It's a pretty great place! And since you've been to the National Portrait Gallery, you'll know that there's a lot of effort to make the rooms themselves as lavish as the setting demands.
I remember you asked for recommendations; I'd say a trip down the Royal Mile is a great way to see Old Edinburgh. Starting near the Castle side, the Writers' Museum is fun if you're into Scottish literature (Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott); a small museum and you have to pay, but I think is quite worthwhile. Right next door is Gladstone's Land, which used to be a tenement building in the 17th century owned by this guy William Gledstane, and is now a museum dedicated to life in the Old Town in that period; it's a real hidden gem: not many people go there, but it's one of my favourites. Again, I think you have to pay.
Continuing down the Mile, beyond George IV Bridge** is St. Giles Cathedral, which you you admired in your first post.
**As an aside, on George VI Bridge is The Outsider, a fun, unpretentious restaurant. It has two tables in the back with views of the Castle; ask for one of them specifically if you want to be seated there. Another good place for restaurants is the Grassmarket, which is accessible from George IV Bridge via Victoria Street (while going down there, you'll see the infamous Khushi's of the sign feud fame; there used to be an auto-rickshaw outside that restaurant when I used to go, so watch out for it. In the Grassmarket, you should be spoiled for choice, though I'd recommend the French restaurant, Petit Paris.
Much further down the Mile (about 10-15 minutes of walking at a moderate pace from St. Giles Cathedral), opposite the John Knox House is the Fudge Kitchen, which had simply the most divine fudge that Edinburgh is famous for. Watch out for the 3 for 5 deal they've got; it's sooo tempting! They let you sample before buying, too. :) (The fudge also makes a great gift for people back home, though if you plan on doing this, buy the gift fudge on the last day as this is fresh fudge, not the subpar stuff that's meant to last years and years, and only tends to last about a week before becoming hard.)
A bit further down again, just before the People's Story Museum is Cadenhead's Whisky Shop (on the right side of the road), which belongs to Edinburgh's oldest independent bottler, and has a good range of whiskies, which makes a great present if anyone you know is a fan of whiskies. I believe they run tastings as well.
Beyond the People's Story Museum on the left-hand-side of the road is the Canongate Kirk, the church where the second British royal wedding of last year took place: the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips married her husband there. Interestingly, this is the place where the Queen and Royal family worship when they are in residence in Edinburgh.
And finally, right at the end of the Mile is Holyrood Palace, which was built as homage to the beautiful Renaissance palaces in France. It's a beautiful palace, full of history and intrigue - Mary, Queen of Scots' secretary was murdered in front of her by her (very jealous, possible mad) second husband, Henry, Lord Darnley while she was pregnant with James VI! It also had the Queen's Galleries, which host thematic selections of art from the Royal Collection; I believe you have to pay a separate fee for the Galleries than the Palace.
And that's it! I hope you find this useful, if you do manage to go.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2012-04-09 05:09 am (UTC)I remember you asked for recommendations; I'd say a trip down the Royal Mile is a great way to see Old Edinburgh. Starting near the Castle side, the Writers' Museum is fun if you're into Scottish literature (Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott); a small museum and you have to pay, but I think is quite worthwhile. Right next door is Gladstone's Land, which used to be a tenement building in the 17th century owned by this guy William Gledstane, and is now a museum dedicated to life in the Old Town in that period; it's a real hidden gem: not many people go there, but it's one of my favourites. Again, I think you have to pay.
Continuing down the Mile, beyond George IV Bridge** is St. Giles Cathedral, which you you admired in your first post.
**As an aside, on George VI Bridge is The Outsider, a fun, unpretentious restaurant. It has two tables in the back with views of the Castle; ask for one of them specifically if you want to be seated there. Another good place for restaurants is the Grassmarket, which is accessible from George IV Bridge via Victoria Street (while going down there, you'll see the infamous Khushi's of the sign feud fame; there used to be an auto-rickshaw outside that restaurant when I used to go, so watch out for it. In the Grassmarket, you should be spoiled for choice, though I'd recommend the French restaurant, Petit Paris.
Much further down the Mile (about 10-15 minutes of walking at a moderate pace from St. Giles Cathedral), opposite the John Knox House is the Fudge Kitchen, which had simply the most divine fudge that Edinburgh is famous for. Watch out for the 3 for 5 deal they've got; it's sooo tempting! They let you sample before buying, too. :) (The fudge also makes a great gift for people back home, though if you plan on doing this, buy the gift fudge on the last day as this is fresh fudge, not the subpar stuff that's meant to last years and years, and only tends to last about a week before becoming hard.)
A bit further down again, just before the People's Story Museum is Cadenhead's Whisky Shop (on the right side of the road), which belongs to Edinburgh's oldest independent bottler, and has a good range of whiskies, which makes a great present if anyone you know is a fan of whiskies. I believe they run tastings as well.
Beyond the People's Story Museum on the left-hand-side of the road is the Canongate Kirk, the church where the second British royal wedding of last year took place: the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips married her husband there. Interestingly, this is the place where the Queen and Royal family worship when they are in residence in Edinburgh.
And finally, right at the end of the Mile is Holyrood Palace, which was built as homage to the beautiful Renaissance palaces in France. It's a beautiful palace, full of history and intrigue - Mary, Queen of Scots' secretary was murdered in front of her by her (very jealous, possible mad) second husband, Henry, Lord Darnley while she was pregnant with James VI! It also had the Queen's Galleries, which host thematic selections of art from the Royal Collection; I believe you have to pay a separate fee for the Galleries than the Palace.
And that's it! I hope you find this useful, if you do manage to go.