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Edinburgh – An Unexpected Surprise

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It was supposed to be a quick stop on the way to the Isle of Skye.  Grab the rental car, make a couple quick stops, and then go.  I hadn’t actually given Edinburgh much consideration, and that was really a mistake.  Scotland’s capital city has much to offer!

 

My original plan had been to take the train from London, but the return fare was ridiculously expensive pushing the round trip cost to about $400US.  A quick search found a round trip flight from Heathrow for $140US. This would cut the total travel by 7 hours, give me a little extra time in Edinburgh, and have me back at Heathrow for my return to Miami.

 

That said, the Virgin Atlantic flight I booked was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been on an airplane. The row spacing was so tight I could barely squeeze in or drop my backpack between my legs.  Thankfully, it was less than 90 minutes in each direction.

 

After arriving in Edinburgh, the next big challenge was driving.  This would be my first attempt at driving on the other side of the road.  I kept telling myself it can’t be that different.  It is.  Technically, it’s not really that different but when you’ve been doing something one way for 35 years, it’s hard to retrain your instincts on the fly.  And with that I immediately entered an airport restricted area as soon as I left the car rental lot.  Maybe this was a mistake? Fortunately, people were nice enough to get me redirected and I was off to the city.

 

After checking into the Novotel hotel and a quick nap I was off to explore and I found Edinburgh very walkable.  From the hotel it was just a few blocks to Edinburgh Castle.  At the base of the castle is a wonderful park – Princes Street Gardens.  This reminded me of the Seurat painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte with all the people laying on blankets, having picnics, and enjoying the beautiful day.

 

The park has a number of nice features.  On one end is the Parish Church of St. Cuthbert’s.  On the other end is the Gardener’s Cottage also known as Great Aunt Lizzie’s, a reference to a popular UK children’s program.  In the middle of the park is the cast iron Ross Fountain.  During my visit it was blocked off for maintenance, so I didn’t get the photo I had wanted. The park also has a hillside prairie and walking path leading up to the castle. The view from the hillside was quite nice and I thought it would make an excellent sunset photo.  Unfortunately, it turns out the park closes 30 minutes before sunset, and my staking out the perfect spot was wasted as the police kicked me out.  Given that Edinburgh’s finest overlooked my earlier airport incident I decided it was best to leave quickly.

 

Gardener's Cottage aka Great Aunt Lizzy's

Gardener’s Cottage aka Great Aunt Lizzy’s

Edinburgh Castle w/Ross Fountain in foreground

Edinburgh Castle w/Ross Fountain in foreground

Adjacent to Princes Street is Rose Street.  This pedestrian street is filled with assorted shops, restaurants and pubs.  Everything I missed during my trip to London was found on this block – including my long awaited curry.  And it was definitely worth the wait.  Tipu’s Indian Lounge is actually in the basement, but you enter at street level.  The food was excellent, and the service was very good, although maybe a little pushy.  They almost insist you get an appetizer so I gave in and got the skewered chicken tikka masala.  It was very flavorful.  I also ordered the chicken manchory, a tandoori dish with garlic, ginger and chiles. It was nicely spiced but not overly hot.  The garlic naan was amazing and the perfect compliment to the meal.  Prices were reasonable, but not inexpensive.  A full meal with appetizer, entrée, side dish, and wine will run $30-35 GBP.

 

Part two of my Edinburgh adventure was on my return from Skye.  Last year my parents visited Edinburgh on their tour of the UK and highly recommended the Royal Yacht Britannia. When I arrived back in Edinburgh the weather was not the best but I decided to tour the Yacht in the morning.  The weather probably worked in my favor as it wasn’t busy at all, which was surprising for a Saturday.

 

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I’m not big on potential tourist traps, but the Britannia was quite enjoyable.  It might be the best self guided tour I’ve been on.  Once you enter, the staff gives you a hand held device much like a phone.  As you go the tour, you just press the number on the phone device that corresponds to the point in the tour.  These worked well and it was easy to navigate.  The Brittania by design was built to be comfortable. The Queen rejected the original plans which were much more formal. Plan on about 90 minutes to tour the multiple levels.  There is also a tea room on-board where you can partake in a traditional tea service.  The Britannia also has an on-board fudge shop and there is the requisite gift shop as you depart.

 

After leaving the yacht, I drove back towards downtown intending to squeeze in Edinburgh Castle which I missed on the first day.  But the traffic was bad, the parking scarce, and lines were long.  The castle would have to wait for another day.  Besides I was still thinking about the curry from a few days back and decided lunch and another walk along Princes Street was a better option before heading back to the airport.

 

Certainly, you can’t see much of a city in two half days, but you can see enough to know that you want to go back.  And Edinburgh definitely warrants a return trip. Next time, I think I’ll skip the city driving.

 

Have you been to Edinburgh?  What was your experience?  Leave your recommendations in the feedback section.

 

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