Edinburgh

[addictfreak]

I'm off to Edinburgh for a couple of days next week with Mrs AF.

Looking for some ideas of the best things to see/do while we are there.

 

[green1]

[QUOTE 2154420, member: 1314"]Greyfriars Graveyard. Edinburgh dungeons tour. Bobby's Bar (seriously nice food). Cafe Royal bar - seriously nice seafood. Walk up Arthur's Seat. Walk up Royal Mile. Go to Bow Bar on Grassmarket - only pub there with no toursists - lovely, lovely beer. Job done. Plus the Castle obviously.[/quote]
FTFY

 

[fimm]

What sort of things do you like doing?
If you're after touristy stuff, the Castle is obvious. I have childhood memories of enjoying the Camera Obscura but have not been as an adult. The Palace of Holyroodhouse (to give it its proper name). The Parliment is just opposite and is worth a look I think. The walk down the Royal Mile from Castle to Palace is there for tourists (and you have St Giles' Cathedral en route if you like that sort of thing).
Climb the Scott Monument on Princes Street for the views. Walk up Calton Hill (east end of Princes St) as an alternative to Arthur's Seat.
Roughly where are you staying? If it is near Haymarket (west of city centre) I can suggest some places to eat... (well I can suggest a couple of places in the city centre as well).

 

[Minotier]

Pop into The Oxford Bar and see if John Rebus is in, If not there is a fair chance Ian Rankin will be!
http://www.oxfordbar.co.uk/

Otherwise Fimm would be best for the knowledge about Edinburgh it is really good place for a short break.
Me and the missus went up in January for the Turner exhibition at the National Gallery and had a great two night break in the city

 

[fimm]

Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal (get a bus).
Train to Dalmeny (= South Queensferry station) and go and look at the Bridges (pleasant place to get food, South Queensferry, too).
Marvel at the mess that has been made by the tram works...
Good point, minotier, I'd forgotten the galleries.

User1314, I think I've been in the Haymarket bar exactly once... if you're still in Edinburgh, go left out of the Haymarket Bar, stay on that side of the road, there are several restaurants on that stretch, the Chinese one there does a different kind of Chinese food, it is very good. I enjoyed the sushi I had at Hay Sushi too (I don't know much about sushi so I have no idea if it is good sushi or not, but I liked it...)

 

[addictfreak]

What sort of things do you like doing?
If you're after touristy stuff, the Castle is obvious. I have childhood memories of enjoying the Camera Obscura but have not been as an adult. The Palace of Holyroodhouse (to give it its proper name). The Parliment is just opposite and is worth a look I think. The walk down the Royal Mile from Castle to Palace is there for tourists (and you have St Giles' Cathedral en route if you like that sort of thing).
Climb the Scott Monument on Princes Street for the views. Walk up Calton Hill (east end of Princes St) as an alternative to Arthur's Seat.
Roughly where are you staying? If it is near Haymarket (west of city centre) I can suggest some places to eat... (well I can suggest a couple of places in the city centre as well).

We are staying at the premier inn, Lauriston Street. Which according to their website is 'Central'

 

[addictfreak]

Cheers guys some good suggestions.

The wife likes her shopping (my pet hate). I like a bit of history, sight seeing, good food and good beer. Prefer proper pubs if you get my drift, and don't mind live music as long as its not blowing you out of your seat!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Pub Crawl - Rose Street

 

[green1]

Pub Crawl - Rose Street

But take some chalk to mark how far you get

 

[fimm]

We are staying at the premier inn, Lauriston Street. Which according to their website is 'Central'

Yes, probably not worth the hassle to come west to any of my "specials". The Blue Blazer on Bread Street is a good pub IMHO - it can get busy but it has a good selection of real ales (which is my definition of a good pub...)
For a good but not cheap meal, you might try the restuarant at the Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile, just down from the castle. Don't bother with the "experience" itself, it's naff...

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm off to Edinburgh for a couple of days next week with Mrs AF.

Looking for some ideas of the best things to see/do while we are there.

Glasgow. Or Leeds. Or, in all seriousness, if you've got transport, Queensferry, the bridges, Glenfarg and Perth.

One of my few smart moves was to apologise to the LonJogers the night before we went through Edinburgh. By the time we made the bridge they were looking haggard - I couldn't keep some of them away from the pub. It's the gloomiest town I know - and I've never been there in winter. One of the most astounding items is the Royal Botanic Gardens - it's got the only greenhouse in the world that looks like a mortuary.

In my pre-apology I described it as the Reading of the North, and, having pondered, I'd like to apologise to Reading. It is, however, not as bad as Cheltenham.

 

[User482]

Glasgow's great, and not too far from Edinburgh.

 

[laurence]

Holyrood park to see the swans - sometimes a Whooper may turn up, or a Barnacle goose. wander around and try and spot the kestrels and peregrines in the area.

the other side of the park is Duddingston Loch. very good for wildlife.

a nice day trip is Aberlady Bay. there's a nature reserve there. in autumn and winter it is host to thousands of pink footed geese and also a stopping off point for Whooper swans and Barnacle geese. there are also some midget submarines buried in the sand which you can see when the tide is a long way out. from there you can walk to Gulane along the coast, it's stunning.

the Zoo is good in Edinburgh. Also Butterfly World - which has reptiles too.

the Water of Leith walk is good.

there's a good cafe called Kilimanjaro on Nicholson Street.

if you're lucky you may get to see the man flying the raptors at Parliament. they use hawks to scare away the pigeons. usually on a friday, if i remember correctly.

 

[addictfreak]

Holyrood park to see the swans - sometimes a Whooper may turn up, or a Barnacle goose. wander around and try and spot the kestrels and peregrines in the area.

the other side of the park is Duddingston Loch. very good for wildlife.

a nice day trip is Aberlady Bay. there's a nature reserve there. in autumn and winter it is host to thousands of pink footed geese and also a stopping off point for Whooper swans and Barnacle geese. there are also some midget submarines buried in the sand which you can see when the tide is a long way out. from there you can walk to Gulane along the coast, it's stunning.

the Zoo is good in Edinburgh. Also Butterfly World - which has reptiles too.

the Water of Leith walk is good.

there's a good cafe called Kilimanjaro on Nicholson Street.

if you're lucky you may get to see the man flying the raptors at Parliament. they use hawks to scare away the pigeons. usually on a friday, if i remember correctly.

Do I sense an ornithological theme?

 

[snorri]

It would be nice to take a guided tram tour, but 'fraid they won't be running next week
National Museums, Chambers Street. http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/national_museum/whats_on.aspx
National Galleries ... http://www.nationalgalleries.org/
The Camera Obscura has some interesting/amusing optical illusions etc. as well as a fine view of the surrounding area.
If you don't have the time or energy for Arthur's Seat, take a hike up Calton Hill and visit the various and varied structures thereon.
Take a wander along Princes Street at night and see the various floodlit buildings.
A guided bus tour is informative, taking you round many of the central tourist attractions and giving a brief history.
I can only imagine the jaded views expressed by one poster are due to his spending too much time in 17 Danube Street in the dim and distant, and not getting out and about to see the rest of the city
Wrap up well, it can be cold!