Edinburgh guide for tourists and visitors to Scotland

Introduction.

Scottish Edinburgh is one of my favourite European cities and as I have just recenbtly graduated in Chemistry from the CPSU (California Polytechnic State University) I’m very happy to enrol in the Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh for my master’s degree. So, why is Edinburgh one of my favourite cities? The following is just a little information on what Edinburgh has to offer and where you can stay whilst visiting the city. I now know quite a bit about Edinburgh Hotels as my sister just stayed with me and she did excessive research!

A guide through Edinburgh.

Edinburgh has many historic and geographical features to offer. The Castle rock, on which you can find the majestic Edinburgh Castle and, to the west, Arthur’s Seat; both of which are volcanic plugs. Arthur’s Seat has imposing views over all of Edinburgh whilst the main view from the Castle is down onto the Grassmarket area, which has the oldest and most historic building in Scotland - St Margret’s Chapel. Generally speaking Edinburgh is split into an Old Town and a New Town and it is full of architectural highlights. The Old Town is the area on the ascend up to the Castle whilst the New Town, largely built in the 18th Century, is to the north of the Castle between Princes Street and Queen Street. Princes Street is the main shopping area for Edinburgh, which is just a walk down the famous Royal Mile, and it is a must to see. Any Edinburgh guide has to include mention of this route that connects the Castle to Holyrood Palace, passing the Scottish Parliament building on the way. Whilst the Castle is the home of the ‘Scone Stone’, the annual Military Tattoo and the ‘One O’clock Gun’, fired daily at 1pm; Holyrood Palace is the UK monarch’s official residence in Scotland. Conversely, it is perhaps more infamously known for the murder of Rizzio, Queen Mary’s secretary, by her husband - Lord Darnley. Other Castles near the Royal Mile include the Camera Obscura and a Merchants house dating back some 400 years. The Merchants house is called Gladstone’s Land. A walk down one of the narrow alleys near the Castle takes you into a maze of tenements, some of which date back over 500 years. Furthermore, along the Royal Mile is the ‘Mercat Cross’ marking the ancient trading centre of the city and, it is commonly known that it bring good luck to spit on the ‘Heart of Midlothian’ which was the centre of Edinburgh up to the 18th Century. Finally there’s St Giles Cathedral, which has magnificent stained glass windows including one by Edward Burne-Jones. Even if you’re only considering having a short break in Edinburgh, do try to arrange your trip during one of the internationally famous Edinburgh International Arts Festival, which are held annually in August. Also, don’t forget to visit the Princes Street Gardens with its huge Scott Monument, where you have the possibility to have another shot at an amazing view of Edinburgh, but before you have to walk up 61 meters and only then can you see all of Edinburgh.

Accommodations in Edinburgh

In Edinburgh there are several five star hotels and gourmet restaurants just waiting to serve their customers. Being a capital city, Edinburgh has plenty of top class restaurants and hotels to serve its many visitors and tourists. One of the most famous hotels in the UK, let alone in Edinburgh, is the ‘Witchery by the Castle’ - which has two equally famous restaurants, the Secret Garden and the Inner Sanctuary; with three course meals available from £40 per person, excluding drinks. Of these two Edinburgh restaurants I prefer the Secret Garden, where the lighting effects create a truly enjoyable ambience. Top class restaurants in Edinburgh also have top class wine lists to match, with over 1000 wine bins to choose from, ranging from £30 a bottle to several hundreds of pound sterling. If you fancy eating out of the city centre try the excellent Cramond Inn, in the suburb of Cramond, on the banks of the River Almond. Back in the city, all of the key hotel chains are represented in Edinburgh, most of which have excellent and reasonably priced restaurants aswell. For example the Best Western chain has the Bruntsfield Hotel, located near Bruntsfield Place to the south of the city centre. Certainly you can also make your Edinburgh hotel bookings via the Internet and get some great online advantages such as special priced deals for short breaks in Edinburgh.