I always keep saying, that I don't need much encouragement to visit the UK. Scotland was on the top of my destination list for a tremendously long time, but I somehow never got to go because either I couldn't find any company for visiting the land of Nessie, or when I found company and made plans they were not finalised in the end. This semester, though, two of my university friends went to Glasgow for their Erasmus semester abroad. This is the wonderful thing about Erasmus, people travel and invite other people over to the place where stay. So I went!
Planning my excursion I could only fly from Copenhagen to Edinburgh and the plane landed around 11 pm, so I had to stay one night in Edinburgh either way. I planned an entire day for that city as well, to wake up early in the morning and have a full day of sightseeing and catch a bus to Glasgow in the evening.
I have stayed in West End hostel which I have chosen due to it's attractive price and the fact that it was located right next to Haymarket station which was a stop of airlink bus which transferred me from the airport to the centre. I didn't want to wander around at night looking for the hostel too long, right? It was a good choice. From there I started my tour of Edinburgh, heading east towards the centre. It was raining, obviously, but I wasn't bothered. I walked through some residential streets with typically british terraced houses.
Then I reached the centre, at first I took a walk through Princess Street Gardens, seeing the castle from a nice perspective, the Scottish National Gallery and Scott Monument.
Then, I went further west to climp Calton Hill. This wasn't that hard, the monuments on top indicated the way. From up there the views were magnificent, to the Princess Street and the castle, facing the other way the bay and the sea and also the Holyrood park's hills with famous Arthur's Seat.
I descended the hill and headed towards the Royal Mile. I wouldn't even need a map, following the crowd would easily get me there. I have booked onlike a place on a free guided walking tour. I was too early, so I walked the alleys and closes around the Mile on my own at first, then showed up on the meeting point in front of Starbuck's Coffee (which was a blessing after a few hour walk in the charming scottish weather).
The tour has started. Our guide was a very enthusiastic Scottish lady who gave us an overview of scottish history, fun facts and trivia. I do reccomend such guided walking tour, she covered all the places I haven't seen on my own before. Started with a few stops on the Royal Mile: the City Chambers, Mercat Cross, Parliment Square and St. Giles Cathedral.
Then we were taken around a few courtyards of the buildings on the Mile. Suprisingly, on the inside not a single sound of the bagpipes playing on the main street could be heard. There, we had a short lecture about housing and living in Edinburgh a few centuries back, the difference between planning of old town and victorian new town. We also learned about a few figures standing out from scottish literature like Robert Burns or Sir Walter Scott. Edinburgh also was the home and a treat-feast for all the Potterheads, which I had not known before the tour, but I will come to that later.
We passed the house of Scotch and the entrance to the castle. I haven't signed to go inside, the tickets were a little too expensive and I didn't have enough time, sadly. We walked down Castle Wynd steps down, from where we had a very dramatic view on the castle on the hill. Also we haeart the actual story of William Wallace and about the Stone Of Destiny (what an ominous name, ooooohhh)
Next, we walked through the old Grassmarket - a lively square where merchants and villagers once sold their crops and goods but also a public excecution site. I will remember one story of Maggie Dickson, a woman who was sentenced to death for giving birth of another man's child, who was hanged but didn't die and woke up in her coffin once being taken away out of Edinburgh. Then she was taken back to the city centre and almost hanged twice the same day. She was eventually allowed to live, and now she's a legend and even had an honour of having a pub named after her.
Hey, Potterheads, do you know which character of Harry Potter was inspired by the story? That's right, Nearly Headless Nick originated in Edinburgh. Good ol' JK!
Hey, Potterheads, now here come more treats. JK Rowling actually lived in Edinburgh for many years, and in one cafe called Elephant House Cafe she once sat and started scribbling on a napkin a story about a boy who lived. Unfortunately, I didn't take a good picture of the cafe itself, but Edinburgh is the place where it all started and it is stacked with Rowling's inspiration and references.
There is an old cemetary called Greyfriars. The writer used to walk around it and looked for inspiration for the character's names. We saw mister McGonagall, for instance... Next to Greyfriars there is also an exclusive private school in a castle, which probably also had an impact on the creation of Hogwarts.
On the cemetary we also heard the tales about Covenanters' and their prison.
Oi, Potterheads, do you see who lies here? Is that Tom Riddle?? The funny thing is, that on the old grassy graveyard there is a visibly often walked path leading up to that grave.
Another phenomenon of Edinburgh's Greyfriars is Bobby - a dog. A tiny scottish terrier who belonged to a man who took care of the graveyard and when the man died Bobby looked after his grave day by day. Now the guarddog of a fearsome name Bobby is also a symbol of Edinburgh and also has his own pub.
The tour ended in the National Museum, from where I have headed towards Arthur's Seat.
The map I had didn't cover Arthur's Seat area so I honestly had no idea where I was going. I asked some random people for direction and eventually I have found a path that went up. This was anazing, within half an hour I could do old town sight seeing and mountain climbing. The trail was not that demanding at most times, but it was quite rocky and steep in some places. Amazing experience. The views on the city and scottish countryside beyond were breathtaking.
But then, I did not reach the top. At one point Scotland decided to show me affection by giving me the harshest rain downpour of the day. I was standing in the middle of two roads, one to the top (that was steep and full of damp stones, that looked like a guaranteed leg injury) and one back to the centre. I did not risk it. I went back and entered anther cafe to dry up a little and enjoy a nice warm coffee, wandered around the centre for a bit and then in the evening took a bus to continue my trip in Glasgow.
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