...Haste Ye Back!...
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| Various glimpses of around the main city area and George Street |
Sometimes
life can leave you feeling tired and wanting to regain and recover the
strength that we all need to go on; and that is normal, after all we are all
need an escape to feel re-energised. I was lucky enough to do so; so that is exactly what I did. I hit the
road to the historical and stunning city of Edinburgh.
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| Parliament Square |
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| Balmoral Hotel |
I
was in Edinburgh for a couple of days, I do recommend visiting for more than
two days in order to get the most out of this city, there is a lot of things to
do and see – from the famous Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Zoo, the Dungeons,
sightseeing the beautiful coast line and natural wonders, visiting the old
fashioned University, Scottish Parliament, the famous Balmoral Hotel, Botanical
Gardens, the Scottish National Museum...the list goes on!
Edinburgh
is known for its traditional architecture, very Gothic style and the grandeur is breath-taking.
I managed to get away during the early May Bank Holiday and noticed the
constant bustle of tourists visiting the city; I recommend getting about on
local transport which runs regularly throughout the city as it is very cheap. You simply have to be on foot to explore all areas (£3.50 for a day saver
on the Loathian bus service – happy days).
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| Snapshots of some of the grandness that surrounds Edinburgh |
Shopping
is next to none in Edinburgh, Prince Street is a busy hive of lively tourists
with the beautiful views overlooking the castle as a perfect backdrop, it is filled with great names from
high end to high street such as Zara, the famous Jenner’s Department Store, Debenhams, Fraser
Hart, Harvey Nicholas etc. I also visited the more up-market George Street were
the atmosphere was slightly less touristy and more upmarket and cosmopolitan –
a range of sophisticated boutiques lined up the area, there are a lot of swanky
bars and fashion giants from Karen Millen, Coast, Jaeger just to name a few. The
architecture really came to live in George Street, stunning and very opulent; I
can certainly see how this was once the financial heart of the city with the buildings
telling their own story.
Edinburgh
surprised me when it came to shopping, I can safely say it rivalled that to my
usual shopping hangout of the modern Bullring based in Birmingham; simply put
shopping in Edinburgh was more of a relaxed experience which treated my eyes to
the beauty of the old fashioned building’s that stood against the spell of
time, really worth a visit for those shopaholics out there!
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| Various touristy sights, an American Candy Store, the world famous Hard Rock Cafe, and various shops on Princes Street. |
If
you don’t intend to go to Edinburgh for the shopping then you must nevertheless
visit its department store Jenners – think of this as Edinburgh's own version of Harold’s based in London. The magnificence and old fashioned
family heritage was the selling factor of Jenners, it is now owned by House of
Fraser although still holds the notable Jenner golden etched sign above it
premises and is somewhat of a local landmark. Inside Jenners you can see for yourself
the beautiful grand hall of against the Victorian remains of spiralling pillars
that hold each floor. Even if you are not interested in buying or shopping in
particular Jenners offers a glimpse of the past and is well worth the visit.
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| Outside of Jenners Department Store |
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Inside Jenners located on Princes Street and a little French infusion of sugary treats - Macaroons and slice of cake from Patisserie Valerie (don't worry, they were not all for me)!
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You
ultimately have to visit Edinburgh Castle; with stunning views from across the
city far and wide it dominates the whole city horizon, sitting at the top of
the whole town both new and old. It was not too busy when we ventured up there,
I do recommend dressing appropriately by wearing a jacket/blazer with the odd
scarf (perhaps a tartan would fit the occasion); the wind was notorious at the
peak despite it being May.
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| Scotland in all its glory |
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| Edinburgh Castle |
The
National Scottish Museum is well worth a visit too; not only is it free but it
offers something for everyone (recently refurbished) with great open indoor architecture
and countless worldwide exhibitions from the animal section filled with an
enormous T-Rex skeleton to the white Iranian inspired hall filled with exotic
monuments – there is something for everyone to be excited about. There are so
many amazing photograph opportunities inside the Museum; it left me feeling
very inspired for an amateur/novice photographer.
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| Various snapshots of inside the Scottish National Museum |
Overall
there is more to Edinburgh than just the beautiful scenery and history, it is a
rich cosmopolitan city that is definitely worth the visit, although I would
pass on the Scottish Haggis and whisky I shall definitely be back and perhaps
celebrate the world famous Hogmanay celebrations later on this year (yes I know a tad too early to be talking about new years eve celebrations yet)! There is so much more that I could write about what I got up to in Edinburgh but I feel as though I would be here forever typing it all out. Simply put you should venture up North yourself to find out for yourself. If
you a looking for an affordable city break that offers more than just the usual
modern gimmicks then Edinburgh is for you. I would recommend planning in advance if you are going to get the most out of your visit; the Visit Scotland website offered me a great insight into booking tickets and costs regarding my trip to the City.
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| Main square |
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| Quirky Police Station |
Anyone
ventured into Scotland’s wonder city before?
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| The Scotsman |
