"Auld Reekie" Edinburgh by iaint

Edinburgh Travel Guide: 3,354 reviews and 6,585 photos

Home town?

Don't know. Probably not.

I lived there from 1956 - 70. I left to go to Uni, and went back just for university holidays. Since 1970 I've lived in Aberdeen, Toulouse, East Hampton, Gourock, Glasgow and now Kirkcaldy (30 minutes from Edinburgh). Thats not counting summer jobs in various places!

My parents moved away from Edinburgh in 1984.

Edinburgh folk are less than welcoming to outsiders coming to live, and we arrived from Inverness in 1956 with no prior connection to the city.

It is hard too see it as my home town, even after growing up there.

However...

It is a beautiful city, and great to visit for lunch or dinner. I suppose some will enjoy going there for shopping, but thats not my thing.

In last 5 years I've enjoyed showing my son the sights, and showing off the city to other visitors.

I now spend lots of time there, both socially and for work. However, it still feels like a foreign city I know well and feel comfortable in - like Paris, Istanbul or Brussels - rather than a home town.

Conclusion

I recommend it to anyone for its history, architecture, pubs and restaurants.

Watch out for weather tho' - you can get all 4 seasons in the same day (but it's all part of the fun).

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:history, architecture, pubs, restaurants, culture
  • Cons:weather
  • In a nutshell:great for a visit
  • Last visit to Edinburgh: Sep 2012
  • Intro Updated Sep 8, 2012
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Reviews (89)

Comments (9)

  • hunterV's Profile Photo
    Jun 25, 2012 at 7:35 AM

    Hello, Iain! ~ Thanks for your wonderful story about Edinburgh!~

  • balhannah's Profile Photo
    Jun 13, 2012 at 1:46 PM

    The fireworks sound fabulous! Was interested in reading that there are Pandas in Edinburgh zoo, we recently had a pair come to the Adelaide Zoo in South Australia. Lucky for us, we don't have to queue!

  • Roadquill's Profile Photo
    Feb 14, 2011 at 1:16 PM

    Nice list of resto tips.. Brought back some memories of a few years ago at the Mussel. Karl

  • Durfun's Profile Photo
    Apr 14, 2010 at 12:34 PM

    I like Holyrood. So, how was Malta??

  • aussirose's Profile Photo
    Mar 26, 2010 at 9:09 PM

    4 seasons in one day hey?....mmmm sounds like our Melbourne :o) Thanks for some good tips Iain!! I have saved a few :o) Cheers, Ann.

  • Oct 9, 2008 at 11:39 AM

    I love Castles so i love this picture: Queenie's hoose.

  • uglyscot's Profile Photo
    Aug 14, 2007 at 1:18 AM

    Edinburgh is nice. Not in winter when it'd freeze the b***s off a brass monkey, but in summer it's a delight Half tempted to sell my wee house in Easter Ross and buy a flat in Edinburgh, but the roots are still deep...

  • Nemorino's Profile Photo
    Jul 8, 2007 at 7:25 AM

    Glad you finally made it into Holyrood Palace. I still haven't been inside, because every time I was in Edinburgh it was closed for security reasons and/or a royal visit.

  • scottishvisitor's Profile Photo
    Jan 4, 2007 at 2:29 PM

    I:m sure you will add more to Auld Reekie

iaint Was Born Here!

iaint

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ”

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