benefit of the tourists within). 

He played too many songs to mention, but there was a huge selection of Scottish songs that had the locals singing along and well known Beatles numbers and other classics.  Graeme had the audience singing along and eating out of the palm of his hand by the second song and entertained us with jokes in between.  He welcomed visitors from Italy and Germany in their native tongue and everyone in the bar enjoyed the set which was loud enough to appreciate, yet low enough in volume to still hold a conversation. 

Singing his heart out

 As the night progressed, more and more people looked through the windows of the pub to see where all the singing and cheering was coming from.  Vistors came inside and joined everyone in this mass sing along.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening of free entertainment in the heart of the Grassmarket with the option to buy CD’s and t-shirts (no hard sell and reasonably priced). 

Have a look at the clip of the second song of the evening. 

In Edinburgh, you can catch Graeme on the following nights 

Saturdays – Bobby’s Bar at 9.30pm   – Candlemaker Row 

Sundays – White Hart Inn at 9.15pm  – Grassmarket 

Mondays – The Black Bull at 9pm  – Grassmarket 

Wednesdays – The Mitre at 9pm – The High Street 

You can also catch him at other times and venues.  More information at the Graeme Pearson and the Mutineers website and the walking musical tour of Edinburgh, Oor Tours website. 

White Hart Inn, Grassmarket

Suitable for disabled?  Yes, the pub is on the ground floor as are the toilets, but it can be really packed out when Graeme is singing.

This fact is celebrated for the second year running at the 3 Harbours Seafood Festival in May.

3 Harbours Seafood Festival

Taking place in and around Prestonpans – one of the ‘three harbours’, with Cockenzie and Port Seton – the Festival will feature music, art and entertainment – and of course fresh, locally-sourced seafood.

A ceilidh will be held on Friday 28th to mark the start of the event, and a seafood banquet at the Prestoungrange Gothenburg on the Saturday evening is another highlight. Real ales, kite flying, music and craft stalls will also add to the festival atmosphere, making this a fun-filled family event which celebrates the area’s rich fishing heritage.

Further details are available on the Festival’s website, the Facebook event page and you can follow news on the Festival on their Twitter account at @3harbourseafood

Mrs Doig

Ponder no more: Mrs Doig is here to help.

Edinburgh World Heritage and the Museum of Edinburgh are inviting families to meet with Mrs Doig, an Edinburgh resident of the 1700s. A Georgian merchant’s wife who dreams of elevating her social standing and moving to the fashionable New Town, Mrs Doig is also expert in etiquette and manners – and has a great ear for gossip to boot.

You have a chance to take tea with Mrs Doig and listen to her tales of 18th century Edinburgh life this Saturday (10 April) at the Museum of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile.

Appearing at 11am, midday, 2pm and 3pm, she will spend 25 minutes regaling visitors with her stories and providing a fascinating glimpse into life in bygone times.

Other appearances of this grand old Edinburgh matron will follow throughout the year, each focusing on a different aspect of Edinburgh society in the 1700s:

• At Home with Mrs Doig (10 April, 10 July, 14 August, 13 November).
• A Night at the Assembly Room (8 May, 18 September)
• Life in Auld Reekie (12 June, 9 October)

Free places at any of Mrs Doig’s appearances can be booked by calling Margaret Findlay on 0131 529 3963, or emailing her at margaret.findlay@edinburgh.gov.uk

I was very excited after the launch of the Edinburgh Science Festival programme in February and today, the City Art Centrein Market Street opened for budding young scientists with fun workshops, shows, hands-on activities and exhibitions. 

City Art Centre, Market Street

Edinburgh Spotlight has a full day planned with a mini member of the team next week, but couldn’t resist having an early peek at what was on offer.  You need to buy a day pass and can do this online or at the ticket office.  Three bookable activites are included in the price of a ticket, but the popular ones book up fast, so purchase it as early as you can. 

There is a board at the ticket desk showing which activities have spaces for the rest of the day.  There are some events which are offered on a ‘drop in’ basis only, so lots to do if your turning up on the day. 

Book your activities as early as you can

All the staff members I encountered  today were friendly, approachable and enthusiastic to questions that were coming their way from the young audience members.  The whole of the City Art Centre is well signposted with what is happening on each floor and at what time.  The building is fully accessible for wheelchairs and buggies, making this a suitable venue for anyone to explore. 

Rampaging Chariots

There are ample toilets and seating areas for parents whilst their youngsters explore the world of science.  The City Art Centre cafe offers a wide selection of drinks, light snacks and cakes, but there is also a ‘picnic area’ on the first floor allowing visitors to enjoy a packed lunch and their own drinks. 

Dr Clot experience

There is also the ‘Wee Wonder World’  suitable for those aged 0-6 and everything here is non-bookable, so just drop in and out around food times and attention spans! 

The organisers of the events at the City Art Centre have thought everything out extremely well and all the children I saw today were satisfied with what was on offer.  I know that the mini members of the Spotlight team are going to have a great day out and I will enjoy the experience as well.  

Highly recommended from us. 

A patient in the ER room

Day Passes
Please note that adult and child passes need to be purchased to allow admittance to City Arts Centre.  Children under the age of 3 do not require day passes. Once in the venue you have unlimited access to the events.  Adults are not required to attend events. 

Adults £6.50, Concessions £5.00.  Children 7+ £8.50 and 3-6 years £6.  Unders 3s are free. 

Suitable for disabled?   Yes the whole building is accessible for wheelchairs and has disabled bathrooms.

Brass Rubbing Centre is down here

The Edinburgh Brass Rubbing Centre is located off the Royal Mile between North Bridge and Jeffrey Street.  You can find it down Chalmer’s Close or approach from the lane beside Jury’s Hotel in Jeffrey Street.

It is worthwhile visiting this beautiful building alone as it occupies Trinity Apse, the sole surviving fragment of the 15^th century Trinity College Church and Hospital founded by Mary of Gueldres following the death of her husband King
James II at the siege of Roxburgh in 1460.

It was demolished to make way for the Waverley train station nearby, but in the 1870s the Apse was rebuilt on its current site from original stones.

Inside there are a large number of replica monumental brasses and many examples of rubbings.  I took along a couple of younger members of the Spotlight team, aged 11 and 8,  on a rainy day and they loved it.  The staff were very helpful in explaining how to do it and patient when the design chosen and colour of rubbing was changed several times by the indecisive 8 year old who wanted the ‘prettiest one possible’.  You can choose from black, silver and gold colours and the choice of black or white paper.

Staff preparing the board

We opted for a basic rubbing at £2, but there are some large ones that cost far more, but take more time to complete and perhaps aimed at those that have previously brass rubbed.  It’s not as easy as it looks as some pressure is required to bring the shape through the paper.

£2 unicorn design

I had to assist with the more intricate parts of the design, but their enthusiasm was still there at the end of the hour is took us to complete each one.  Both of them were looking forward to displaying their artwork on the wall of their bedrooms.

One of the finished pieces

Opening Hours
Monday-Saturday 10am–5pm (April to 31 October)

Closed November to March, but open to organised groups by arrangement
only. Call 0131 556 4364.

Inside the centre

Gullane Falko

After visiting Dirleton Castle, we took the scenic road back towards Edinburgh. We stopped in Gullane to treat ourselves to something special from the German bakery positioned in the High Street, Falko Konditormeister.  I have previously visited the Edinburgh Morningside branch on several occasions and know the quality is good.

The Gullane branch differs in that it is table service, if you can get one. Visiting on a Sunday afternoon around 4pm, we had to share with another couple as every other seat was taken.  The displays were near empty of bread and only a handful of cake choices remained.

Every cake at Falko is wonderful, so from the selection left, my partner opted for the chocolate cake, whilst I  plumped for the cherry cake with cream and pastry.

Chocolate heaven

The chocolate cake was indeed a slice of heaven and had layers of mousse, making it an all over lighter experience.  My cake fork sliced effortlessly through the end of this cake, allowing me to sample it for the sake of this review

Calorie free!

As I tucked into my afternoon treat, the waitress informed me that because it was  a Sunday, the cake was calorie free!   Mmmmmm, not entirely convinced about that one, but am positively certain that the combination of pastry, cream and cherry filling was divine.

Our cakes were accompanied by a generous pot of almond tea and a coffee.  Total bill came to £11.30.  The cakes are not the cheapest price you could find, but the quality does not disappoint.

We were allowed to linger at the table to help aid digestion, but I suggested we should walk off the calorie laden chocolate cake at the nearby Gullane Bents.

Gullane beach

We parked  in the main car park (no charge in winter) and took the path down to the right, walking to the end of the beach.  It was reasonably busy for a Sunday tea time, with people coming here to eat their take out fish and chips from Gullane High Street.  Dog walkers and children in welly boots, all enjoyed the edge of the water and the wonderful sea breeze.

We walked re-traced our steps and beyond, then returned to the car park, taking in the view.

Gullane Bents

Suitable for disabled?  Falko is on ground level and has accessible bathrooms and Gullane Bents view can be enjoyed from the car park, but the walking tracks are a mixture of steps and sand.

Entrance of Castle

Edinburgh Spotlight headed down to East Lothian at the weekend and paid a visit to Dirleton Castle in Dirleton.  The castle is set on wonderful gardens which are beautiful to enjoy in all their glory in spring and summer.  They are exceptionally neat during the rest of the year, but lacking in colour.

We used our Historic Scotland membership to gain entry but the normal charges are Adult £4.70, Child £2.35, Concession £3.70.

Direleton Castle

The staff are very friendly and showed us an aerial map of the grounds and castle and the best route we should take.  One part of the castle was closed due to restoration work, but this did not spoil our visit.

After walking through the main entrance into the castle, we explored all the nooks and crannies of the remains.  Staircases led to look outs and areas which are damaged are fenced off to visitors.  This is another good castle for children to explore and climb all over without getting into trouble.

Castle Vaults

We explored the castle vaults and read all the information boards to learn about the castle’s past.  There are plenty of benches positioned in the castle so you could sit and read a book or have a picnic within the walls.  Our exit took us through the west gardens which had an immaculate bowling green and lawn.  Again, in the warmer months, would be a great place for a peaceful afternoon.

Dirleton Gardens

The castle is worth a visit if in the area, but for children I prefer Tantallon Castle in nearby North Berwick.  With views out to the sea and the Bass Rock, it is a must see when in East Lothian.

Suitable for disabled?    The gardens are, but the access to the castle is via a set of steps.

After our visit to Direlton Gardens, we stopped off for afternoon tea and cake in Gullane and a walk along the beach.

Mary King's Close

As we enter the cold, dark room many feet beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, someone lets out a startled scream and we all jump.

Fortunately, it’s only one of our companions who’s walked into a chair in the pitch darkness – however, the atmosphere in the dusty confines of a small chamber in The Real Mary King’s Close is still decidedly spooky.

We’re here with Mark Turner from Ghost Finders Scotland in the first of a two-part attempt to try and track down some of the Close’s resident spirits. Mark is an expert in capturing EVPs – electronic voice phenomena – and he explains how he will be using his voice activated recorder to try and capture messages from beyond.

His device, a now obsolete dictation machine, caused a flurry of interest in paranormal circles when users began to complain about ’strange voices’ appearing on what should have been normal recordings. The manufacturer swiftly took the machine off the market, but not before paranormal investigators like Mark snapped them up to assist them in their work.

Voices from beyond?

He instructs us to be as quiet and still as we can, and we stand in the dark and claustrophobic space, feeling a mixture of awkwardness and apprehension. Mark asks each of us in turn to pose a question to the spirits who may be with us; he records our queries and around half a minute’s silence after each one.

When he plays back what he’s captured, we can hear some indistinct noises following our questions. Mark is quick to point out that this could be static or normal background noise, but the sounds are intriguing to say the least.

Then it’s my turn to ask a question of the long-dead inhabitants of Mary King’s Close.

“Do you want us to be here?” I ask, thinking of similar experiments and ghost-hunting techniques I’ve seen on the television.

When Mark plays the recording back, I swear I can hear a very quiet, very muffled response: one which I think I can actually understand. Is it my imagination? Am I being duped by an expectation I’ll hear something? Perhaps – but this is what was captured (after being amplified a little using software).

(Here’s a link to the audio file if you can’t access the player above)

Does it sound like “get out” to you, too?

Is there anybody there?

We leave Mark to analyse his findings and make our way to another section of the labyrinthine Close, where we’re joined by Scottish medium Chris Conway, a regular on Living TV’s “Most Haunted”. We’re in the ‘Shrine Room’, a section of the underground warren said to be haunted by the ghost of Annie, a little girl who died from the plague in the 17th century.

We stand in a circle and join hands, Chris standing with his back to a pile of soft toys and dolls which visitors leave for Annie and which give the area its name. In the flickering candlelight, he leads us in a seance, first saying a prayer of protection to ward off anyone – or anything – which may wish to do us harm.

Chris Conway

Some of us shiver as Chris asks us to let him know if anyone feels anything: a sudden drop in temperature or a touch on the shoulder. He asks the spirits to make themselves known to us, to make a tapping noise or to touch one of us. Although the atmosphere is indeed charged, nothing happens.

Bringing out the dead

We move on to another room, one which Chris feels was once used as a place to store the bodies of plague victims. Here, he tells us he is picking up the energy of a sorrowful man; a spirit who cannot move on from the place. The man, Chris tells us, was a drunkard in life and killed a woman here in this room in a fit of alcohol-fuelled rage. As we join hands again, Chris asks the spirit to make himself known.

Moments pass, and we hear muffled noises from elsewhere in the depths of the Close (or perhaps even from the street above). Nothing to convince us there’s an entity wishing to communicate with us, however.

Time has run out, so we start to leave. As we do so, we notice one of our companions is doubled over in the corner. She says she is feeling sick and almost fainted during the seance. Chris returns to tend to her and ensure she is safe, whilst the rest of us ponder as to whether her condition has been caused by fear, standing in one position for too long…or by something more sinister.

Happily, her feeling passes and we file back up to ground level, discussing our experiences and wondering what it would be like to be down in the depths of Mary King’s Close alone. None of us are in a particular hurry to find out.

See for yourself

Mary King's Ghost Fest

Both Mark and Chris will be back at the Close during the festival, where you’ll have the opportunity to join them on longer investigations delving deeper into the mysteries hidden beneath Edinburgh’s streets.

There’s a whole programme of other fascinating events running as part of the Festival as well, including investigations in some of the city’s other haunted locations such as the vaults in Blair Street and the Scottish Malt Whisky Society in Leith.

Talks and discussions on the paranormal, a ghost hunter ‘training day’ by Most Haunted regular Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe and a Horrible Histories bus tour of the city also feature – all part of Edinburgh’s spookiest Festival, with the unique and fascinating Mary King’s Close at its centre.

We’ll certainly be back – even if we were told to ‘get out’…

The Camera Obscura

Work is currently underway to expand into the top two floors of the adjoining ‘Ragged School’, which will see the two buildings linked by a glass walkway allowing visitors to enjoy unique views of the surrounding city.

The new space will be home to some new and innovative optical illusions, including a ‘morphing machine’ which will allow you to see yourself as a different gender, age or race; and a mirrored maze which will delight and confuse in equal measure.

Many more quirky and hands-on items will be included, adding to those already housed in the main building as part of the ‘World of Illusions’ exhibit.

The development is on track to open in June this year, and we’ll definitely be amongst the first to be perplexed, entertained and bamboozled by all the fun-sounding new attractions and activities on offer.

Check out the Camera Obscura website to be kept up to date on progress and news.

Before you reach for the telephone to call the emergency services however, bear in mind that this is The Ministry of Gaming. It’s an online computer game & internet cafe with a loyal and devoted clientele of intelligent, interesting and friendly gamers whose hobby allows them to socialise with like-minded people across the world and spend quality time using some serious PC processing power and technology in a safe, well-run establishment.

The Ministry of Gaming

I was shown around The Ministry of Gaming by proprietor Dave.

“There’s a true sense of community here,” he says, pointing at the people engrossed in their screens and at the branded t-shirts on the walls. “World of Warcraft is our most popular game: we have several ‘Guilds’ operating out of the shop that come in here regularly to play it. Our staff are very respected in their knowledge of online computer games of all genres.”

He calls over one of the World of Warcraft players, a bright and personable young student.

“We love getting together in real life,” she says, referring to her World of Warcraft clanmates. “Whether playing or not, it’s great to be together with people you share something with.”

As she returns to her PC, Dave details a little more about his business.

“We’ve got 28 top-range gaming PCs,” he says, “with our own dedicated Internet connection deployed across our local area network. We’ve also got 3 online and networked Xbox 360s, and a Wii for the tournament nights we often have.”

Upcoming events

“We’re constantly upgrading our PC kit,” says Dave. “We’ve got a two-out, two-in policy, meaning we always have the latest builds on premise for games that really need them. We sell the older stock on second-hand.”

Leading me downstairs away from the glow of the screens, he shows me a small room with a felt-covered table. “This our tabletop gaming space,” he explains. “We sell some of the Games Workshop stuff upstairs and their games – like Warhammer 40,000 – have quite a following.”

Back in the main section The Ministry of Gaming, I ask about the clientele.

“A lot of our customers are students and young professionals – programmers and IT network people,” he says. “And most of them are playing MMOs.” (massively multiplayer online games, like World of Warcraft)

“We get a steady stream of people wanting to use our dedicated internet machines for checking email and browsing; we had people who were almost based here during the Festival using our PCs.”

“I remember one guy who came in here regularly during the Festival – I’m sure I recognised him from US TV dramas. Anyway, he took two machines and was running Eve Online (a complex online game of space strategy and intrigue) on both of them. Turns out, in the game he was using one character to lure people into traps; and the other account to benefit from the bounty – he was a double agent!”

A gamer at The Ministry of Gaming

In the future, he’s considering expanding the premises; extending the space at the rear and installing a dedicated XBox 360 space. The all-nighters and game-specific challenges will continue, and Dave is keen to strengthen relationships with other gaming cafes in Belfast and Glasgow.

Due to celebrate its official 3rd birthday in March, The Ministry of Gaming is a busy, yet relaxed and friendly place. Even if you’re not familiar with the gaming scene, what they have done in a relatively short space of time – create a place for gamers to meet and play with a true sense of community – is impressive.

So, even if you’re a n00b or a veteran seeking to p0wn your latest rival, the Ministry of Gaming will welcome you – with friendly customers, expert staff and the latest kit to allow you to live out your electronic fantasies as you see fit.

Check out the Ministry of Gaming’s website for more information.

Craft stalls, coffee, food – you’ll be able to browse a whole range of Fairtrade products from the One World Shop and Hadeel from the city’s west end, as well as goods from Palestinian craftworkers.

During the brunch, winners of the Lord Provost’s Fair Trade Awards will be announced, acknowledging the contribution Edinburgh’s individuals and businesses make to Fair Trade across the city.

Edinburgh has been an official Fair Trade City since 2004 and this brunch will be a good chance to pick up some unique gifts, relax in the surroundings of the National Library and indulge in some ethical shopping.

Inverleith Park

Inverleith Park has a good playground for children within its boundary.  It’s fenced off with gates so no dogs can get in and more importantly, no young kids can get out.

The theme of the park is nautical, with a ship split into different sections.

Climbing frame

This climbing frame is definitely for older kids, I would say four and up, as it takes some coordination and bravery to ascend the rope wall.  There isn’t any other access for adults to make emergency rescues!

Front of ship

This is the front of the ship and is an excellent space for children to explore and shout out loud from the top.  There is a steering wheel to help ‘drive’ the ship with several ways to get to up and down.  A mini member of the Spotlight team now prefers just to ‘jump’, so it’s good that there is soft rubber ground to land on.

Swings

These are the main swings, but there is also a set of two with basket style seats suitable for babies and toddlers.  There is also a smaller climbing frame with a slide suitable for the youngest of park lovers.  A see saw and a couple of interactive toys complete the playpark

There are no toilets in the park, but now the John Hope Gateway has opened at the Botanics again, you can use the toilet facilities there.  There are some metal benches for adults to sit on and carefully watch their youngsters.

A great little playpark in the heart of Inverleith Park and right next door to the Botanical Gardens.

There were French supporters everywhere, determined to confuse the Scottish as they were wearing kilts and other pieces of Scottish attire, but were singing for France. 

Souvenir stall

There were souvenir stalls dotted along the street to Murrayfield selling a wide range of French and Scottish merchandise (at inflated prices).  From Haymarket, there were people holding signs by one of the sponsors, Famous Grouse, stating that everyone was walking the right way to the stadium and as we walked closer, how many minutes’ walk were left.  Although it would be quite hard to get lost on the way to Murrayfield with the 60,000 people heading there, it as a reassuring extra for the visitors. 

Murrayfield Hotel

Every pub was bursting at its seams, with some of the hotels on the main road providing tented beer gardens.  I had to laugh at the queues out of every chip shop en route as the French eagerly purchased their fish and chips and munched the food on the street.  Not quite to the standard of French cuisine, but when in Rome…….  There were groups of people having a pre match drink in available car parks, sections of the pavement etc.  Armed with a carry out, it was the visitors who made me realise they can do it so much better than us.  A group of men, complete with a rug, cheese and nibbles alongside twenty bottles of wine as opposed to some lager! 

Murrayfield Stadium

There was a carnival atmosphere at the ground thanks to the Famous Grouse tent which was blasting out Scottish music and offering everyone who entered a free dram.  This party continued once we were through the gates as the beer tents were busy and everyone was getting in the mood. 

The facilities just outside the actual ground are good with plenty of food choices, bars, merchandise tents and clear sign posts.  Alcohol is also available inside the ground as well as soft drinks. 

Definitely French

Before the match kicked off, rugby clips were played on the giant screens, pipe bands played familiar Scottish tunes and both the teams warmed up on the pitch.  At this stage, there were high hopes of a Scottish win  

Scotland warming up

I was pleased to see that the minute’s silence in rememberance of the legend Bill McLaren was observed by both sets of fans.  He will be fondly remembered. 

I had a crazy Frenchman seated behind me who murdered his national anthem whilst waving a flag.  What surprised me was that once the music to Flower of Scotland started, he produced a piece of paper with the lyrics on it and proceeded to murder ours aswell! 

French and proud

The game kicked off, with Scotland taking the lead after a couple of good attacks.  The electric atmosphere continued and the French went wild when they got their first try, taking the lead.  France continued on the score sheet and the end result was Scotland 9 – France 18. 

Scotland on the attack

Rugby is more expensive to attend than football, but it a wonderful family friendly day out.  Fans are seated together and there’s plenty of friendly banter to be had in the stands.  If you can get your hands on a ticket for the remaining England game at Murrayfield for this year’s cup, then I would grab them and not let go. 

Plan ahead for next year’s competition where we will host Ireland, Wales and Italy.  The Welsh are the best visiting fans by far as they seem to invade Edinburgh a week beforehand and turn the town into a procession of red. 

Popular choice of headwear

Suitable for disabled ?    Yes, Murrayfield is completely accessible with specific sections available for wheelchairs.  Please book ahead with the SRU.

Vue cinema, Ocean Terminal

Prices vary widely depending on when you go, but they’ve recently introduced a teen ticket making it slightly cheaper for 13-18 year olds to see something without having to pay the adult price.

There are reductions for pensioners (and even special screenings on a Wednesday complete with tea).  Reduced prices apply to children and students, but perhaps the best offer of all is ‘cheap Tuesdays’.  Pick up an application in the foyer with has a push out card within it and every Tuesday, all day, you only pay £4.10 per movie. 

The other handy thing that this (and other) Vue cinemas do is give you a money off voucher for your next visit, as along as it’s within two weeks.  £1.50 is offered off adult tickets and 75p off children’s ones making it a little easier on the pocket.

Digitial 3D films cost £2.30 extra for adults. You can also upgrade your seat now to a slightly larger leather one for an extra £1.30, but I find that there is ample leg room and comfort in the normal seat.

A wide selection of popcorn, hot dogs and drinks are available but of course, overpriced but with such a good selection of places to eat with the centre, I would be choosing elsewhere.

We have recently reviewed Ma Potters and Baxters.  You could even just pick up a meal deal from Boots for £3 on the ground floor.

Suitable for disabled ?   Yes, completely, with space for wheelchairs within the screens, but book ahead to reserve one if going at peak time.

At the top of the Royal Mile

I was intrigued to find out if this tourist attraction could replicate a visit to the nearby Glenkinchie Distillery or the slightly further afield, but smallest in Scotland, Edradour Distillery.  I didn’t look on their website beforehand, so really didn’t know what to expect. 

I was warmly welcomed and opted for the silver tour at £11.50 which includes a trip on the Whisky Barrel Ride, a session on whisky aromas, a tasting and a view of the world’s largest whisky collection.  There are other tours available which include more tastings or a detailed tour in the collection room. 

The staff through the SWE were extremely pleasant, polite and helpful.  The girl at the ticket desk explained that because I was an Edinburgh resident visiting the SWE, I was entitled to an Ambassador’s Card.  This allows me to have discounts on further visits and from their coffee shop, restaurant and gift shop amongst others. 

Unfortunately, her introduction to the Whisky Barrel Ride was a little cringy as she stated, “welcome to Malt Disney”.  We climbed aboard the barrel, which is fully accessible for disabled people by means of a ramp and includes an audio guide in one of fifteen languages. 

Whisky barrel ride

It seats any two adults with room to spare, or three normal sized adults and moves at a slow pace.  You are transported through the whole whisky making process in a replica distillery with the aid of a talking character. 

I was actually a little distracted whilst I was on the ride, as I was conscious about where I going to next as I was turned around and found myself in a virtual vat of whisky.  It is certainly the ‘gimmick’ part of the tour and can’t beat seeing the real thing (with the accompanying smells).   This is the only downfall of the tour for me, but obviously not one that can be rectified. 

The ride was over within five minutes and we were gathered together as a group in a small room with more whisky information on the walls.  Non-english speaking visitors collect a ‘wand’ at this point and can select the numbers shown on the wall throughout the rest of the tour in their own language. 

Language wands for visitors

We were then taken through to the Sense of Scotland room where the history of where whisky is made is explained to us by a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable member of staff.  We were told about the four active regions and then given the opportunity to ’smell’ a region of whisky from individual bottles in front of us.  We also told about the role of Master Blenders and how they do their job by sense of smell alone. 

Sense of Scotland room

I decided to try a ‘lowlands’ whisky and it was poured into a glass which we got to keep (we were given a box to protect it with our entrance ticket).  I carried my glass with my dram through to the magnificent Diageo Claive Vidiz Collection room.  I am not going to spoil the surprise with pictures here, but it really is amazing to see this collection of 3384 bottles of Whisky in the one place. 

The six bottles that started the collection

Our guide explained to us how to smell a whisky, how to taste it properly then said “slàinte mhath” (Scots Gaelic for ‘cheers’ and prounounced “slange va”) before encouraging us to try our drink.  I am not a huge whisky fan at the best of times, and since it was not even 11am yet - I didn’t particularly enjoy the taste.   My friend took advantage and finished mine for me and really enjoyed both blends. 

We were allowed some time to admire the bottles and have a closer look before moving through to the McIntyre Whisky Gallery which is the end point for the tour.  The more humourous bottles from the collection are housed here such as chess sets and books that double as whisky holders.  The walls here re cap everything you will have learnt on your tour, but you can take this room at your own pace.  The guide thanked us for our time and suggested we try out some more whiskies at the bar there.  It was such a cold winters’ day outside, it would be very tempting to sit in one of the seats and work your way through some more drams overlooking the rooftops of Edinburgh. 

We chose to have a drink in the coffee shop in the basement and next to the award winning Amber Restaurant.  Although I have not eaten here yet, I have tasted a selection of their dishes at the Edinburgh Foodies Festival and was blown away with the quality on offer.   The coffee shop is very reasonably priced for somewhere on the Royal Mile – £1.30 for a pot of tea and £1.70 for a delicious coffee.  I managed to do without a piece of the their Cranachan cake this time, but won’t say no when I return.  

Whisky shop

The exit from the SWE is through the gift shop.  I had a brief look and was pleased that alongside the great variety of whiskies on offer, there was a tasteful selection of Scottish gifts with no tartan tat to be found anywhere.  Our entrance ticket is worth £2 off a big bottle of whisky here and you can also buy further tasting glasses at £5 each. 

Not including our time in the coffee shop, we were approximately an hour in the SWE from start to finish.  I imagine it would be very busy at peak tourist times, so booking in advance is advisable. 

Apart from not being an actual working distillery with the authentic smell that accompanies one, the Scotch Whisky Experience is pretty impressive.  The whole operation is smooth, with friendly staff and excellent facilities for foreigners and disabled people, it is worth while taking a journey through here.  

It’s a perfect activity for residents on a rainy day in Edinburgh and any time of the year for tourists. 

Suitable for disabled ?  Yes fully accessible via lifts and ramps onto the barrel ride and accessible toilets.

Entrance to Camera Obscura

Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura has a 150 year old observatory with a roving mirror that projects a 360 degree panorama of the city.  The rest of the displays and interactive exhibitions drop you into a world of illusion and warped images.  

Edinburgh Spotlight visited the Obscura during the week in the winter and was blessed with good weather, which provided clear views from the top.  Once you have paid your entrance fee, you are given a time to visit the actual observatory part.  You need to arrive at your allotted time on the fifth floor to keep the attraction flowing with all its visitors.   

Whilst you wait, you can take in the views of Edinburgh from the top.  To a visitor the views would be appealing, but to a local like me, I didn’t particularly like the slightly obscured view of the Castle.  When you face the other way, the spire of The Hub blocks the view over to Arthur’s Seat: not that this is the fault of Camera Obscura.   

I would also try to visit on a clear day as there really wouldn’t be much of a view on a rainy or cloudy day.  This is obviously easier said than done in Edinburgh!   

View from Camera Obscura top

You are taken into the observatory where it is completely dark, but can be guided by hand rails to take your position above the image circle.  The guide talks through the history of Camera Obscura and points out everything you can see from the revolving view.  This part may be unsuitable for some children who don’t like the dark, but you can leave if you need to, as one family with young children did when I was there.   

You only get to experience this part once, which is all that is needed to be honest, but you are free to spend as much time as you require exploring the other floors before leaving.  If you visit when the place is very busy, you may have to spend your time doing it all in reverse, leaving the observatory part till last.   

Camera Obscura

Moving down to the 4th floor, we entered the Magic Gallery which is full of lightning tubes, plasma domes (including one of the largest in Europe) and lumiglass.  Again, this room is dark to give the best experience but shouldn’t be scary to young children as the lights lead the way through to the other section on this floor.  In this room you will find magic eye optical illusions on the wall.  There are also true mirrors which are interactive and suitable for all ages.  Some of my favourite items here were the kaleidoscope and an exhibit which allows you to swap heads with someone and take pictures of your shadows.   

Moving down to the 3rd floor, we came to ‘light fantastic’.  Holography was explained followed by numerous examples of dinosaurs, people’s heads and a giant spider so big it’s enough give an arachnophobe a heart attack.  This floor became a little repetitive for me, but I was fascinated by the heat camera which demonstrated where my hot spots were.   

Optical Illusion

On all the floors of Camera Obscura, there are little kick stools for smaller children to stand upon to make the most of the exhibits.  This is a well thought-out addition and saves adults lifting their children around each floor.   

There are also optical illusions on the stairways and corridor walls, continuing the visual workout.   

Moving down to the 2nd floor sees a display of old, new and unique images of Edinburgh.  This was perhaps my favourite floor as I could see how the streets used to be and think of how they stand now.  There is an excellent sepia photograph of St Giles Cathedral in the 1880s with a horse and cart in the foreground and beside it sits a picture of how it stands today with a taxi – a complete contrast.

Another example sees Maule’s Corner at the West End in 1902 before it became Fraser’s that we know today.   

Infinity corridor

There is also a selection of 3D images taken from the 1860s that you need to look through via glass pieces and 3D mirrors.  I loved the pinhole photography exhibition by Derek Reay and the infinity corridor of light. 

There are some CCTV cameras to play with and that concludes the visit as the 1st floor is private and the exit includes the mandatory walk through the gift shop to leave.  In fairness, the items for sale are of the educational/scientific nature rather than normal tourist tat.   

I spent around 90 minutes in Camera Obscura, but if I had been with the usual mini Spotlight team, I am sure I would have spent more time playing on every exhibit at least twice.    

Admission Prices
Adult: £8.50  Student £6.75  Senior: £6.75  Child (5 – 15 years): £5.75     *under 5’s go free  

Disabled and Carer prices  (50% discount)    
Adult: £4.25 Child (5 – 15 years): £2.90  

Camera Obscura is part of the Edinburgh Pass that we reviewed a wee while ago. 

Top of Camera Obscura from street level

Suitable for disabled ?      Unfortunately not as there is only stair access to all the floors.

Edinburgh and Salisbury Crags

In December 2009 I travelled to Edinburgh to visit my sister for three weeks, who is studying at Queen Margaret University.  I have great memories about the days I spent in the wonderful Scottish city.

Edinburgh is packed with places to eat and since I love exploring new food it is hard to pick just one as my favourite.   However, since it reminds me of a special night I would say that my favourite was  Thai Orchid, right behind the Royal Mile. It served great, authentic and affordable Thai food.

I loved sightseeing whilst I was on town and nothing compares to Edinburgh Castle at Christmas.  My experience started from the walk that lead up to the Castle on the hill.  There’s plenty to see and do inside the Castle: changing of the guards, a gift shop, free tours & re-enactments etc. There are great views over the city too (even on a rainy and foggy day).

One of my favourite activities during my holiday in Edinburgh was the German Market and the ice-skating.  It was hard to believe that the Winter Wonderland was located in the heart of town, in Princes Street Gardens.  It was a fabulous place to hang out with friends, enjoy a warm glass of mulled wine and the stunning views of the surrounding historical buildings.

I met Alison, who runs Edinburgh Spotlight at a meeting one morning and she offered to show me around town, with another girl from Lithuania.  She was the best guide I’ve ever experienced in my whole life and she’s passionate about bringing people around the city and enriching their experience with her knowledge about every single Edinburgh corner.  Alison took me through what felt like the most remote and  beautiful spots in Edinburgh.  She offered deep and fascinating knowledge of the city and her spontaneous, fun company made the tour absolutely fantastic.  She’s a GPS-Woman, equipped with a unforgettable human touch.

Dr Neil's Garden

In the  few hours we had in daylight we visited so many beautiful places.  The first stop was a beautiful view point of the Edinburgh skyline and Salisbury Crags.  This was followed by Dr Neil’s Garden and the Thomson’s Tower, the place where the sport of Curling’s rules were officially invented.  I would never have known about these places or have been able to find them on my own.

Swanston Village

The next stop was to visit the Royal Observatory.  Alison had arranged a private tour and we met Julia,  a young PhD researcher and explored the private laboratories and the ancient telescope, a massive tool located at the top of the building.   It was super interesting, even for a girl like me who doesn’t really know much about astrophysics.

Next on the tour was a stop at Swanston Village, another place I would have never known about.  The houses were so cute and had thatched roofs.

Afterwards, we visited some Shetland ponies at Braehead.  I loved doing this as I had never seen them before.  We went to Cramond Island and had a lovely lunch right by the sea at the Cramond Bistro Gallery.  The light was fading at this point, so we drive through Newhaven and saw the harbour, followed by the Dutch church in Leith. 

Feeding Shetland ponies

Finally we enjoyed a warm cup of tea at the popular Tea Tree Tea, a nice and friendly cafè located in Edinburgh city centre.  Alison also helped me plan a weekend in the Highlands, providing me with information that revealed to be extremely helpful and precise.  She is a prime example of how friendly Edinburgh (and Scottish) people are.  Everyone I met enriched my holiday experience. 

If you travel to Edinburgh, prepare yourself to have authentic fun and an unforgettable experience in one of the best cities you’ll ever get to see in the whole world!

Thank you Sara, we’re glad you liked our city so much.

As much as I love spending time in Edinburgh, I do like to get out of  town from time to time see other parts of my country.  Earlier this week, I opted to take a day tour with a friend visiting Edinburgh with Timberbush Tours.  I decided to leave the car at home in this freezing weather, let someone else do the driving and sit back, relax and absorb the beautiful countryside.

I chose Timberbush due to an Australian friend’s excellent experience with them in the summer when he did their 3 day Skye, Highlands and Loch Ness tour from Edinburgh.  He thoroughly enjoyed himself and said they were extremely professional and provided him with fascinating information about Scotland.

There is a great selection of tours to choose from and the meeting point couldn’t be easier to find if you are a tourist, it’s right beside the Castle.  Booking is essential and although there can be places left on the tours at short notice, it’s best to book in as far as advance as you can.

Our vehicle for the day

My trip left at 9.15am and we took our seats on a comfortable 16 seater coach and headed West out of the city.  Our tour driver introduced himself as Billy and was Scottish, but with a clear accent that everyone could understand.  He apologised for the weather (not exactly his fault) and said he would attempt the tour as per the itinerary, but obviously it may have to change if the roads were closed.  Billy gave us a friendly reminder to put our seat belts on (and every further time we got on the coach) and talked through a microphone which could be heard through speakers by everyone.  He gave little bits of information about Edinburgh as we left the city behind and onto the motorway.  As we passed Linlithgow Palace, he explained a basic  history of Mary Queen of Scots who was born there.

His historical information was simple but good, without bombarding us with too much information.  As we drove we passed Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument (which could be seen from the bus) he pointed them out and explained their historical background, encouraging the passengers to visit them another time.

Doune Castle

Our first official stop of the day was Doune Castle, a wonderful 15th century castle, but more recently famous for appearing in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  This was a brief photo stop only, not a visit inside the Castle. 

We continued along the road until we came to a cute little town called Callander and our next stop at Kilmahog, to see Hamish the highland cow.  This was also a bathroom stop, which I took advantage of.  It was at this point I began to truly appreciate the wonderful snow capped hills,  including Ben Ledi which seemingly rose out of nowhere considering we had been on the motorway minutes earlier.

Some locals were feeding Hamish as we arrived, so we got to see him up close as he chomped on apples and parsnips.   He may look a friendly cow, but you need to be aware of his horns.  Hamish is the ripe old age of 17 now and is definitely a little bigger around the waist than he used to be, despite his vegetarian diet.

Hamish the highland cow

We drove past Loch Lubnaig which was almost frozen over, taking in the surrounding scenery as we travelled.  Billy told about one of Scotland’s most colourful characters from the past, Rob Roy.  He also explained where Scottish words came from throughout the day, such as ‘Glen’ which means a valley, to help everyone on board understand where names of the places we visited originated from.

As we caught a glimpse of Ben More, standing in the snow covered countryside, I felt so proud to come from a country which has such majestic scenery.

We knew we were arriving further north in Scotland as the roads signs were written in both Gaelic and English.  This, coupled with Billy playing some “dramatic countryside music” as the roads wove through the Glens and alongside Loch Awe (longest loch in Scotland) was one of the highlights of the trip for me.  The sky was completely clear and bright blue – making it a perfect winter’s day.

Oban

Arriving in Oban around 12.30pm,  we were allocated just over an hour to explore, feed and water ourselves and on Billy’s recommendation, I tried the fish and chips!   There were hardly any traces of snow in town, apart from on the hills as we looked across to the Isle of Mull. 

Dunstaffnage Castle

After lunch, we stopped at Dunstaffnage Castle which is one of the oldest stone castles in Scotland.  There was an additional £3 admission fee if you wished to look inside, but if you didn’t choose that option, you still get a good view from outside and over to the hills across the neighbouring loch.

Our journey continued back through the Pass of Brander and I was in heaven as I looked at the snowy scree-covered hills reflecting in the perfectly still Loch.  We changed direction and onto new roads and stopped at a beautiful viewpoint over Kilchurn Castle.

Kilchurn Castle

Billy explained that this whole area belonged to the Duke of Argyll and we caught a glimpse of his home, Inverary Castle, as we drove through Inverary town and alongside Loch Fyne.  The last of the daylight hid behind the hills at the Rest and Be Thankful Pass and the scene of another photo stop.

Last light of the day

We followed Loch Long southwards through Arrochar and everyone caught their first sight of Loch Lomond (I have seen it before).  We had another bathroom stop at the picturesque village of Luss on the edge of Loch Lomond, but considering it was minus 4 Celsius at this point, no one dipped their toes in the water.

Luss

Luss is where the tour concluded it’s scenic part, and Billy drove us back to Edinburgh via the motorway and finished the tour on time.

The whole day was fantastic and my New Zealand friend was so impressed with the scenery and everything that we had seen in one day, that he went on another trip the next day!

 

Conclusion

I am highly impressed with Timberbush’s professionalism as our safety was paramount in these extreme conditions.  All information and history given to us was relevant.  If Billy is an example of their staff, then you would have a good tour guide as well.  I think it helped that he is Scottish as his passion for his country definitely shone throughout the tour, despite probably having driven the route many times.

Other passengers seemed to have a good time and came from a variety of countries, including another from Scotland.  This is not a backpacker tour and there are no activities forced upon you such as introductory speeches or posing for group photos.  The bus I was on was separated into a row of single seats and a row of doubles, so if you are travelling on your own, you wont have to sit with a stranger for the day.

Bearing in mind this tour was done in the midst of the winter season, when daylight hours end at 4pm – it’s a fantastic way to see the country if you’re short on time and don’t want to go through the hassle of hiring a car.  Even if you are a local in Edinburgh, don’t rule out letting Timberbush do the hard work whilst you sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

 

Black framed photos copyright of Matt Dale

 

Suitable for disabled ?  Not for wheelchairs, but if you have mobility problems but can still transfer onto a coach, then they are suitable. Please bear in mind that you will get on and off several times throughout the day.

We also had a picnic on the Lake and some lovely hot chocolate.   Last year I sat on Loch Morlich, but because this is so close to home, I couldn’t resist a couple of hours of icy fun.  It’s well  worth heading for a visit over the next few days if temperatures continue to be so low.

There may even be a curling ‘Grand Match’ this weekend which may see over 4000 people curl on the lake.  Details will be posted when the decision is made tomorrow.  The last one took place over 30 years ago, showing how rare a frozen Lake Menteith is.  *update – 8th Jan, curling match is not going ahead*

The Lake of Menteith Hotel were doing a barbecue today, providing hot food for skaters and walkers coming off the ice.  If it’s too cold to be outside, then you can warm up in their restaurant which overlooks the lake.

Enjoy the photos.

Frozen Lake Monteith with hotel in background

Inchmahome Priory in the winter

Dog walking on ice

Edinburgh Spotlight on ice

West Princes Street Gardens

If you live in Edinburgh and haven’t been for some time, it’s now a chess / castle themed playpark complete with soft flooring throughout, so helpful for those inevitable tumbles onto the ground.

Slide in the play park

There is a mixture of climbing ropes and walls, tunnels, slides and lookout posts!  A real great mixture and it’s possible to go from one end of the play park to the other without touching the ground.

There are benches nearby for parents to sit and rest on which provide a fantastic view of the Castle.

The nearest toilets are just to the side of the park and in the summer months, there are food and drink places open.  You can enter via King Stables Road or one of the many gates on Princes Street (two step entrances and some steep and cobbled).

Have a break from shopping or a picnic in the park right in the middle of Edinburgh city centre – what a treat!

View from playpark

Edinburgh Castle

Pathways were cleared

Cannons

One o' clock gun

Edinburgh Castle

View from Castle over Edinburgh

Remember you can buy tickets in advance to save time queuing.  More information here.

Nelson Monument

The monument’s up-ended telescope design is topped with a mechanised time-ball sycronised with the one o’ clock gun fired from Edinburgh Castle.  The time ball dropped daily allows ships in Leith Harbour to set their chronometers by it.

Every year on 21st October, the anniversary of Nelson’s death, naval flags are flown from the monument signalling his famous words:  ’England expects every man to do his duty”.


 If you are visiting Edinburgh, then try to pick a clear a day as possible to get the best views and if you are a resident, then choose a good weather day.   In summer, the sun does not pose too many problems when taking photos as it’s so high in the sky.  In winter, the sun can be low and early in the  morning it can spoil the views over to Arthur’s Seat and around lunch time, it’s above the Castle.  You can never taken sunset shots from here as it’s only open till 6pm in summer and closes at 3pm in winter.

Looking down on the Athenian acropolis

Admission is £3 (December 2009) and is pretty reasonable for the rewarding views when climbing to the top.  The stairwell up to the outside viewing area is not cramped like the Scott Monument but has a VERY narrow exit.  I actually measured it today and it’s only 18 inches / 46cm in width.  I think it would be impossible to fit through it front ways for any adult, so make sure you will be able to squeeze through sideways.  I had to take my back pack off to manage through.

I love looking down on the Athenian acropolis and over to the Firth of Forth.  It’s fantastic looking over the roof tops of Edinburgh’s New Town and working out which buildings are which.  It’s easy to spot the Botanics from the top and Easter Road, the home of Hibernian Football Club.

Easter Road (green and white)

Looking west over towards Edinburgh Castle, it was fantastic to see the buses driving up and down Princes Street again.  You could also see the big wheel as part of Edinburgh’s Christmas.  It really is worth the exercise to get up to the top.

Looking down Princes Street

The view south to Arthur’s Seat is also fabulous and you can also spot many other landmarks such as the Scottish Parliament, Dynamic Earth and Holyrood Palace.  Just make sure you bring your camera to the top and a pair of binoculars if you have them.

Thin doorway

Heading downwards through the very thin door is a whole lot easier.

There is information at the bottom about the monument and others that are on Calton Hill and you could read these for free as they are before the entrance turnstile. 

At the bottom you can even get a certificate to commemorate your visit.   

Our certificate

Opening Times  April to September:   Monday 1pm–6pm, Tuesday to Saturday 10am–6pm   Closed Sunday.   October to March:  Monday to Saturday 10am–3pm (so no sunset shots I’m afraid)  Closed Sundays.
 
Suitable for disabled ?   Unfortunately not as there is only stair access.  If you can manage to walk up to the entrance, it’s worth looking at the imformation displays (free of charge)

Entrance in Ocean Terminal

The attraction has been given a prestigious five star rating by the tourist board and I agree that everyone of the stars are deserved.  The entrance is inside the Ocean Terminal shopping complex in the Leith area, but really easy to get to by bus or car (free parking).   All the up to date visiting information you need can be found here.

Every staff member I encountered,  from the ticket sales lady to the ones on board were extremely polite, professional and helpful.  Everything is well sign posted and the whole experience is completely wheelchair accessible. Lifts are present with gangways from outside the ship that take you to every level.

Good signposting

Britannia has been permanently berthed here since 1998 and hundreds of thousands of people have been on board to see what life was like upon this royal ship.

You start in the visitor centre with lots of information on the history of the ship, how it was built, when it was first used alongside many photos of the royal family.  Britannia was crewed by 230 men and 20 officers with its’ last voyage in 1997 as she withdrew the British Governor from Hong Kong for the last time.

Easy to use

The admission price includes an audio guide which is available in a staggering 21 languages including a child friendly English one.  It’s like a cordless telephone and you enter the number of the feature you are at, which are clearly marked and listen to the commentary.  I like this style of guide as it doesn’t include a fiddly headset / earphones.  Everyone also concentrates on listening so there is very little noise as you tour around the ship.

Like everyone else, I couldn’t wait to see what the royal bedrooms were like.  Windows have been put in so you can see where Queen Elizabeth slept.  The rooms are grand (bearing in mind the year they were first furnished) but not as royally sumptuous as you might expect them to be.  Her room only has a single bed and a connecting door to Prince Phillip’s more manly room.  Below is a picture of her room, but I do not wish to spoil every part of this tour, so if you wish to see all the pictures, you can choose to view the gallery at the bottom.

Elizabeth's bedroom

Across the hall is the honeymoon suite which houses the only double bed on board.  Again you have to allow for the dated decor, but I still wouldn’t be tempted to stay in the room.

There are lovely rooms such as the sun lounge and it’s interesting to see inside the Admiral’s cabin which houses his bed and office in one cramped place.  Conditions on board the ship were far from grand even for the officers, but interestingly enough, you do not get to see where the majority of the 200 strong crew slept.  They must have been very cramped.

There is now a royal deck tea room so that you can say you’ve dined upon Britannia.  A lovely selection of food is available and is cooked in the kitchen on the yacht.  Prices are not as bad as you may think, but personally for me, I have no interest in staring at Ocean Terminal.  It is handy to have though as you could easily spend a couple of hours on board.

Giant bell

There are also several toilets (some accessible) on board.

The tour continuesthrough the officer’s wardroom and the state dining and drawing rooms.  These are more grand and what you would expect and I can only begin to imagine the people have walked through this area, such as Nelson Mandela.  You can even hire the rooms out for functions today,  but I imagine they would come with a royal price tag.  It takes three hours to lay the tables alone!   The walls are covered with amazing gifts presented to the royals from all over the world, including a head stone from Easter Island and a small turtle carving from the Galapagos Islands.

State dining room table

The deck below,  houses the Royal Marine’s barracks, which are interesting to see and have been displayed as if there were people on board and the yacht was ready to sail. The NAAFI sweet shop has been converted to a fudge shop today, again made on board and very tasty (samples available).

The mail room and the laundry, alongside the sick bay are all available to inspect and the temperatures in the 24 hour laundry could reach over 45 degrees when docked in the tropics.  The audio tour informed me that the royal’s clothes were washed on a separate day from all the crew who often had six changes of clothes in one day.

It’s good to see that there are a couple of bars on board for the officers to wind down in.  These rooms are great in that you are allowed to sit on the furniture and listen to the guide, imagining all that went on in them.  Look out for the interesting ceiling character, nestled upon the fan.

Royal touches on board

The tour ends with a view into the engine room and an explanation of how it all works.  Very impressive to see so closely.

If you wish to see more photos of my visit, then please look at the gallery below.  At £10 for adult entrance, Britannia is good value for money.  We took two hours to listen to every audio track on the tour including some extra time to take photos, but you could easily spend another hour or so looking at everything in detail.  I imagine it could be very busy in summer months when coach loads of tourists visit, but even in December it was fairly busy.  The majority of people walk in one direction, so works well.

It may look like you have to leave the yacht if you follow all the signs, but there is nothing stopping you going back on board and perhaps repeating some of your favourite places of the tour.  Of course the tour ends in a mandatory visit through the gift shop which has all kinds of royal themed and Britannia goodies for sale.  Prices are a little inflated, but there are a few cheaper ideas if you hunt around.

Two fascinating random facts I took away with me is that there is not one  rivet to be spotted on the outside of Britannia and the ship has sailed over one million miles around the world!

A thoroughly worthwhile attraction for tourists and residents alike.  Five stars from the team at Edinburgh Spotlight.

Suitable for disabled ?     100% accessible through lifts and ramps.  There is even a visually impaired audio guide.  Accessible toilets also available.

Click on a thumbnail to view full-size.

Fountainpark Bingo

We were warmly welcomed by the staff and given our free temporary membership card enabling us to play for the evening.   Since the whole new modern bingo was new to us, it had to be explained how all the games worked and the best ones for us to join in with.  We paid £6.40 for our evening’s bingo.

Temporary Membership

The supervisor/manager was extremely helpful to the 8 of us that were playing, all clearly novices with no idea how to operate the system.  You basically had to put your card in, choose your screen colour and every time a number was called out, you had to hit the screen to register if you had that number.

You didn’t even need to hit the actual number that is called, just anywhere in the screen and if you have that number, it’s marked off for you – totally fool proof.

Modern Bingo

It was certainly easy and quick to play, but half the fun of ye olden bingo was trying to find the number which required total concentration.  As soon as some has a line, it’s automatically called and again for a full house.  The column in the middle tells you what numbers you require to be called to win and we had two winners amongst our group over the course of the evening.

The Mecca at Fountainbridge is a huge bingo hall with lots of tables and there are also gaming machines to play.  There are bars to order drink and food, but the best thing of all is that you can also do it from your bingo screen as long as you have enough credit in your card.

Order food from seat

The food is extremely cheap with some of our group ordering Scotch pie, beans and chips for £1.65 !!  Lemon meringue pie was 99p and service was swift despite them saying it would be 20 minutes.

Definitely an interesting experience, playing modern bingo and I don’t know if I will return any time soon unless it was for a party or a hen night.  I miss the old style of dabbing the numbers off and the nervousness of shouting ‘house’ and then getting the card checked whilst everyone else waits in anticipation and praying you got it wrong.

It’s certainly a quick and easy way to gamble away your pounds and a good social place for all ages.  The staff at Fountainpark were extremely helpful to us, so a big Edinburgh Spotlight thank you to them.

Suitable for disabled ?      Yes, full disabled access and toilets

Edinburgh's Christmas

We are particularly looking forward to the lights being turned on, the Edinburgh Sparkles fountains, the snow globe, the santa express, the reindeers in the gardens.  One half of Edinburgh Spotlight is taking part in the santa run with 8 members of her family ranging from ages 4 up to 70 !  Should be fun.

We will be reviewing all the shopping there is on offer, from the German Market to the Ethical Christmas Fair aswell as the usual Winter Wonderland in Princes Street Gardens.

Why don’t you subscribe to our Christmas section to be kept up to date with all things Edinburgh at Christmas.   We have already featured everyones favourite, The Jenners’ Christmas tree as well as a host of other attractions.  It’s also not too late to enter our Edinburgh’s Sparkles competition, the closing date is 12th December and you could win a stocking full of goodies or a session ice skating and on the big wheel in Princes Street Gardens.

You can have them delivered to your hotel and prices vary depending on how long you have the unit for.  I opted to pick one up from the High Street distribution point at Rabbies

Pick up point, High Street

They come in a nifty little case which you can wear over your shoulder, keeping everything safe and in place (spare pack and charger etc).  Fresh foam pads for earphones are provided.  There are some instructions, but even to a non technical expert like me, it’s pretty easy to use.  There is a help line you can call if you do have any problems.

You have 12 choices when you start up the unit of the specific tours, ‘free mode’, wet day options, monuments and food and drink etc.

Roam Edinburgh GPS

I opted for ‘free mode’ to begin with to see what it would alert me to as I walked up the High Street.  Points of interest are highlighted as you reach them and a simple tap on them with the stylus will bring up the audio and show you a picture to confirm you are at the right location.

St Giles Cathedral

I was told a little about St Giles Cathedral and could click for further information such as opening hours.  You can choose to read the text, rather than listen to audio, so perfect for people with hearing problems.

I learned about the neighbouring Mercat Cross before heading further up the High Street and down into the Grassmarket, alerting me to food suggestions such as Howies which also comes recommended by ourselves.  I do feel there could be more food options on the device, but the ones that are, the average prices and opening hours are displayed.

Mercat Cross

Castle and wild garden from Grassmarket

Looking at the other tours on offer, there are some great ones to choose from which really do take you off the beaten track.  You are encouraged to walk around and up Arthur’s Seat which is a must in Edinburgh, but often overlooked.  The bonus with this device when you head off the beaten track to other places such as the Water of Leith  and Inverleith Park (fabulous places) is that you can’t get lost as you have the GPS facility.  I found the power lasted quite a while, even on a cool winter day, but there is a back up supply and a charger to bring it back to full life over night.

There is a ‘Haunted Edinburgh’ tour which would be perfect to do at night and also one for shopping suggestions.

I would sum this device up as an interactive guidebook with the added bonus of audio and a picture of every point of interest.  Thanks to the GPS it also ensures that you can’t get lost !  It’s a new and interesting way to see the city and worth a try if a visitor to town.

Suitable for disabled ?    There are no ‘disabled’ friendly tours on this device, but should you book this device and would like some help in where is accessible, please contact us direct and we will work out a route for you

Here is our selection of suggestions for this weekend in Edinburgh :-

Edinburgh Castle – 28th, 29th and 30th November

Craigmillar Castle – 28th and 29th November

Trinity House –  28th and 29th November

Edinburgh Zoo -  30th November.    This venue was extremely busy last year due to the free entry.  Please arrive early and prepare for crowds, although this year is a Monday, so might not be as busy.

The Filmhouse – Free Films

Further afield

Linlithgow Palace - 28th and 29th November

Blackness Castle – 28th and 29th November

Wallace Monument –  Stirling  28th, 29th and 30th November

Stirling Castle – 28th, 29th and 30th November

All participating Historic Scotland sites listed HERE and a PDF of information on what else is on in Edinburgh can be found HERE

The Edinburgh Pass

The Edinburgh Pass is primarily aimed at tourists, but with a little bit of planning, Edinburgh residents could be a tourist in their own city and make the most of the pass, saving some money in the process.  The pass DOES NOT include Edinburgh Castle

The pass is available for adults at the following prices –  1 day £24,   2 days £36   3 days £48 (children’s prices lower).

You can buy them over the phone, or at the tourist information centres at Edinburgh Airport and Waverley Market (above Princes Mall)

If you are arriving at the airport, then be sure to buy it there as it also includes a return trip to the city centre using the airport bus.  Edinburgh bus tours are not fully included with the pass (£2 discount given), but regular Lothian Region Transport buses are free (not night buses).

The website suggests two different day tours to make the most of your pass HERE but interestingly enough, seem to highlight the discount you can get on food rather than cramming more sights in.  If I was paying £48 for a 3 day pass, I wouldn’t be interested in 20% off my food bill on a sit down meal at lunchtime, I would be seeing as many attractions as I could in one day !     I would save restaurant discounts for the evening, when the majority of the attractions close.   Evening ghost tours are included, a choice of three, but our preferred one is the original Edinburgh ghost tour, led by Adam Lyal (deceased).  Review is HERE.

Attractions such as the Butterfly and Insect World, National Museum of Flight and Hopetoun House are included, though even with a car, these places would take time to get to.

I would plan your activities wisely, around the city centre and see if you will be saving money to the attractions you really want to go to.

Edinburgh Spotlight plans to try an Edinburgh Pass in the future and see if it is possible to do 80% or so of the attractions in 3 days. It is not physically possible to do all of them, even with a car.

Keep an eye on their website as they sometimes do good offers off season such as 3 days for the price of 2; or a discount off a 3 day pass.

Edinburgh Pantomime

The show runs from 28th November until 17th January 2010 and is always a fantastic day or night out for people of all ages.  Buy your ticket now and start your vocal warm ups of ‘he’s behind you !’

At the Lyceum theatre, Peter Pan runs from the 27th to the 3rd January and is suitable for children from the age of 6 up. 

Peter Pan at the Lyceum

JM Barrie’s legendary boy hero soars onto the Lyceum stage to entertain, astound and inspire. Gasp as Peter, Wendy, John and Michael (not to mention Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys!) do battle with the wicked Captain Hook and his pirate crew. It’s a world where crocodiles go tick-tock, fairies are real and children can fly – a place where dreams really come true!  Buy your tickets early as the Lyceum performances often sell out completely.

You can get the LRT bus numbers  1, 11, 22, 34, 35 and 36 right outside the door but if you are drving, the parking is free.

Inside Ocean Terminal

Fashion Shop

The two main department stores within are Debenhams and British Home Stores.  Fashion shops include New Look, Gap, Dorothy Perkins, Top Shop and Schuh.  More recently opened is the new Superdry Store which has proven to be very popular.

There is a Build a Bear workshop for children and the indoor play centre, Molly’s.  There are also several gift shops, a beauty salon and hairdressers and many choices for refreshments and something to eat.  The main dining area looks out onto the harbour with outdoor seating for those Edinburgh sunny days.

Looking down onto Zizzi and Ocean Bar

There is a Vue cinema in Ocean Terminal which has 12 screens showing all the latest films.

Full shopping guide can be found HERE.

Ocean Terminal has vastly improved since it opened, but I still feel it’s lacking a certain something before it’s a great shopping centre.  There is a Marks and Spencers mini food hall and the wonderful Baxter’s shop, but shops like Next are missing.

Suitable for disabled ?     Yes, completely.  They have disabled parking and lifts making every floor accessible and disabled toilets.

Christmas Decorations

Entrance to Britannia Attraction

Children under 5 are free, over 5s are £6 and adult admission is £10.  Discount for senior citizens and Armed Forces members, and if you are a member of the association of Royal Yachtsmen, then entrance is free.

A good day out and you can now even have a drink in the Royal Deck Tea room !

5 star attraction from the Scottish Tourist Board.

Discover the rich history and have a close-up view of the trees and wildlife.  Suitable for all the family.

Starts from Cammo Lodge Visitor Centre at 10am and will last approx 2 hours.

Cammo Tower

Suitable for disabled ?       No, the ground is uneven

I am not against real live person tours whatsoever, but for tourists in Edinburgh suffering from jet lag and waking up at the crack of dawn, or who want to go at their own pace, then these tours are a great idea.  You could also easily do this tour in the evening in the summer when it’s light until 10pm and beyond or do it in the winter to see all the buildings beautifully lit up in the evening.

Nothing is required to be open to go on this tour, all are visible from the street.

Start of tour, Castle Esplanade

Although I know Edinburgh like the back of my hand, I treated this tour like I was a tourist and was only going to follow the instructions given to me through the tours.

I learned a brief history about the Castle and enjoyed the panoramic views (whilst the tour told me what I was seeing).

One of the advantages of this type of tour was obvious right away.  All I had to do was press pause and take photos to my hearts content and go at the pace I wanted to.

I’m not going to go into huge detail about everything on this tour, otherwise it will spoil the fun of discovering the fantastic city !  Everything is explained well in a clear Scottish accent (tested out on my Australian friend who didn’t think it was too fast and was clearly understandable).  Another bonus of this review is that if English is your second language, you can pause and rewind what was said without the embarrassment of having the ask a tour guide to repeat what they said.

White Hart Inn, Grassmarket.

The second stop on this tour is the White Hart Inn in the Grassmarket and you learn that Robert  Burns is thought to have spent his last night in Edinburgh here in 1791.  Other ‘locals’ to the bar were Burke and Hare in the 1820s and the stories of the notorious two is explained.  I also regularly drank here in the 1990s, maybe not quite as famous as previous patrons

The tour continues, but covers streets that seem to go up and down, down and up, so make sure you’re full of energy.

Museum on the Mound, stop 4

You can simply pause the tour and pop into the Museum on the Mound to see what a million pounds looks like (photos not allowed inside).  Admission is free to the museum.

From here, you walk down the steps that lead to the Mound and the National Galleries and Princes Street Gardens.  Again, if you want to break the tour here you can, just press pause and go for a wander and find the place you stopped with the use of the map if you can’t see the Galleries any more.

National Galleries at The Mound, stop 5

Why don’t you go up the 287 steps of the Scott Monument ?   See our review for more information.  This Gothic spire is number 6 on the tour.

Melville monument, St Andrew Square

St Andrew Square is a beautiful area to stop off and have a coffee at now (or perhaps detour to Harvey Nicols for some shopping).

The tour continues along George Street covering major places of interest, and ends up at the beautiful Charlotte Square.

As I mentioned before, this tour can be done at your own pace and allows you to simply pause the commentary, go for a coffee, visit a tourist attraction you come across and if you wander off  to take photographs, you can get back on track with the use of the map.  You can also re visit any section of the tour to repeat the information

Suitable for disabled ?   This tour is not as disabled friendly as the Royal Mile Tour but can be done with slight detours, avoiding sets of steps.  The street alternative are very steep and cobbled, but it can be done.  Please email us for an alternative route if you wish to do this tour and we will personalise a route for you !

There are several other interesting buildings which are up Calton Hill and here we will take a closer look at them and what they are.

View from Nelson Monument

If we start at the top left of the above picture, we come to Observatory House, the oldest of the buildings up here and was designed by James Craig, architect of the layout of the New Town, and completed in 1872.  It was intended to be used as the city observatory but due to lack of funds, no equipment could be bought.  Today it is a private residence which has recently had work completed making it look much better, but still maintaining its’ old design.

Observatory House

Right in the middle of the walled enclosure, which is best viewed from Nelson Monument is the City Observatory designed by William Playfair and completed in 1818.  It became the Royal Observatory in 1822 , but in 1897, the equipment was moved to Blackford hill, where the Royal Observatory still stands today. 

City Observatory

The green domed building is Telescope House which is associated with the Observatory.

Telescope House

On the other corner, the smallest of all the buildings is the Playfair Monument, a square temple-like structure designed by W H Playfair for his mathematician uncle and erected in 1825-26.

Playfair from above

Perhaps the most recognisable building on Calton Hill is the National Monument which was designed in 1826 but abandoned in 1829 due to lack of funds.  The design was based on the Parthenon in Athens and was intended to commemorate the dead from the Napoleonic Wars.  Tourists love to climb the structure and pose for photographs, which you are allowed to do.  Locals spend summer days and evenings here, reading a book perched against a column.

National Monument

Another of the most recognisable buildings up forms part of a perfect Edinburgh view often found on postcards.  The Dugald Stewart Monument was erected in the memory of the Professor of Moral Philosophy at Edinburgh University.  Designed by W H Playfair and built in 1830 – 32, it is almost an exact replica of the Lysicrates on the Acropolis in Athens.

Dugald Stewart Monument and classic Edinburgh view

We love this view so much it has become our icon that we use on other social media sites such as facebook and twitter.

Calton Hill is a must see when visiting town, or if you are a resident, the next time you are up there, you will know what all the buildings are.

Suitable for disabled ?     You can enter by car from the Regent Road side and if you are using a wheelchair, then this approach is possible if you have someone VERY strong to assist.  You need to come back down this way as the other exit has steps, or go via the road (but has speed bumps).

I am not against real live person tours whatsoever, but for tourists in Edinburgh suffering from jet lag and waking up at the crack of dawn, or want to go at their own pace, then these tours are a great idea.  You could also easily do this tour in the evening in the summer when it’s light until 10pm and beyond or do it in the winter to see all the buildings beautifully lit up in the evening.

No places mentioned on the tour require to be open to enjoy it, all are visible from the street.

Castle esplanade, start of tour

I downloaded the tour to my ipod and printed out my map the night before and headed out to the start point on the Castle esplanade at 8am on a cold but sunny day. 

Although I know Edinburgh like the back of my hand, I treated this tour like I was a tourist and was only going to follow the instructions given to me through the tours.

Map and ipod, good to go

I learned a brief history about the Castle and enjoyed the panoramic views (whilst the tour told me what I was seeing).

One of the advantages of this type of tour was obvious right away.  All I had to do was press pause and take photos to my hearts content and go at the pace I wanted to.

I’m not going to go into huge detail about everything on this tour, otherwise it will spoil the fun of discovering the fantastic city !  Everything is explained well in a clear Scottish accent (tested out on my Australian friend who didn’t think it was too fast and was clearly understandable).  Another bonus of this review is that if English is your second language, you can pause and rewind what was said without the embarrassment of having the ask a tour guide to repeat what they said.

The tour took me down the Lawnmarket a little and gave me the history of Deacon Brodie.

Stop 4 on the tour

Slight diversion off the Royal Mile at this point to take in another couple of landmarks in Edinburgh, one of which is the famous Greyfriars Bobby.  Again, the great thing about this tour is that you visit Bobby’s statue, but you can just pause your tour and go and have a look at his nearby grave as well.

Greyfriars Bobby, stop 6

Moving back to the Royal Mile, all the major landmarks are covered and explained well.  I was reminded of information and dates I had once learnt at school (and since forgotten !)

Working my way towards the end of the tour, the history of Reid’s Close was explained (10), before the next stop of the Scottish Parliament (11) and ending at Holyrood House (12)

Scottish Parliament, stop 11

I found the Parliament commentary particularly interesting, far better than how the building looks !  I finished at Holyrood Palace after a very enjoyable tour.

As I mentioned before, this tour can be done at your own pace and allows you to simply pause the commentary, go for a coffee, visit a tourist attraction you come across and if you wander off down a Close to take photographs, you can get back on track with the use of the map.  You can also re visit any section of the tour to repeat the information.

Suitable for disabled ?    This tour apart from the cobbles and pavements to travel over is suitable for wheelchairs and is all downhill or flat detours.  To see all the things mentioned, no steps are involved, making this a very disabled friendly tour.

*Coming up, Edinburgh Tour #2  Old Town and New Town

Part of the tour but you can also stop for coffee and cake here !

In conjunction with Edinburgh’s Christmas campaign, Edinburgh Sparkles, we are delighted to be running a festive competition for our readers.

You can win a luxury Edinburgh Sparkles stocking, packed full of treats from the city’s boutiques, including Paper Tiger, Anthyllis Organic Health & Beauty and Mrs Smith: perfect as an additional present for someone special – or just to keep for yourself!

We also have an additional prize of 4 tickets to enjoy ice-skating in West Princes Street Gardens and a trip on the Big Wheel next to the Scott Monument, where you can enjoy soaring views over the city.

Edinburgh sparkles at Christmas

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning one of these fabulous prizes is answer this simple question:

E-mail your answer to us here at info@edinburghspotlight.com – good luck!  Competition closes 5th December at midnight.

Scottish Saltire

The official programme for St Andrew’s Day celebrations happening over Edinburgh has just been announced.

In St Andrew Square Gardens, there will be a whole host of activities for all the family.  Best of all, everything is FREE. You can learn from Scotland’s Past, enjoy the cookery zone and soak up all the music and entertainment.

Highlights include

Saturday 28th November – Homecoming Art Car Parade, 3pm onwards

Sunday 29th November – Massed Pipes & Drums, 2-3pm

Sunday 29th November –  Scottish Film Showcase, 11am onwards

 Edinburgh’s Filmhouse presents an entertaining mix of Scottish shorts and feature films to celebrate St Andrew’s Day. Ticketing details to be announced shortly.

Sunday 29th  November – Nativity Carol Concert, 4pm

Monday 30th November – St Andrew’s DO Fireworks, 7pm

Fireworks over Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Spotlight will be attending as much as we possible can as it’s sure to be a great weekend.  A full PDF version of what’s happening can be found HERE

Armed with a bag of sunflower seeds bought from the new shop at the John Hope Gateway entrance, I set off with some younger members of my family in the hunt for some squirrels.

It is not hard to spot squirrels within the botanics and I can 99% guarantee you will see one on your visit.

Squirrel at the botanics

Initial techniques of feeding the squirrels included whistling at them like you would a dog, then the tactic of throwing a handful of seeds emerged.

I had to explain than they need to trust the person feeding them and that silence was needed.  This made the kids shout ’sssssshhhhhhhhhh’.

Eventually, the squirrels came and ate out of our hands, but it took about 8 attempts.

Tame squirrel

Once that had been done a few times, the attention turned to collecting conkers and kicking about in the Autumnal leaves.

Collecting

One of the great new things about the John Hope Gateway is that they have a room full of microscopes for children to examine what they’ve collected.  One of the kids said that the leaf looked like a ‘frog’s back’ and sure enough it did when I looked through.

Great fun to be had at the botanics and squirrel hunting can be done all year round.

Suitable for disabled ?     Yes, plenty of even, smooth paths around the Botanics

Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo is a fantasic day out for people of all ages.  I have been going to the zoo since I was a child, but now it was my turn to take some smaller members of my family for another visit.

The admission price is not cheap, so make sure you can spend a few hours minimum in the zoo, ideally the whole day.  Children under 3 do go free and there are family tickets available.  Tesco recently added the zoo as a reward for their days out tokens.  There is limited parking in the zoo car park, but it really is easy to get there by bus.

You are warmly welcomed into the zoo and given a map, but I found that everything is well signposted.  Edinburgh Zoo is on a steep slope and comfy shoes are a must.  If you have a buggy in tow, a full days’ walking around counts as a workout, so don’t feel guilty when you stop for an ice cream at one of the many stalls dotted around the park.

The Hilltop Safari is included in the admission price and is a great way to get orientated and also a great way to save walking to the top of the zoo !   You get a commentary on board and can start spotting some animals.

Hilltop Safari

Check out the times of the daily events so that you don’t miss something you really want to see such as the penguin parade.

There is no best route around the zoo, just keep on wandering.  Sometimes the animals you want to see might be hiding indoors, so you need to try again.    When we visited the African plains, the zebras were hiding under the trees, so had to wait a while before they came out onto the grass again

Zebra on African Plains

We then arrived at the big cats section where we got up and very close with one of the tigers.  Thankfully there is a huge pane of glass separating you and the animal, not that the little ones I was with were fazed whatsoever when near-kissing this beast !

Up Close With Tigers

Our next stop was the Budongo Trail or the ‘bongo trail’ as my nephew likes to call it.  This attraction opened last year and is nothing short of fantastic.  The chimps are allowed to play and climb out doors, with viewing areas for visitors, but when they are inside, thanks to the new centre, you can see them equally aswell through glass on the first floor, so you are eye level to where the chimps climb up.

Peek-a-boo

Beside the outside viewing area, there is a play park, one of many dotted around the park.  My tribe played on there for a while, waiting for the chimps to come back out and then we ate our lunch on one of the benches there.  I was organised and took a packed lunch, but there are a couple of cafes and numerous kiosks around the park.

Next stop was the daily penguin parade where they come out of their enclosure (if they want) and say hello.

Penguin on Parade

Other favourites with the kids were the rhinos and the pygmy hippos, along with the walk through Rainbow Landings (check opening times).   The koalas were sleeping the 3 times we visited them but the sea lions were having a cuddle fest.

Sea Lions

You have to leave the zoo through the gift shop, but can do it swiftly to avoid the ‘can I have …..?’ questions.

The zoo continues to be a great day out and learning experience for children.  Our top tips are comfy shoes, waterproof jacket, bottles of water, small snacks (in case hunger strikes when you are at the top of the zoo) and your camera.

The kids loved the day out, but I secretly really enjoyed it to as I’m a big kid at heart !  Highly recommended from Edinburgh Spotlight

*The zoo is free to children during the month of November 2009 when admitted with a paying adult – see site for full details*

Suitable for disabled ?     Although the zoo in on an extremely steep slope, with a bit of muscle power, it is suitable for wheelchairs.  Look at the downloadable map for where is accessible and the zoo’s guide for visitors with disabilities.

On a delightfully warm June day a few months ago, I had the good fortune to do something that had been on my mind for some time now, whilst back on one of my many sojourns to Edinburgh. How many wonderful days and night’s have I spent in Hibernian FC’s new and old stadium watching those bright emerald green jerseys with the white sleeves, yet never ventured much beyond the stands for that couple of hours spent supporting my team from boyhood?

Hibernian

In truth, that’s not strictly accurate. Way back in 1978, whilst visiting with a friend, I wandered into the very different ‘ER’ of the day and was kindly taken on an impromptu tour by the then groundsman. My memories of that include an explanation of how the recent ban on alcohol in Scottish football had cleared the Easter Road match day aftermath of two skips full of empty bottles and cans. They also extend to a little tour through the players changing rooms and observing the Hibs youth team playing out a five-a-side training game. This tour was entirely due to one man’s hospitality but now things are a little different.

As you can see, a peek behind the scenes at the ‘new’ Easter Road was well overdue. With that I mind I was very happy to have my phone booking accepted for myself and my partner’s father, visiting from Canada, by the friendly and helpful club staff that June morning. A couple of hours later and we duly arrived to fulfil our booking and were ushered through to the man reception area where a group of people were already gathering for the Easter Road experience.

I was glad and happy to re-make the acquaintance of a friendly face in the tour guide Bill Bryson, something of an old Hibee friend by the good grace of the Internet. As we sat down for Billy to offer us his wide knowledge and intriguing stories about the club and its residence, it felt great to be ‘home’.

Artefacts on display

Of course the whole of the West Stand in which we sat was completely rebuilt and refurbished within the past decade. Space abounds in this new and modern facility and there was an airy atmosphere of potential for the numerous yet-to-used areas of this excellent resource. This is for the future however and we were there largely for history and plenty of it. Our friendly tour guide, Billy, did not disappoint in this respect.

There are many artefacts of Hibs’ hallowed history on show in the main tour environment, many lovingly kept and kindly bequeathed. Any visitor with half a heart cannot fail to be touched by some of the historic memorabilia proudly displayed here, including a whole section devoted to ‘The Prince of Wingers’ and arguably Hibernian’s finest ever player, the mercurial Gordon Smith.

They’re all here though, they really are. ‘The Gay Gordon’s’ forward line mates, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond – The Famous Five are of course represented well. Hibs’ great English born centre-forward, Joe Baker – a personal favourite of mine – is here too, along with Pat Stanton, and the other ‘Turnbull’s Tornadoes’ as you might expect. A minor point here was that there was so much to read, learn and yes, revere (in my case) but so little time to do so due to the constraints of another tour which was to follow us. I could have spent the rest of that sunny June day in there learning historic things about the old club that I hadn’t been aware of previously.

A real source of nostalgia for me was the large model of the original ground complete with its huge East Terrace. I’ll admit to having been one of those youngsters ‘held up high on high daddy’s shoulders’ on that absolutely mountainous construction. How many out there remember ‘the big step’?

Changing Rooms

Easter Road Stadium

The tour was on the move and we passed along corridors lined with rare framed match day programmes. I wanted to dally – I wanted to read them all! A short video presentation punctuated the proceedings before we dropped down to the ‘business’ end of things – the areas the players inhabit. Even in this relatively new and modern environment the culture and ‘feel’ of match day pervades. Three green and white jerseys had been stealthily placed on hangers as we entered the player’s changing area. Murray – Stevenson – Bamba were not present but it was easy to imagine they were. (A tip here is that I believe many fans take along their own jersey with their own name on the back and hang them alongside their Hibs heroes’ jerseys for an original and one-off photo opportunity).The behind-the-scenes investigation passes through the corporate and media areas and what was originally the club gymnasium which has now relocated to the state-of-the-art facility in place down the road at East Mains.In this account we must leave a surprise or two for the visitor but let it be said that you will not be disappointed, especially when emerging down the player’s tunnel and out in the lion’s den of the Easter Road pitch. It’s probably the moment of the tour I’d dare suggest. Easter Road’s weekday business carries on as usual as you take in how it feels from the players dug-outs with lots of time for photography.

The tour draws to a close all-too-quickly. Underneath the Famous Five Stand we experience a lasting further tribute to the great old club and say our goodbyes to our guide, Billy, before emerging into the much updated and enlarged club store of today. It’s a time-honoured way to end any tour of any type but as well as a few Hibs goodies on show to buy, there’s always the possibility of bumping into a member of the Hibs playing or managerial staff in here as I’ve found out in the past.

Great memories upon each exit from stand

Famous fan on the Hibs 100 wall

The Easter Road tour is a fascinating dip into  over 130 years of Hibee and Edinburgh history and is worthwhile, not only for devoted ‘Hibbies’ like myself, but for anyone interested in understanding more about the social fabric of Scotland’s Capital. If you’re an individual just inquisitive or curious about how a modern professional sports club goes about its business in 2009, it’s of equal interest too.

The adult admission price for my visit was a very reasonable five pounds (concessions available) for the approximately seventy-minute tour. At the time of writing, the club operates the tours on Wednesdays only (more days in school holidays). Whether you’re an interested local observer or a visitor to Auld Reekie, make sure and pre-book your tour for this charming and absorbing walk through the past into the present on the Easter Road tour. You won’t regret it.

The doors to the pitch

Holyrood Palace from Arthur's Seat

Take a nice sunny Autumn day, some sandwiches, a drink and head for a walk up Arthurs Seat. The roads around the area are closed to cars on a Sunday (but you can still park nearby and walk).

Take any path up Arthur’s Seat, guaranteed a good view wherever you go. If you choose to walk to the summit, there is a well trodden path which you can see from the bottom. It can be very windy at the top.

You can walk for as little or as long as you want, as the paths go all the way around, up and down, over to Salisburys Crags.  Walks suggested are here .  The views of Edinburgh are stunning on a clear day, you can see all the way across the water to Fife, good views of the castle and Holyrood Palace.

We stopped and had our lunch on the top of Salisbury Crags and took in the lovely view.  There are no toilet facilities up Arthurs Seat, or places to buy a drink (although an ice cream vendor could make a killing up there on a sunny day) so time your trip wisely.

Salisbury Crags

They say if you’re a young female and you come and wash your face here with the morning dew on the 1st of May, you will be eternally beautiful. 

Suitable for disabled? There is a road all the way around Arthur’s Seat, with a path for walkers and joggers, so suitable for wheelchairs and buggies.  There are car parks at the top beside the Loch and lay bys that you can park in and enjoy the view

Castle from Arthur's Seat

The Screening Room at the Scotsman Hotel show films every Sunday night which you can combine with a 2 course meal before hand.  The Cameo and The Filmhouse show arthouse movies, foreign films and re runs of mainstream films.

The other 6 listed below show current movies.   Full reviews on individual cinemas will follow.

The Cameo    Tollcross area

The Filmhouse    Lothian Road

The Dominion    Morningside

Odeon,  Lothian Road    Lothian Road

Odeon, Wester Hailes    Westside Place, Wester Hailes

Cineworld, Fountain Park    Fountainbridge

Vue,  Ocean Terminal    Leith

Vue,  Omni Centre   Town centre

Adam Lyal Deceased

If you are going to do a Witchery Tour when you are in town, then I recommend doing the original and best one.  Adam Lyal (deceased) has been operating from outside the Witchery restaurant for many years and been telling stories about what’s lurking in the Edinburgh Streets. Suitable for all ages and is a really fun night out.

Try to time it that you go when it’s dark to get the best effect (remember it doesn’t get dark till 10pm or so in May and June) and book ahead in summer months as it does get busy. If you only discover that the tours exist the day you want to go, then turn up at the time the tour starts (info on website) and ‘join in’.

They always allow for more people joining and take payment once the tour starts. This stems from when payment used to be taken in advance and then tourists just joined in on seeing Adam Lyal (and colleague) wandering the streets and disappeared at the end without paying.

Adam Lyal and Mad Monk

SUITABLE FOR DISABLED ?    Unfortunately not due to the streets and stairs that make up the majority of this tour 

The Floral Clock in Princes Street Gardens West is a must see when passing through the gardens.  It’s always changing and it beautifully kept.  It is a working clock and on the hour, a cuckoo pops out.  The theme is related to something current, or anniversaries.

SUITABLE FOR DISABLED ?     Yes, if you enter via the Mound entrance, it’s all one level.  But to enter the Gardens after viewing it, you would need to leave and enter via Princes Street and one of the cobbled slopes (quite steep) or via Kingstables Road.  Once in the Gardens, there are paths suitable for wheelchairs, but you will always have a steep exit (unless you go to exit onto Kingstables Road)

Scott Monument

View from Scott Monument West

View from Scott Monument East

Admission was £3 in September 2009 - worth every penny.  There are only stairs to the top of the monument.  If the guy at the cash desk had a pound for every time someone asked if there was an elevator he would be a rich man !  Funnily enough, the designers in 1846 didn’t think of putting one in     More info

View North. St Andrew's Square and Fife

SUITABLE FOR DISABLED ? Unfortunately not. You can enter Princes Street Gardens East via both ends on a flat path. There are benches to sit on beside the monument if you are less mobile but the people you are with want to go up.

The gardens were designed by Takashi Sawano and opened in August 2002, making it one of the largest Japanese gardens in the UK

I absolutely love visiting these gardens at different times of the year.  There are a couple of bamboo shelters, one of which affords wonderful views over the Forth estuary.  I have spent many an afternoon with picnic in hand, reading a book and enjoying this wonderful escape from hectic city life.

Other visitors range from pensioners taking a wee stroll, to mothers and their children exploring every nook and cranny of the beautifully landscaped hectare.

There is no admission charge to the grounds or this garden and with on site free parking, makes a wonderful alternative to the Botanics.  Dogs are not allowed in the garden (or Lauriston Castle grounds) or cyclists, so it really is a place for peacefulness and reflection.

I recommend visiting here at all times of the year, the changing colours are breathtaking.

Lauriston Castle,   2a Cramond Road South, Davidson’s Mains, EH4 5GD

Tel: 0131 336 2060

I’ll let the pics speak………..they are totally unedited as always.

You can visit inside as part of a guided tour, but check website as it can be closed for parliament recess.

Scottish Parliament

The Edinburgh Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 9am - 2pm at Castle Terrace in the shadows of the castle.

All information can be found at     http://www.edinburghfarmersmarket.com/

The Edinburgh Farmers Market

It was a beautiful summers’ day  and it was pretty busy, even though I visited at 10am.

There are all sorts of local produce available here, fresh bread and cakes from Valvona and Crolla, Stoats Porridge, fresh berries, Creelers Fish, hand made crisps, hog’s roast, fresh farm eggs etc etc

The baked produce at Valvona & Crolla was flying off the shelves.

Stall at the Farmer

And they come from far and wide to sell their produce.  The Black Isle Brewery also had a stall full of their beers.

Chocolate Tree

My favourite stalls were the sweet ones !  Chocolate Tree (based in Haddington) sells a delicious selection of handmade chocolate, including chilli flavour !

Border Tablet, based in Langholm sells all things shortbread and tablet at good prices.  Based on a recipe from the stall owners’ mum from 1912 !

The majority of the stalls are there every week, but some are only there every second Saturday.  Full details – HERE

Stoats

 For me personally, it wasn’t a morning for Stoats porridge when it was 22 degrees at 10am, but normally, this is a great way to start the day.

Castle Terrace

There is some seating that you can relax on with your food purchases.

I noticed that a popular way to get to the market was by bike (plenty of places to chain your bike to) and then people would cycle off with their shopping bags bulging with fresh produce.

The Edinburgh Farmers Market really has improved since it started and it’s a great way to support local businesses who have wonderful produce

Edinburgh Farmers Market overview – Over 55 specialist producers currently attend the market. The majority of stallholders are primary producers, growing what they sell. A quarter offer meat products, including specialities such as wild boar, venison, ostrich and water buffalo. Organic beef, chicken, lamb and pork are also available. Other types of produce include fish (lobster in season), free-range eggs, cheese, seasonal fruit & vegetables, honey, chillies and plants. In addition you’ll find producers who bake and prepare their own farm products. Guest producers provide specialities including organic beer, liqueurs, bread, chocolates and chutneys.

Suitable for disabled ?    Yes, flat even surface, with ample room

Had a quick 10 minutes in the Castle (since all my entries are now free with my pass) and saw this lady painting the cannons.  I spoke to her and she told me that they have to get done every 2-3 years due to people sitting on them for their photographs.

I told her that I had been guilty of that over the years – how can you resist climbing on an actual cannon at Edinburgh Castle ?   You can’t !   Just make sure the paint is dry first   

St Andrew Square

There are now lovely gardens to sit in, popular with office workers who come and have their lunch here.  It’s a hand cut through for shopping at Harvey Nicols and St James Centre.  You can buy a coffee here and sit and enjoy the surroundings with the Melville Monument proudly standing tall in the middle.  More information HERE

SUITABLE FOR DISABLED ?     Yes, ground and paths are flat. 

Melville Monument, St Andrew Square

At 11am and 1pm, he lets out a puff of wind !!    More information can be found HERE

All a bit of fun, but rather on the strange side !!

The Water of Leith runs through Dean Village and will take you all the way down to Leith via Stockbridge or 9  & 3/4 miles to Balerno in the other direction !

Dean Village is very photogenic

And there are a few benches that you could sit and read at or have your lunch.  It only takes a few minutes to walk to from the West End, down Bells Brae and under Dean Bridge.  Well worth a visit and a walk along the Water of Leith

Photos from a winter walk by Water of Leith / Stockbridge and Dean Village   HERE  aswell as the photos from today

Suitable for disabled ?    Not really, but there is a small section that is suitable for wheelchairs.  The Water of Leith has sets of steps   

 All my pictures of a little walk around Craiglockhart Hill are  HERE

Part of Napier University is up here and the buildings are fabulous in themselves, but also the views of Edinburgh are great.

I kind of did a circular route that took me down a different way I came up and back via the Craiglockhart Pond which is a great place to sit and watch the swans and ducks.

You can easy spend an hour or so walking around this area.  There’s a combination of steps and paths, but also suitable for dogs and bike riders.

If you start and end from Craiglockhart Terrace, you could continue your walk along the union canal which can be accessed nearby.

Suitable for disabled ?    Not the Craiglockhart Hill part, but you could drive to Napier Uni Campus car park and take in the views.

Inverleith Park

This weekend sees the Edinburgh Taste Festival take place and if the weather continues, I can’t think of a better place to be.

Inverleith Park

I then cut across to the Botanics, but the West Gate is still shut, so you must enter via the North or East Gate still.

I enjoyed the lovely flowers and views.  I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Botanics

Botanics Flowers

Botanics

Today I had the pleasure of joining Graeme E Pearson on his musical tour of Edinburgh in and around the High Street / Royal Mile.   The website for Oor Tours is http://www.oortours.com/  (opens in new window) and you can buy tickets from the tourist information centre at Waverley Market or through ticketweb here.  You can also book via his website, his emails are very friendly.

The instructions were to join Graeme at the three red phone boxes on the High Street which are easy to find as they are the only ones (beside the Fringe shop)   

Meeting Point

 It was just a wee group of people today, which probably had something to do with Heineken cup final being played and there being nothing but rugby fans in town as opposed to the usual tourists.

Graeme welcomed the members of the group and introduced everyone and giving us an ‘oor tours’ sticker to wear.

We got a ’safety briefing’ which included him making sure our laces were tied and to warn us of the hazards around the High Street and in case of rain, warning us that the cobbles and steps would be slippy.

Graeme

It’s hard to not notice Graeme since he wears a Scottish hat, a bright red Oor Tours t-shirt and a pair of tartan trousers 

He’s a local guy with a fabulous accent and it’s refreshing to see an Edinburgh tour run by an actual Edinburgher !!

My pre conceived ideas of this tour would be that he’d be singing the majority of the time, but this is not the case.

He took us to various places in and around the High Street and gave us some spoken history about the area and then smoothly moved on to a relevant Scottish song.

His voice is excellent, as is his guitar playing.

I don’t want to give too much away by telling you all the subjects covered, but it’s a good introduction to Edinburgh with the bonus of some singing and an injection of humour.

Singing Edinburgh's history

This is Graeme Singing in Advocate’s Close

Standing out as he does (not many other 6 foot+  guys in tartan trews about today)  Graeme swiftly dealt with tourist enquiries (directions etc) without it interupting the tour.

Reciting Robert Burns

Not only does he talk and sing, but he beautifully recites Robert Burns’ poems.

Here he is giving the background to Robert Burns and him featuring on the five pound note.

I laughed out loud when he told the story of porridge and ‘pieces’ and the little song that went with it.

 All of the songs are suitable for children, no swearing throughout.

Even though I was born and bred in Edinburgh,  I learned a lot of new information today and brushed the dust off my historical knowledge.

This tour is more than suitable for Edinburgh residents alongside the tourists and is great to explore with someone who is so obviously passionate about his city and country.

Pied Piper of Royal Mile

The tour does not go as far as the Castle Esplanade (would be far too busy in the summer anyway) but he does go near it and then walks the tour back down whilst he sings which made me feel like I was part of some new Pied Piper of Hamelin group.  It’s a funny part of the tour as people are wandering what he’s doing and why he has a trail of people behind him !

The tour lasts about an hour and a quarter and takes in lots of places off the Royal Mile.

The tour ends with a beautifully sung song before he huddles the group in to hear him play a ‘moothy’ medley.   Graeme makes it look so effortless, but it is a hard wee instrument to play.

He offers to take us to his ‘headquarters’ which is the Albanach Bar on the Royal Mile and you can purchase CD’s / T Shirts of the tour (although there is no pressure / hard sell).

A fun afternoon, but he is currently also doing the tour on Tuesday evenings aswell and can also do it for private groups.   During the festival, the tour will run EVERY day – so be sure to catch it then if you’re not in town now.

Graeme also plays a lot of local bars (details on his website) and after hearing him sing today, I would love to spend an evening with a drink in my hand, soaking up his Scottish songs.

At £9 a head, less for children / students / concessions, it’s reasonably priced – recommended from me 

Visit Scotland has rated this tour as a 4 star attraction, info  HERE

All the photos I took on the tour are  HERE

Suitable for disabled ?      No, unfortunately not since the make up of  The Royal Mile includes a lot of steps and slopes.

From Holyrood Palace up towards the castle, they are…………..

and the last section is the Castle Esplanade, leading to the Castle, but there is no sign there.

A little bit of info for all you fact fans out there.

Holyrood Palace is where Queen Elizabeth II lives when she’s in town.  It is not open to the public when she is here.  More information can be found HERE

SUITABLE FOR DISABLED ?    Unknown personally, but website says  ” The rooms associated with Mary Queen of Scots are accessed via a narrow, spiral staircase consisting of 25 steps. Regrettably, these rooms are not accessible to wheelchair-users.  When possible, the Palace and The Queen’s Gallery will also offer parking for visitors with disabilities.  To enquire about parking, please telephone 0131 524 1120.  More detailed information about access is available by telephoning (+44) (0)20 7766 7324.

I do know there IS disabled parking outside, opposite the Scottish Parliament.

Athenian Acropolis – Calton Hill

Calton Hill is one of Edinburgh’s main hills, set right in the city centre.  It is unmistakable with its Athenian acropolis poking above the skyline.   It was never completed due to lack of funds.  More information HERE

You are allowed to climb all over it and it’s a favourite for tour groups to get their photo taken on it.

The views of Edinburgh from Calton Hill are outstanding.  You can see the skyline down Princes Street, over to the North – the sea and Fife.  You can see Leith and a great view of Arthurs Seat.    You can also climb the Nelson Monument and get an even better view – info HERE

You are also allowed to climb all over the canon that’s there – don’t be shy and pose for a great photo !

Walk up from the East End of Princes Street, various access points.

SUITABLE FOR DISABLED ?      Yes if you are travelling by car.  Enter via the access on Regent Road (just before the Old Royal High School) and drive up to the car park (free).  You will get good views from various sloping paths.

View from Calton Hill - South

Entry from January was this……………….

When you are exploring Edinburgh, make sure you always look up !  You’ll notice lovely details on buildings such as this at the top of Jenners

f

I am not building expert, but even I realise that this roof on North Bridge is pretty impressive.

I have put a lot of my other ‘looking up’ pictures in my web albums, you will find it HERE   (last updated March 2009)

East Gate Botanics

The gardens are beautiful at any time of the year, but at the moment, the signs of Spring are definately showing.

There are good facilities in the Botanics, including a cafe with outdoor seating area.  Benches are placed all over the gardens, so you can sit and soak up the atmosphere or the view of the Edinburgh skyline from the gardens

Children are positively encouraged to run around and enjoy the free space, chase the pigeons, feed the squirrels.

Admission is free, but some exhibitions and the hot houses charge (they are open 10 – 5 and you can get free entry from 4.30pm).  There is one free palm house which could give you an injection of heat on a cool day.

How to get there  -   There are regular public bus services (Lothian Buses 8, 23 or 27) to the East Gate on Inverleith Row)  just ask the driver to let you know when to get off. 

Suitable for disabled ?      Yes, there is a good network of smooth paths around the gardens, although there are a few slopes.  Also have a disabled toilet by the East gate and in the cafe