Category: Edinburgh

Why Go to Edinburgh, Scotland

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Edinburgh Travel Tips

Sample Some Haggis in Edinburgh

haggisLet’s face it – Scotland isn’t exactly known for its cuisine, at least historically speaking. While there are some chefs these days that are doing more than just the usual meat and potatoes fare, Edinburgh probably isn’t the place to go for a food-centric holiday.

Unless, of course, you’re in the mood for some haggis.

Haggis is one of those legendary foods that often trotted out in conversations with the culinarily squeamish, but there’s very little reason it should be any more unappetizing than any other sausage. Of course, what’s the old joke about sausage? You don’t want to know how it’s made. Well, if you’re among that lot, you’ll want to look away, because you’re about to learn how haggis is made.

In most recipes, the innards of the haggis consist of the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep, minced together with onion, oatmeal, suet and spices. The entire mixture is then stuffed inside a sheep’s stomach (or a more modern sausage casing) and then boiled for about an hour. The end result is a large brownish sausage-looking thing, which is sliced into and shared. And though it might not sound very appetizing, unless you’re strictly an herbivore – give it a try. You only live once, right?

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Edinburgh Travel Tips

Come to BootsnAll’s Annual Holiday Party

Travel enthusiasts are always looking for places where their wandering ways don’t make them stick out like a sore thumb – so if you’re in the neighborhood of the U.S. Pacific Northwest in early December, we’ve got just the spot for you:

WHAT: BootsnAll Holiday Party
WHEN: Saturday, December 1, 2007 from 7pm until 11pm
WHERE: Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby St., Portland OR 97209

This is a great opportunity to be surrounded by other travel nutters who love not just Edinburgh but all corners of the world. Members of BootsnAll come from all over to help us celebrate every year, and it’s always a great time. Plus, this year we’re adding to the fun by giving away some cool prizes – including a $500 voucher for an air ticket. Yes, just by showing up you get a shot at winning a free airline ticket. What’s not to love about that?

For more information, see our Holiday Party post. We hope to see you there!

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Edinburgh Travel Tips

Edinburgh Hogmanay

hogmanayEdinburgh in winter might sound like it would be dreary, but it’s decidedly not. And one of the main reasons is that one of the city’s best festivals takes place at New Year’s – it’s Hogmanay in Edinburgh.

Hogmanay, which means “last day of the year” in Scots, is usually at least a two-day holiday covering December 31 and January 1, and it can even stretch into January 2 as well. Historically speaking, it’s a pagan celebration, and during the reformation it was celebrated in secret. Since the end of the 17th century, however, it’s been back out in public and these days it’s one of the best reasons to visit Edinburgh in the winter.

Adding Edinburgh to your round the world trip

Some towns in Scotland participate in certain Hogmanay customs – like swinging big balls of fire around at midnight in a race around the town or blessing the household with a burning juniper branch – but if you’re looking for an all-night party to ring in the new year, then you’ll want to book yourself a room in Edinburgh.

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Edinburgh Places to Go

St. Giles Cathedral

gilesSt. Giles Cathedral is not only Edinburgh’s most important church, it’s also the most important church in all of Scotland. It’s also sometimes called the High Kirk of Scotland, and is considered the place where the Presbyterian church was founded.

The church is dedicated to St. Giles, the patron saint of cripples and lepers, and the oldest parts of the structure dates from the early 12th century. John Knox, the founder of the Scottish Protestant Reformation and the Church of Scotland, preached at St. Giles from 1560 until his death in 1572, which is what helps to give the cathedral its current status as Scotland’s most important church. A statue of Knox is inside the church near the west end.

There are several interesting stained glass windows in St. Giles Cathedral, although the windows from the medieval era did not survive. Most of the windows worth mentioning are from the 19th and 20th centuries and depict both religious scenes and also non-religious things – like Scotland’s favorite poet, Robert Burns. The church’s organ is also worth noting, although it’s a recent addition (1992), because of the glass panel in the back that lets you see the instrument’s inner workings.

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Edinburgh Places to Go

Deacon Brodie’s Tavern

brodieLeave it to a pub to glorify an 18th century burglar in such a way as to turn the pub into a tourist attraction and the burglar into a celebrity.

Deacon Brodie’s Tavern on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile gets its name from a former resident of the city, a cabinet maker and city councillor who rose to the rank of deacon of his guild. Deacon William Brodie was a respected member of society, rubbing elbows with Edinburgh’s upper crust as he also fitted their cabinets with locks.

This level of access apparently gave him the grand idea that since he was installing and repairing the lock mechanisms he could easily make copies of the keys while he was at it. Brodie then embarked on a second life, a nighttime life, of a burglar. Certainly, part of the allure of the burglary was the excitement of potentially being caught, but Brodie also had developed something of a gambling habit – and the goods he stole helped to fund his addiction.

Brodie’s double life is said to have inspired the famous tale of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” but even if that’s a stretch Brodie’s real-life adventures are interesting enough on their own. Deacon Brodie’s Tavern showcases both sides of Brodie’s existence, one on either side of the pub’s sign hanging over the front door. You’ll see the “By Day” Brodie on one side, and the “By Night” Brodie on the other – complete with bag of stolen loot.

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Edinburgh Places to Go

Museum of Childhood

childhoodTravel has a way of bringing out the kid in everyone – diet and curfew be damned! You get to let loose your inner child and do just as you please for the duration of your holiday. Which is why a visit to the Edinburgh Museum of Childhood is so perfectly appropriate.

Located right on the Royal Mile, the Museum of Childhood is chock full of toys and other items children have found interesting for generations. It was originally opened in 1955, and was the world’s first museum to focus on the history of childhood. Then Edinburgh Town Councillor Patrick Murray thought it would be a good idea to open such a museum, and the museum’s continued success seems to have proved him right! Today, it’s billed as “the noisiest museum in the world,” which could be a selling point or a deterrent, depending on who you are.

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Edinburgh

Touring Edinburgh/Scotland

I’ve been ranting alot recently, and I’m thankful to get it all off my chest, but I thought it appropriate today to get back to some down to earth travel advice. It is afterall (supposed to be) a travel website first and a soapbox second 🙂 I’ve come across several tours in Edinburgh and further afield to suit the culture buff, the historian, the drinkers, the nature enthusiasts as well as the casual sightseer.

VisitScotland organises a range of tours to suit all tastes. All tours include…

The Hogmanay break, taking in Edinburgh’s renowned New Year’s celebrations in the Princes Street Gardens under the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, begins at £105. From £189 you can partake in the world famous Edinburgh Military tattoo, which conincides with the Festival season in August of each year. Get in quick as the Tattoo sells out months in advance every year. Golf is a favourite pastime in Scotland and VisitScotland organises a range of golf tours, including the Open Golf Championship 2007 and a visit to the St Andrew course. For all you Da Vinci code fans, there is even a tour to Rosslyn Chapel, made famous by it’s inclusion in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci code. If you are interested in this tour it’s a good idea to come out of season, as large groups easily crowd the small church.

For other Edinburgh/Scotland tours and offers, see VisitScotland.

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Edinburgh Peru Places to Go Things to Do Travel Tips

Acting the fool, taking the mickey and other forms of entertaining banter

I like taking the piss. I like it alot. I’m no sadist…if the person you’re taking the piss out of doesn’t actually know, it can’t be at their expense, right?

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Edinburgh Planning a Trip Things to Do

Edinburgh: getting around by bus…ahh, I mean coach

By bus (coach)

The Edinburgh bus network is cheap, extensive and frequent making it the easiest and most cost effective way of navigating the city. Local bus companies offer daily tickets, which allow you unlimited travel in and around Edinburgh. You buy these tickets, and single journey tickets, on board the bus from the driver – remember that no change is given, so you’ll need the exact fare. Also remember to grab your single journey ticket from the red vending machine beside the driver. Otherwise you might be rewarded with an embarrassing mid-trip conversation with a grumpy ticket officer.

If you’re heading further beyond Edinburgh, you can buy your coach tickets for UK and Scottish travel from the bus station in St Andrew Square in advance. And if you’re heading to the airport a regular express service runs from Waverley Bridge to Edinburgh Airport, with pick up points along the way.

You can also take in the sights of the city on one of the many Edinburgh bus tours – City Bus Tour tickets can be bought in person at the Edinburgh and Scotland Information Centre, 3 Princes Street or on Waverley Bridge, which is where the tours start.

The following companies can provide more information

For travel in and around Edinburgh including Edinburgh Airport, city bus tours and night buses Lothian Buses contact number – 0131 555 6363

For Travel in and around Edinburgh, Central and The Borders
First Buses contact number – 08708 72 72 71

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Edinburgh Planning a Trip

Edinburgh: getting here by plane

Edinburgh International Airport is 12km (8 miles) west of the city centre and is easy to reach thanks to an excellent – and regular – Airlink Coach service and good taxi services. It takes about 20 minutes to get from the city centre to the airport.

London, the UK’s major international hub, has more than 40 flights to Edinburgh per day (1 hour). There are also regular services to Edinburgh from other major UK airports (including three airports in Ireland) and frequent scheduled flights from 40 European airports – from Amsterdam to Zurich.

>> Read more about getting to Edinburgh from London

If you’re heading to the city from the other side of the Atlantic, Continental Airlines offer a daily flight form New York’s Newark airport direct to Edinburgh Airport. Plus many transatlantic flights land at Glasgow International Airport, just an hour’s drive away. Delta Airlines also offers a daily direct flight between Edinburgh Airport and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.