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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 Travel Tips

Ed’s Beds: Caledonian backpackers hostel review

I came across The Caledonian Backpacker’s Hostel via the hostel world website. The hostel was described as the “funkiest hostel in Edinburgh” and I was attracted by the prospect of good times, the opportunity to meet other festival goers and the hostel’s central location, within viewing distance of the Edinburgh castle. If by funky they mean brightly coloured walls then yes. Despite being packed to full capacity however, there was little of the live music, social vibe and friendliness the website promised. Only regular nightly wakings from returning festival goers reminded me that outside the hostel walls the festival city was in full swing. Please people get some new lights in your bar. Make your staff smile. Give your booze away…anything to bring the bar to life! True to the hostelworld spiel the beds were clean and to the Caledonian’s credit they do have the cheapest internet in town (£1 per hour). The major turnoff for me was the staff though. I was walking on eggshells during my three weeks there trying to pick their moods, which ranged from disinterested to down-right obnoxioius with the occasional spasm of happiness! The effect of the staff was enough to dampen the mood of the guests, and it would put me off returning. When your paying £19 a night (festival time reates go up) and contemplating how you’re going to afford to eat next week, all the while drowning your sorrows in over-priced Guiness, you want your bar maid to smile. Nay, you need it. Sort it out Caledonian.

Rating 2.5/5 with the same staff; 3.5/5 after staff have personality transplants.

For alternatives, try Edinburgh Hostels.

For more information on hostels check out Hostelblog.com