Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
Edinburgh
Edinburgh proclaims itself as the capital city of Scotland, although taking into account Scotland is not a country, it is just a region of the United Kingdom, I think it's rather pretentious to call itself a capital city. It's like Milton Keynes describing itself as a city when it patently isn't.
Having gotten that little bit of detail out of the way, it cannot be denied Edinburgh is a delightful city and well worth a visit.
Getting There
Certainly getting to Edinburgh is relatively easy, weather permitting.
The airport is situated north of the city and is the busiest airport in Scotland. Getting into the city used to be a pain as passengers were reliant on a bus service, however the extension of the cities tram network to the airport has made travel to the city centre much more stress free.
Edinburgh is served by good rail services, with connections to most of the UK and the East Coast main line puts Edinburgh an average 4½ hours away from London.
Road connections are reasonable, although once in the Edinburgh area traffic can get a little bit sticky, despite a very good ring road system.
Attractions
Where does one begin?
I suppose the obvious place to start is the number one attraction, Edinburgh Castle, situated atop an extinct volcano at the top end of the Royal Mile (more on that one later on).
As well as being steeped in history the Castle offers stunning views of the city and surrounding areas. If it isn't popular enough in normal times it comes into its own when it hosts the internationally acclaimed Edinburgh Military Tattoo, held over three weeks every August. Ticket prices for the Tattoo range from £25 through to £340. Apart from the very top priced seats, all seating is in the open, so cross your fingers and everything else that the weather is clement.
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The Castle is open daily (except Christmas and Boxing Day) from 09:30, with seasonal closing times of either 17:00 or 18:00. (On New Years Day it doesn't open until 11:00) Admission is £18.50 for adults, £15 for concessions and £11.50 for children.
The Royal Mile, leading to the Castle is worth a visit in its own right. Running through the heart of the old city connecting the Palace of Holyrood and home to the Scottish Parliament with Edinburgh Castle. the cobbled street is lined with interesting buildings, shops and eateries. A great place to relax or people watch.
Underneath the Royal Mile is s restored 17th Century street Mary King's Close. This very popular attraction is very much best booked in advance to avoid disappointment. Open daily, apart from Christmas Day, opening times are seasonal, with evening opening at the busiest times. Admission is adult £15.50, concessions £13.50 and children* £9.50. * due to the nature of the attraction children under the age of 5 are not admitted
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The Palace of Holyrood is The Queen's official residence in Scotland. Each year, from the end of June, Her Majesty is in residence, carrying out official duties in the province. When The Queen is not in residence parts of the palace are open to visitors.
Adjacent to the palace is the incongruous Scottish Parliament. I say incongruous, as compared to the surrounding historic buildings, the Parliament building is an example of modern architecture at its very worse, totally destroying the character of the area. The building is open to visitors Monday - Saturdays.
Edinburgh Zoo is the only zoo in the UK to house giant panda's, as well as another 1,000 different species. Open every day, apart from Christmas Day, the zoo opens its doors 10:00 with seasonal closing times between 16:00 and 18:00. Admission is £19.50 for adults, £17 concessions and £9.95 children.
There are countless museums in Edinburgh, including the National Museum of Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland - three of them in fact, "traditional" portrait and so called modern.
For lovers of all things flora then the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens are a must see attraction and admission to the main gardens is free. Open daily (apart from Christmas Day and New Years Day) from 10:00 with seasonal closing times between 16:00 and 18:00. If you want to lay out some money then a visit to the stunning glasshouse is worth every penny, adults £6.50, concessions £5.50 and children free.
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For lovers of the amber nectar a visit to the Scotch Whisky Experience is a must. A basic, one hour, introductory tour, with no tasting, is £15. Tasting tours between 90 minutes and three hours range from £27 through to £73 a head, the latter includes a meal and is evenings only.
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Just outside Edinburgh, in Leith, is one of the UK's top tourist attractions the Royal Yacht Britannia. The Queen's former floating palace is now open to visitors. Open daily except Christmas Day and New Year's day, opening times are seasonal. Adult admission is £16, concessions £14, children £8.50 and serving members of the armed forces also £8.50.
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Events
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We've already mentioned the Military Tattoo but another massive attraction is the Edinburgh Festival and, running in parallel and arguably even more popular, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Held every August the festival is a smorgasbord of artistic delights from high opera to anarchic "humour" and all points in between. The events are incredibly popular and attract an eclectic mix of big names and up and coming unknowns.
Whilst it's theoretically possible to get tickets for some events on the day, most really do have to be booked well in advance.
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For reasons I can never fully understand the Scots really have this thing about celebrating the New Year and Edinburgh hosts the biggest street party of the not. the Edinburgh Street Party celebrations take place over three days but the big one is on New Years Eve from 19:30. So if your idea of fun is forking out £30 to spend the night, exposed to the elements, surrounded by drunken revellers this will be right up your street.