Edinburgh, one of the many fighting to be the UK's second city behind London and if visitor numbers are anything to go by, they are at the front of the pack. It does seem to be a must visit for anyone coming to the UK and, having been there a number of times myself, I believe that to be with good reason.
In the past it has always been a bit of a joke down our way about Edinburgh somehow becoming European City of Culture but on investigation I find that to be incorrect. Even worse I find that the accolade actually went to their fellow Scottish city Glasgow. This was back in 1990 and having visited in 2005 I can only guess at the either corrupt or politically motivated (these two are probably not mutually exclusive) thought process that led to this decision being made. If you wish to endure a fuller diatribe about the European City/Capital of Culture issue and how these are chosen please visit my
Europe page.
Anyhow this is my Edinburgh page so we should really concentrate on that.
I have visited a number of times and many of those have been on business as I work for the Royal Bank of Scotland. In fact I actually worked for Nat West Bank up until about 2000 when we were taken over by a bunch of marauding Scots led by the European Egotist of the Year. I can still remember the questions being asked at the time, "Who are they?", "How can that happen?", and "Why didn't the Romans build that bloody wall higher?"
Unlike Glasgow this city seems to have largely thrown of its 1980's reputation when the menu of choice on a Saturday night - or any other night for that matter - was twelve cans of special brew and a couple of deep fried mars bars
It is now a pleasant and cosmopolitan city with popular annual attractions such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Military Tattoo held at the castle. If visiting London it is easily accessible with flights from low cost airline Easyjet and others. The airport is less than 30 minutes away from the city centre and it is quite a compact and easy city to move around in. The new town is set out on a sort of grid system making it easier to find your way around and the old town is centred upon the Royal Mile with the Castle at the top end and the new parliament buildings at the other.
I generally find it a very clean city and the Princes Street Gardens, with great views of the castle, are usually immaculate. The weather can be a bit of a downside especially in the winter months, but it does have some natural protection and is not so wild and windswept as some other parts of Scotland. The visitor is well catered for, with all types of accommodation available from luxury hotels to hostels and a whole host of things to do.
If you are a regular visitor to my pages you will know that no report of mine is complete without a recommendation for the
best places to find good beer. Well if pubs are what you are after then you will be spoilt for choice in Edinburgh. Any regular visitor will point you towards the famous Rose Street that runs parallel to Princes Street in the New Town. I always intend to count the pubs but for some reason I tend to lose my focus half way through, but I reckon there must be somewhere between 15-20. A couple of my favourites are the Abbotsford and the Kenilworth. If you are in Rose Street it is worth seeking out the Oxford Bar, haunt of local writer Ian Rankin. Other good pubs can be found in the Grassmarket area of the Old Town, where I would recommend the Bow Bar and the Blue Blazer. For a real quirky experience head for Frankenstein, a pub/restaurant built inside a church.
Visit Edinburgh - Explore Edinburgh - Enjoy Edinburgh
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