6 – Grassmarket

Grassmarket - Edinburgh

We discovered Grassmarket on a Fair Day during the Fringe Festival. A very coloured and cheerful atmosphere indeed ! Most picturesque too with its cobbled streets and crow-stepped gable houses, its old fountain and the castle looming over the place. We lingered a couple of hours along the stalls where food, old clothes, arts and crafts objects were lavishly displayed. It was a hot day but there was no vacant table inside or outside the famous pubs to be served a refreshment,so we cling to our cameras to capture the atmosphere of the mythical pubs : the Black Bull, the White Hart Inn, which is Edinburgh’s oldest pub, the Beehive, the Last Drop…so, not a drop for us but certainly the last one for all those condemned to death who were brought here to be hanged in the olden times. Another place to discover at night or at least when the place is empty…

7 – Holyrood Palace

Holyrood Palace - Edinburgh

We arrived at Holyrood Palace, the Queen’s official residence in Scotland, just before closing time so that we had to rush along the many sumptuous rooms of the palace to visit them. Not enough time to let us impressed by the gloomy history which is linked to the place and especially that of Marie Stuart and her fateful secretary Riccio who was assassinated here, in front of her eyes, and in a most horrible and cowardly way. Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed here during the very short and glorious time of his victory, in 1745, and a description of the banquet he gave to his supporters is described in Waverley, Walter Scott’s famous novel. We wandered some time in the romantic scenery of the ruined Abbey before walking out in Holyrood Park. Quite astonishing to find such a piece of natural wilderness in the heart of a town. We would have liked to have much more time to make an idea of what the Rough Guide describes as an “amazing variety of landscapes… mountains, crags, moorland, marshes, glens, lochs and fields… packed into an area no more than five miles in diameter and representing something of a microscosm of Scotland’s scenery.” Arthur’s Seat will undoubtedly be our next target in Edinburgh ! It dominates the whole place, the Queen’s residence as well as the New Parliament…

Edinburgh Princes Street Garden - Edinburgh

No need to spend many days in Edinburgh to fall in love with it … just stroll along the place and let you be caught in the city atmosphere together with the people who live here. There is no better way to feel it than to sit on the grass in Princes Street Gardens, the beautiful gardens which separate Old town from New Town. Whatever the traffic, whatever the noise, it’s magic. Close your eyes and try to imagine that instead of flowers and trees you are surrounded by a marshy loch, for that was it here, a long time ago. Not so long ago, indeed, for the garden is about the same age as the new town which was built nearby in the 18 th century. Nor’ Loch was drained before being filled with the earth excavated from building Princes street, the houses of which would soon overlook kind of a big valley dominated by the old Castle, and later on the magnificent gardens we admire today ! But most of the original houses of Princes Street, build down only one side, have now disappeared to be replaced by department stores. Are you getting lost in time with all my stories, then go to the magnificent floral-clock which is flourishing in the garden. Not only it’s very beautiful in its seasonal looks but it will give you the right time…

9 – Walter Scott Monument

Walter Scott Monument - Edinburgh

We do love Walter Scott and have pledged ourselves to read all his books… but it’s certainly easier to climb up the 287 steps of his 61 metres high neo-gothical monument, in Princes Street Gardens, than to read the whole of Waverley Novels. Anyway, we did climb up there ! What a view over Princes Street Gardens, the Old and the New Town… but don’t miss, while climbing up, to look out for the 64 niches which are to be found on the walls of the monument and make it a game to try and guess which character of Walter Scott’s novels is hiding there. A very difficult game but a very useful trick to get one’s breath back ! Scotiana’s “coup de coeur”: Walter Scot’s beautiful statue, carved in the purest white Carrare marble, with a book in his hand. I don’t know if the great Scottish writer would have liked to be honoured with such a monument in the midst of Edinburgh but he certainly would have liked to sit in company with his beloved dog, Maida….

10 – Calton Hill

Calton Hill - Edinburgh

Don’t be mistaken, you’re not in Greece but in Edinburgh ! Maybe the National Monument, this neo-classical building, partly explains why the town has often been called the Athens of the North and Calton Hill compared to the Acropolis ! A landmark in the postcard view of Edinburgh ! This Scottish Parthenon was built as a memorial dedicated to the Scottish soldiers killed during the Napoleonic wars but was never achieved. We climbed up the hill, which is about 100 meters high, and we were not disappointed. The weather was fine and the panoramic views were worthwhile the effort of climbing ! Maybe not a bad idea to begin the visit of Edinburgh here. Still better to climb up the 143 steps of the Nelson Monument. Once up there, try to find your bearings on the lively map which opens in front of you . You’ll soon recognize the town’s major landmarks : Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, Holyrood Abbey and the Palace, the Old Castle, Princes Street, Waverley Station, Walter Scott’s monument and many more… Stevenson said it was on Calton Hill that we had the better view of the town since we can see at the same time the old Castle and Arthur’s Seat…

1 – The Castle

Edinburg Castle

Here’s Edinburgh and its most famous postcard view ! You can’t miss it as soon as you arrive in town, wherever you happen to be. The old castle dominates the city skyline with its proud and massive figure standing up there, on its extinct volcano, ready to tell you its long and turbulent history. Indeed, the castle gave its name to Edinburgh (from the gaelic ‘Din Eidyn’ and ‘Burg’.)

We love the superb panoramic views we get from the Esplanade when the weather is fine, St Margaret’s Chapel and its beautiful stained glass windows, Mons Meg, the huge gun, big enough to put your baby-boy into its mouth, as we saw a father doing it, the priceless, much coveted and mythical Honors of the Kingdom, and last but not least, the small soldiers’ dogs cemetery, with its moving stones. Scotiana’s advice : try to avoid the crowd !
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2 – The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile, Edinburg

Truly “royal “is this Mile not only because it refers to the “voie royale” which leads from the old Castle to Holyrood Palace but also because it’s so great to walk along the one mile of cobbled streets, lined with picturesque old houses, which makes it up from west to east : Castle Esplanade, Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand.

Scotiana’s advice : take some time to climb up and down the numerous closes and courts which run on your left and right and feel the atmosphere, at night, if you’re not afraid to do so ! We did it !

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3 – St Giles’ Cathedral on Parliament Square

St-Giles' Cathedral on Parliament Square

Parliament Square !  Listen carefully, history is bursting out of every corner. Look how impressive the big cathedral looks with its gothic style and strange tower bell and mind your steps when you cross the place for you may well trudge on a heart and on a grave. The heart is a beautiful paved mosaïc which marks the place where the Old Tolbooth stood a very long time ago. If you like historical novels, read Walter Scott’s famous novel The Heart of Midlothian and let your imagination be carried back in the olden times by the “Magician of the North”… The grave which you may well pass without seeing it happens to be that of the greatest religious reformer Scotland ever had and his frightful presence still haunts the dark cathedral where he used to preach crowds. You will be told many stories about the place while striding along the echoing nave… and before going out in bright daylight don’t forget to visit the stunning, intricately carved Thistle Chapel.  It’s our “coup de coeur”.
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4 – Greyfriars’ Kirk and Kirkyard

Greyfriars' Kirk and Kirkyard

The very touching story of a faithful dog made Greyfriars’ Kirkyard one of the most popular places in Edinburgh. Here you’ll find an old kirk, surrounded by a gloomy churchyard where you can learn a lot of history just on reading what is inscribed on the stones. If you are not interested, open the old creaking gate all the same and try to find some native to tell you how, in this churchyard, Bobby mounted the guard for 14 years over his master’s grave. The first time I came here, it was with a heavy heart, because I did know the story and we had just lost our dear old dog, Ralph. Suddenly a ray of sunlight made the name of Bobby shine and a small bird landed on the monument. We had not much time and I promised Bobby I would return. The second time I came here, a drunk man, who must have just emerged from the nearby very picturesque and cheerful Bobby’s Bar, told me his weeping and stammering version of Bobby’s story. I’ll never forget it.

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5 – Museum of Scotland

Museum of Scotland - Edinburgh

If you are interested in Scotland history we strongly recommend this fascinating museum opened in 1998. You can’t miss the modern pink sandstone building standing in the heart of the Old Town, next to the Royal Museum with which it communicates. One of our main themes being the ancient civilization of Scotland we were particularly pleased with what we found there : beautifully carved pictish stones, daily life as well as ritual objects, golden jewellery, ancient musical instruments among which a very rare and beautiful harp, and in front of the showcases much detailed and very interesting information… but definitely Scotiana’s “coup de coeur” has been the elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales’ teeth ivory pieces of the so-called “Lewis Chesspieces”. They have been discovered in rather mysterious circumstances, in 1831, at Uig Bay on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

(To be continued  => Scotiana’s Top 10 in Edinburgh – Part 2 )

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