Holiday

Just thought I’d better post up a quick update on our holiday last week! We caught the train up to Edinburgh on Monday morning. The journey was straightforward, and we got into Edinburgh on time at about 1:30 PM. The flat itself was very comfortable – we were staying in a National Trust property called Gladstone’s Land (there are a couple of flats above the touristy bit – Phil’s parents were staying in one, and we were staying in the other). We were very glad to be travelling light though – we were on the sixth floor of a 15th century building which was accessed via a spiral staircase! But I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a self-catering place in the centre of Edinburgh. It was very conveniently placed.

I’m not going to do a full day-by-day breakdown of everything that we did, but here’s a quick summary:

• Walked up to Arthur’s seat. The views are spectacular from the top.
• Walked around the Royal Mile, including the Scottish Parliament building. Although the building looks weird at first, it grew on me. I do like the debating chamber.
• Visited the Royal Yacht Brittania. Well worth a visit. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it was really interesting.
• Had dinner with Naomi and Ran, who we hadn’t seen since Andy B and Helen’s wedding last year!
• Went to a midday service at St Giles’ Cathedral.
• Visited Mary King’s Close – the underground streets. Again, very interesting and worth a visit.
• Had a look round Gladstone’s Land (but then, we got in free because we were staying upstairs!)
• Went over to Glasgow to have dinner with one of Phil’s friends
• Did an “Alexander McCall Smith” tour of the New Town
• Went all the way up Walter Scott’s monument
• Walked over the Forth road bridge, and then came back by rail over the Forth railway bridge

I think that’s pretty much it. We packed in a fair bit over the week, as you can see! Overall, we both really enjoyed our time there. Edinburgh is a great city – it has a very distinctive character. And despite the size (it’s very compact), there is plenty to see and do. If you haven’t been it’s worth exploring for sure.