Edinburgh

It was our second Easter in the UK so we wanted to get out of town and make the most of the long weekend. This time we decided it was time to explore some more of the UK with a trip to the previous home of Ben, Eleanor, Aidan and Gaby (and most probably some of our ancestors) Edinburgh. We were a bit apprehensive about actually getting there. There had been train strikes in the week leading up to Easter and if that wasn't enough heavy snow in the north of England and Scotland had closed the main line for a few days. Fortunately we left Kings Cross Station without any troubles and the train trundled up the country until finally pulling into Edinburgh station. A hike up the steep stairs towards the golden mile (not used to steep in London...) and we found our accommodation, dropped our bags and made our way out to explore. The weather forecast for our time there was good so we decided we had best make hay while the sun shines (or at least get some of the outdoor activities out of the way) but before we could tackle any of that we needed to get some good Scottish grub in us. We found a place on the Golden Mile that claimed to serve the best haggis in Edinburgh. Doesn't take much to convince us so we gave it a go. Turns out it was a gourmet haggis, neeps (turnip) and tatties and it was very tasty. Haggis may not sound good when you describe what it is but when served like this it tastes delicious. All full of Scottish goodness we made our way down the golden mile towards Holyrood House (the Queen's residence in Edinburgh) and the Houses of Parliament. These were not our target today however, we were off towards Arthur's seat. Not an actual seat but more a hill/mountain in the middle of Edinburgh. Many other people had similar plans but we made our way off towards the top. Being used to flat old London we found it pretty tough going but it was well worth the climb to get a 360 degree view of Edinburgh. Cold though. You could see all the hills around Edinburgh covered in snow and there was even a little bit at the top of Arthur's seat. We thought we could see Ben, Eleanor, Aidan and Gaby's house from when they lived there too (not that we actually knew where it was...) We scrambled down the other side of the hill satisfied that we had made a good start to our trip. After a quick trip back to the hostel we journeyed through the centre of town on our hunt for the holy grail of Scotland......the deep fried Marsbar....Lonely Planet told us where the best fish and chip shop in Edinburgh was and to there we went. Jess went for some local fish and chips, but Marcus went for a deep fried Haggis...yes twice in one day...alas there were no deep fried Mars Bars.

The next day we were up bright and (somewhat) early and travelling in the other direction up the golden mile towards Edinburgh Castle. It is situated up on a hill above the city. It is pretty interesting and it spirals up around till it reaches the old royal residence at the top of the hill. It is funny seeing things from a slightly different point of view. Everything is all about how they have spent thousands of years fending off the English invaders from the south. There are various little museums all throughout the castle. We got a special treat in the great hall where we got a special rendition of medieval music and dancing. It was as good as it sounds....We had been told by a few people to go and see Mary King's Close. We weren't quite sure what it was all about but decided to give it a go anyway. It markets itself like a haunted house/Edinburgh dungeon type thing so we were apprehensive, but actually it was quite interesting. They take you on a guide tour through some old streets and buildings which have been progressively built over over time. They tell you stories of the people who lived there and what it was like to live in Edinburgh hundreds of years ago. Overall well worth it. It was then off for a walk around town, up Princes Street and on our way to meet up with Tom and Gini. Turns out they were spending Easter in Scotland too. After a few beers at their huge crazy hostel we made our way down to David Morgan's local, Teuchters for a few more beers, wines and whiskeys and then we topped the night off with some tasty Aberdeen Angus Beef. Tom and Gini had heard of a place that sells deep fried Mars Bars too...Something for tomorrow...

The next day we journeyed back down the golden mile again for a visit of the Queen's residence in Scotland, Holyrood Palace. Again the Scottish influence was everywhere and there wasn't much of a mention of Liz. It was actually quite interesting telling the story of Scottish Monarchs who had lived there, including Mary Queen of Scots and her story. A very tough lady who lived through some very tough times. Her and Liz did not get on at all. After a stroll through the gardens we made our way around the back way up towards the fish and chip shop Tom and Gini had pointed to the night before...Alas it was closed when we reached there, however being Easter Sunday we decided we had best stop in to the local off license for a marshmallow egg (not like at home...) and a wee bru. For the afternoon we decided to get out of central Edinburgh and make our way out to one of the up and coming areas in the city, Leith. The former dock area, but now home to some trendy restaurants and shopping centres, as well as the Royal Yacht Britannia. We wandered around and it was all very pleasant, but still felt quite empty after the hustle and bustle of London. We sheltered in a local pub when the rain started pouring and eventually had to just risk it and make the dash back to central Edinburgh. On the plus side, just minutes from our hostel we managed to find the elusive deep fried mars bar. Greasy and chocolaty and all things bad. Jess thought it was amazing...Marcus will still take some more convincing...



The next morning the rain had settled in but that wasn't going to stop us. We jumped on the bus and took ourselves out to Rosslyn, home of the Rosslyn Chapel (most recently made famous from the Da Vinci Code. The Chapel is a bit of a mystery, having been built by Masons it is full of all sorts of crazy and mysterious symbols and emblems. Luckily they tell you a lot of the stories so you can understand what it is that you are looking at. Unfortunately it is in a constant state of repair so you have to imagine what it looks like to a certain extent because of all the scaffolding over it. We had enough time for a cup of tea and cake before heading back to Edinburgh. A look around the shops and a meal at The Dogs and it was time to jump back on the train back to London. Scotland....we will return...

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