What's good to do in Edinburgh, Scotland? We're going there next week!

[Radio_Lady]

Have you been there? This is our second visit but this time we are not going with any tour group.

I'll be spending my 67th birthday there on May 31, 2006.

Any good websites you can suggest? Hubby says he's set with some guide books.

Places to visit? Restaurants? Shopping? Out of the ordinary stuff welcome and appreciated. Thrift shops are OK, too.

Small places we missed last time we were there?

My other link was about London and you guys have done such a magnificant job responding, I thought I'd get a jump on this one. (We're going to Scotland first, followed by England, and ending up in New York City in early June.)

Thanks in advance for any help!

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[RebelOne]

1. I have been to Edinburgh twice. Take a tour to Loch Ness.

Absolutely breathtaking scenery around the lake. And you may get lucky and see Nessie. I forgot, you will have to go up to Inverness, but that is a beautiful spot.

[Radio_Lady]

4. Thanks, Rebel. We did the Northern highlands tour in 2001, so

we'll just be in the city mostly for a week. Yes, the scenery was quite beautiful.

[NewWaveChick1981]

2. If you can go to the Trossachs on a half-day trip or so, it's well

worth the drive! It's the foothills of the Highlands, and the heather should be starting to bloom. The other lochs in the area are breathtaking. I remember Loch Katrine was my favorite!

You don't want to miss Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood House, or the Old City. (BTW, the Old City is supposed to be haunted.) The National Library of Scotland is on Prince's Street, and it's also a must-see.

Be sure to eat at small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Their food is really good, especially pub food. I actually tried haggis, although I don't recommend it. :yoiks:

[Radio_Lady]

3. I tried haggis when we were there. I remember swallowing pretty

hard and trying to forget what's in it. I also danced with an 81-year-old man who shared my birthday, May 31st (but not the year, of course). As I recall, he was pretty spry! Oh, this is the SECOND time I'll be in Scotland for my birthday.

By the way, here's a funny website --

"What do Scotsmen wear under their kilts?" and other information...

http://www.realmenwearkilts.net/what.html

[NewWaveChick1981]

5. That's funny!

At least you've tried haggis before. You have to try it once to really get the full effect. :puke:

I hope you have a wonderful trip!

[Radio_Lady]

6. Glad you thought so! Thanks for your good wishes!

[tjwmason]

7. I have to suggest this.

If you want a day out of the city then go to St. Andrews.

It's a wee while north of Edinburgh, a gorgeous small city (technically a Royal Burgh) on the coast.

I may be a tad bit biased because I went to university there - but it's packed full of history with a ruined Cathedral and Castle, the university (still going strong) is the oldest in Scotland and third oldest in the U.K. dating from 1410.

One of the beeches there was used to film the openning scene of Chariots of Fire.

If you're that way inclined - it's also the home of golf, housing the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

http://www.saint-andrews.co.uk/staindex.html

Finest place in the whole world outside England. :D

[Radio_Lady]

8. Good suggestion! On our last tour, I know we spent about an hour

there, and shared an ice cream cone on the main street, as I recall!

It was a beautiful sunny day and we really enjoyed it...

Thanks for the suggestion! School life must have been wonderful there. Didn't Prince William or Prince Harry go to university there?

Thanks for your post!

http://www.ballofdirt.com/media/9589/101354/568726.html

[LNM]

9. Restraunts

The "Mussel Inn", somewhere near Princes street, sells mussels by the kilo and "End of the World" on the mile also has great mussels. Mmm, yum. I loved Edinburgh.

[Radio_Lady]

10. Gramps eats clams, but not sure about mussels. I don't, but we'll

put it on the list anyway. Maybe they'll have some good fish -- is that where you get Dover sole?

Thanks from the bottoms of our hearts for all of your suggestions!

In peace,

Radio_Lady and Gramps, her spouse!

[LNM]

14. one other thing

Thanks for the picture of you two! I hope you enjoy your stay. One other suggestion for Edinburgh. St. Giles Cathedral, just down the hill from Edinburgh Castle is a very interesting place. I'm agnostic but love architecture, and cathedrals, to me, are very interesting. During our visit we met a very interesting tour guide, about 75 years old. I expressed interest in the bronze relief of Robert Louis Stevenson and he not only showed that to us, but showed us the ellaborate organ and the locked room of the meeting place for the Order of the Thistle, somewhat akin to the Order of the Garter in England. If you like wood-carving you'll want to see this. He also gave us a detailed history of the cathedral. I only mention his age for identification purposes.

[Random_Australian]

11. Leaving!

:P

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. Walk the Royal Mile...

Visit Holyrood House and the Castle, perched up on a rock. The Princes Street Gardens are beautiful, and probably more so at this time of year. I've only been in the fall.

Visit Old Town Edinburgh and the New Town (the New Town dates from the 1700s).

There was a museum last time I visited back in 1990 on the Royal Mile that was an interactive exhibit of Edinburgh over the years. Sights, smells and sounds. Forget the name.

[Radio_Lady]

19. Definitely! We will have more time on this trip for the Castle and

the House. I don't recall the gardens from last time; perhaps we missed them because we only stayed in Edinburgh for a day or two.

[JVS]

13. Go to Scotchtoberfest!

[Radio_Lady]

17. Are you serious? We've been to Octoberfest in Utah in AUGUST!

Just another reason to drink beer... right?

[hyphenate]

15. Go and see the Sir Walter Scott memorial

It won't take very long, but it's an interesting place. I loved the Castle and I can recommend the Royal Mile as well, even though my mom and I didn't finish it because we were exhausted.

Culloden Moor? If you were in the highlands, you might have seen it, but it's the kind of place that evokes a lot of emotion. http://www.queenofscots.co.uk/culloden/cull.html

If you can get to the Isle of Skye, get to Armadale and look for the MacDonald museum. (Clan Donald) Flora MacDonald was the one who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape. http://www.clandonald.com/index.php/page/castle/

In fact, you might want to check out Ben Nevis if you can, though it's closer to Glasgow. http://www.visit-fortwilliam.co.uk/mf_bennevis.html

There's always the ruins of Urquhart Castle at the south end of Loch Ness. http://www.castles.org/Chatelaine/URQUHART.HTM

There are always museums and such as well. If you like Italian food, we enjoyed a place called Pinnochio's in Edinburgh, but that was over 10 years ago now, so I don't know if it's still there.


Hope these help!

[Left Is Write]

16. I have never been there - and I'm quite jealous!

I know - via the internet - a perfectly lovely woman and her family in Scotland, and I'd love to visit anywhere there!

[Radio_Lady]

18. Don't be! I'll wish you the health and enough wealth to travel at some

other time in your life, Left is Write.

Meanwhile, hope you have a beautiful month of May which is moving along at a great rate
and I'll be back at you in early June.

In peace,

Radio_Lady and Gramps, her spouse!

[Bear down under]

20. The Royal Botanic Gardens

They rank with Peradinaya (IMHO) as the most beautiful in the world. And they should be at their best in late May.