Arriving in Edinburgh from our Scandinavian adventure, we looked forward to eight days to catch up with family and friends and some down time before we embarked on a few short trips.
I spent about 35 years studying, working and living in and around Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. I watched it evolve and develop as a commercial centre, as a tourist destination and as a major cultural hub. Returning after an extended absence since emigrating, I was keen to understand how it had changed. We therefore used our few days staying with my daughter to spend time in the city centre, something I had not managed to do on previous visits.
I was disappointed with the way the city presents itself. The Royal Mile was packed with tourists, street performers and every vertical surface of street artifacts, such as sign posts, were covered in stickers. Maybe it was the overall ambience created by the grey stonework of the buildings and dull days that contributed to my reaction. Half the shops in Princes Street were closed and/or vacant and none of the iconic Edinburgh department stores, such as Jenners, remain.
However, it was great to visit places I had not been to before.
National Gallery
During our first venture by bus into the city, our first stop was the National Gallery. The building had recently been extended, increasing the number of paintings on display. For the first time I fully appreciated the way that the artists used light and contrast to direct and hold the viewers’ attention, not unlike great past and present photographers.
The High Street
On arriving in the high street (Royal Mile), we had a quick look inside the Tron Kirk. This now accommodates a craft market as a means of raising funds to enhance the existing site and building. Further up the street we joined the queue to enter St Giles Cathedral, my first ever visit inside this magnificent building.
Once inside it was not too busy, despite the queues outside. We were treated to a choral performance, enhanced by the acoustics of the cathedral. We sat for a while enjoying the music and watching the world go by.
Greyfriars Kirk
From the High Street, we wandered up George IV Bridge to Greyfriars Kirk, famous for the story about Greyfriars Bobby, the dog that guarded his master’s grave for 14 years. For me it brought back memories of underaged drinking in the adjacent pub of the same name.
National Museum
This is one of my favourite Edinburgh interiors – the main hall is nothing short of breathtaking. In the past the museum entrance led directly into this grand space, but this has now been moved into the basement. I had not been in the ‘new’ extension, so it was a joy to experience the difference between the old and modern, not just in terms of the building, but in the way the exhibits are presented.
The extension allows visitors to climb up to the roof terrace and enjoy roof tops views across Edinburgh, including to the Edinburgh University Students Union, where I spent a lot of time as a student.
The Scottish Parliament Building
Three days later we travelled back into the city with friends who we had stayed overnight with. We had planned to climb Corstorphine Hill, but the rain made us decide otherwise.
Our first stop was to book tickets for a Mary Kings Close tour (more about that shortly). Since we had time before our tour, we walked, in the rain, down the Royal Mile to the Scottish parliament building, opposite Holyrood Palace. Again, entering this building was a first for me. We were fortunate to time our entry to listen to a ten minute presentation about the history of the parliament and the building. As time was a bit tight, our visit was limited to the impressive main debating hall.
Mary Kings Close
The current old town of Edinburgh has been built on top of old tenements and other buildings. This results in a network of passageways, known as closes, beneath the current street level. One of these is open to the general public/tourists. Accessed via the City Chambers, Mary Kings Close dates back to the 17th century. It takes its name from one of the prominent merchants who traded in what was a very challenging environment. Photography was prohibited.
With sides of crowded tenements many storeys high on both sides, the closes were very narrow and steep leading away from the High Street. They were also the main route for drainage and sewage. It was therefore no surprise that, in 1645, the black death swept through the area. Mary Kings Close is also known for being haunted.
Next on the agenda, was staying with other friends on the periphery of the city.
Peebles
Set in the borders, Peebles is a picturesque town, popular with tourists. Although overcast, the drive there, a walk along the river and returning for lunch was very pleasant and gave us some more exercise.
Penicuik House
In the afternoon we took a short drive to Penicuik House. This grand country house was built in the mid 1600s and the grounds developed over the years. As a result of a devastating fire in 1899, the house is now a shell, normally open to the public. Unfortunately, it was closed on the day we visited due to high winds. Nonetheless, we were able to get a good idea of what it used to be like. The adjacent stable block has been transformed into a reception centre and apartments – not a bad place to be living.
Five Sisters Zoo
Our final outing for our week in Edinburgh was a visit to the Five Sisters Zoo with my six-year-old granddaughter. Although a compact zoo, it accommodates a wide range of animals and birds. Following the weather patterns of the week it rained during the journey to the zoo, but it soon stopped to leave a damp overcast day. However, that didn’t dampen our enthusiasm as we went to see the animals including penguins, otters and even a badger.
After a snack lunch, under cover from a shower of rain, my granddaughter became more focused on spending her money in the shop than on the animals. That said, she did very well, considering she was with a couple of oldies that she hardly knew.
That was the last outing of our first week, but we had one more rainy sojourn into the city on the day before we left for home.
National Portrait Gallery
The portrait gallery is well worth the visit for the building itself, although the portraits are quite remarkable. The wide range of portraits extends in dates from 1507 when the painting of King James IV of Scotland was commissioned to today. All people featured have had influence over the history of the country or have been connected with it. This was again a fascinating visit and an apt end to our visit to my home country.
However, before that last visit, we had quite a few adventures in the intervening three weeks – watch this space.
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7 Responses
Sounds great! Very informative Martin
Unfortunately, when I was in Scotland in 1975, I didn’t spend enough time in Edinburgh. The photos are great.
It was good that you spent time with your family while there.
There has been a lot of change since 1975, you would hardly recognise the place.
Loved my short time in Edinburgh. did lots of the touristy things too. What a joy to read of you doing many similar things as a tourist – not a local. Looking forward to your future posts.
Thank you, I hope it brought back some happy memories
Thanks for sharing Martin – your images and stories remind me of my trip to Edinburgh visiting some of the same places – National Gallery, St Giles Cathedral & the unique architecture of the Parliament building – such fond memoriers thanks again
Thanks, Tony, there are still many places that I have not yet visited. Maybe next time ….