Edinburgh, Embra to the locals, the Athens of the North, Auld Reekie, we’ve definitely arrived at a place of substance. Unfortunately, we still have a car and it needs to be left off in a garage underneath the Emberly Train Station which is slap bang in the middle of town right next to the Castle and the Royal Mile. Wisely, Abby has been left off at the Airbnb in Newtown so she doesn’t have to experience my colorful language during this process. Amazingly, mission is accomplished and we’re free to enjoy the city on foot.
We’re staying in the upstart New Town district, a Georgian masterpiece built between 1760 and 1850. Less tourists, more trendy bars and restaurants, and a heck of an uphill walk to the Old Town where the majority of the sightseeing action is found.
The spacious apartment is welcome after the shoe box we stayed in at Oban but we can’t lounge around as we have to search out all the historic bars where traditional live music is played. A slight drawback is that all the other European retirees who read the Rough Guide, Lonely Planet and Rick Steves travel guides are doing exactly the same thing. We dutifully visit Sandy Bell’s and The Royal Oak but they are tiny and filled with people from Oslo and San Jose so we end up at the Captain’s Bar, where the music is adequate, there’s space to sit and where people are not yakking loudly.
Grayfrair Bobby, both pub and statue, is on our route to Sandy Bell’s. Bobby was a Skye Terrier, who spent 14 years guarding his master’s grave after his passing. The statue is very popular with Chinese tourists and locals alike and I personally watched local workmen patting its nose, presumably for good luck. The more obsessive of you may want to check out the 2006 film “The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby” starring James Cosmo (!) and Christopher Lee (!). It’s a real Bobby Dazzler or Bauby Doozler, as the local slang goes (meaning something startling or showy, often used sarcastically).
The next day Edinburgh Castle is de rigueur (pretentious moi?) and we battle the hordes storming the castle. Of course, it’s worth a visit for many reasons such as the engaging free tours by kilted docents, the enormous balls of Mons Meg, the One O’Clock Gun, the 360 degree views from the battlements, the Great Hall and the Scottish War Museum but, like other bucket list sights it’s somewhat overcome by the teeming masses of visitors. With the weather deteriorating, we nip into The Jolly Judge, an old pub only steps away from the Castle but hidden in a courtyard – A thank you to the Campaign for Real Ale’s beer guide app, an essential tool for a UK visit.
We have no choice to head down the Royal Mile, even though the rain is coming down and the temperature dropping. The Mile is the Main Street of the historic old town and stretches from the Castle to Holyrood Palace, the latter of which is the official residency of Scottish monarchs since the 16th Century and , since the 1707 Acts of Union the British monarchs also. Didn’t see old Lizzie about, and we were right knackered from our time on the road, so we Ubered out of there back to New Town at a pace below walking speed thanks to the dismal rush hour traffic. There’s a hell of a lot to see here and we can’t even scratch the surface in this fly-by visit so a return during the Fringe Arts Festival in August is put on the list.
We don’t even make it out of our neighborhood on our last night but have a fun time at the local gastropub Brandon’s of Canonmills – vegetarian food, craft beers, good wine selection, Dad DJ spinning eclectic retro, just like home.
Sometimes you need a break from haggis and deep fried Mars Bars. Tomorrow, it’s Belfast and family, need to rest up.
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