In between excursions, Glasgow and Edinburgh were patiently waiting to be explored. I had planned between two to three days each, depending on how much I could cover each time. It took about an hour travelling time between the two cities so deciding when to visit Edinburgh would mainly be dictated by the availability of the people I wanted to catch up with and the availability of any online bargain train tickets. I was fortunate to meet up with Ellen and Allan on one of the trips but unable to meet up with Shelby. However, I did get lucky on finding a three pound train ticket return for one of those trips. Sweet!
Edinburgh was quite an interesting city. As I emerged from the Waverly St Train Station ramp, I faced a modern landscape amidst a medieval castle backdrop. There were a lot to take in and I opted for the hop on hop off bus to allow me to gather my thoughts while weaving through history with the audio guide as my compass.
2010 07 27 - Edinburgh, UK - City Sightseeing Bus
2010 07 27 - Edinburgh, UK - one of the many shops on the Royal Mile
2010 07 27 - Edinburgh, UK - Front of the Assembly
After finishing the full bus loop (about an hour) I immediately held a meeting in my head, with a mental power point presentation demonstrating the best way to milk every inch of the hop on hop off ticket. I began with exploring the furthest point on the bus loop and visited the abstract Scottish Parliament Building, the Dynamic Earth adventure, and the Queen’s Gallery.
2010 07 27 - Edinburgh, UK - the Scottish Parliment
Next I tackled the highest altitude of the loop near Calton Hill park. The park provided a great panoramic view of the city and had some interesting ruins of former Roman inspired architercture. Free admission was also a big plus.
2010 07 27 - Edinburgh, UK - top of Calton Hill
2010 07 27 - Edinburgh, UK - Calton Hill
The final destination was the Grassmarket, not because it was far, but it had a strip of pubs and eateries, including the White Hart Inn. It was the oldest pub in Edinburgh with part of a cellar dated back to 1516, and Robert Burns was rumored to have stayed there in his last visit. Unfortunately, the strip looked better on the double decker. It was amazing how fast the day passed by. As I got on the return train, vowed to come back once more.
2010 07 27 - Edinburgh, UK - pubs and restaurants at Grassmarket
I returned to Edinburgh two days later to finish my mission. I hit Edinburgh Castle as my first stop and I was a bit disappointed with not being able to fully experience the grand entrance of walking up from the Royal Mile because it was obstructed by these massive bleachers in preparation for the Edinburgh Tattoo. Another strike was that I was not prepared for the huge line ups either. In all the previous attractions in the UK that I paid admission for there was never any line ups. So lessons learned, for Edinburgh Castle, buy the ticket on line first!
2010 07 29 - Edinburgh, UK - setting up for the Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle
The actual main attraction of the Edinburgh Castle was not the castle itself, but what was showcased inside it, namely the crown, the sceptor, and the sword, or better known as the crown jewels of Scotland. There were no photos allowed and everyone squeezed into the tiny crevice of a room to take a peek. The claustrophobic experience left me light headed and thoughts of being trampled to death flashed through my mind, especially after the horrific Love Parade incident fresh from the news. After staking out the best spot for the one o’clock gun salute, I left the castle and wandered the Royal Mile some more and hit the museums as I came across them.
2010 07 29 - Edinburgh, UK - entrance to the Edinburgh Castle
2010 07 29 - Edinburgh, UK - Ediburgh Castle
2010 07 29 - Edinburgh, UK - the one o'clock salute
2010 07 29 - Edinburgh, UK - the National Museum
Later on that evening I met up with Ellen and Allan in Leith, a short bus ride from city centre. I was very eager to have an excuse to explore an area outside of the normal tourist trap. Ellen and Allan explained how Leith had revitalized from the days of Trainspotting (yes, where the movie was filmed) to the now up and coming neighborhood with trendy restaurants and modern flats. After a wonderful dinner at Compass and pints at Teuchters Landing, I had to once again bid farewell and catch my night train back to Glasgow.
2010 07 29 - Edinburgh, UK - Leith waterfront
2010 07 29 - Edinburgh, UK - Ellen and Allan at Teuchters Landing
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