In my trip to different places across the country I covered the country through rail and roads and the breath-taking views of the green fields, coupled with castles, cathedrals were just awesome. I have tried to put as much as facts for any new visitor to the city with palaces worth a visit and skipping the rest (though they all reflect my personal opinions). It was a road trip we did last Easter (2010) starting from Oxford, going up to Edingburgh, Abredeen, then down thruogh Loch Ness, Lanark, Fort William, Liverpool, Birmingham and back to Oxford.
Edinburgh, Scotland
The capital of Scotland is a must a see for any person with is mystique, grandeur and the history rallying behind itself. We reached the Edinburgh bus station (St. Andrews Bus station). We walked out through the Hope street onto St. Andrew square, a park with a monument at its center. You look back and can see the Firth of Forth, which runs by one side of the city. The city has an old city part (a UNESCO world heritage site) which gives the city a character. Through the St. Andrews square you walk towards the famous princess street and find Monument of Scott, on your right. The tall structure will remind you very much of 'Harry potter' or the 'Twin towers' movies. Through the princess mall, we crossed the North Bridge which is over the Edinburgh Waverly station. We took a pause over the bridge to soak in the feeling of the heritage and history. Far on one side you can see the famous Edinburgh castle, while on the other have the Monument of Scott stand tall. We looked back to find a Parthenon like structure on a top of hill (Clayton Hill, which we decided to go later) and on the other side was the Saalisbury craig (cliff in Scottish language). The city is flanked by these structures which gives a definitive identity and makes it quite special, perhaps the reason it is one of the most beautiful city.
We decided to walk toward the Royal mile which was just after the North Bridge, which has a history of its own. The royal Mile, high street Canongate all make you feel that you have landed in the laps history. The walk towards Edinburgh castle itself is a walk back in time, with numerous small close (narrow roads) throughout and each telling a story of its own. We were walking towards the castle as we saw the St. Giles Cathedral and paid a short visit to it. Walking straight down in the royal mile, the road narrowed, to a grand opening facing the castle. After paying for the tickets (14 pounds and strangle no student discount) we entered the castle. The castle had numerous chambers, war rooms, museum and not to say the best view of the city with the Firth of Forth. A history, beauty, time mixed together to create the best cocktail of the day.
After spending around a couple of hours or more, we headed back along the Royal mile toward the canongate side. The buildings, small churches, cemeteries, shops, pubs make both side of the road. At the end stands Scottish parliament, facing Holyrood palace (we didn't enter there) and the Salisbury crag. We decided to climb the cliff to get a breathtaking view of the city. Built on a volcanic rock it gives a pure joy of sight. the efforts of climbing through that path (known as the radical path) was well worth. After climbing down it was pretty much dinner time, and we headed towards one of the numerous pubs to have a tradition scottish haggis and tatties with shot of scotch whisky. Pretty tired after the dinner we resorted back to our hostels for a nice sleep as the next day we had plans to climb the Clayton hill and visit museums and galleries.
The next day morning we had a full Scottish breakfast with a cup of coffee and were ready to visit the remaining places. We walked through the North Bridge taking right towards Clayton hill. Edingburgh in the middle ages around Renaissance time, it had acclaimed the title of 'Athens of north'. So they decided to build a Parthenon at the tallest point in the city. A Parthenon look-alike, is a nice place to see the city line. On one side of the city, you can see the majestic Edinburgh castle and on the other hand the Salisbury cliff. The Holyrood house is below the cliff with a nice green landscape looking below it.
With the sun descending on its path, we witnessed the dawning sun fron over the cliff, and decided to head back to our hostel. After dinner with a traditional scotch whiskey, we retired to our beds, to prepare for the next day.
Places to see in Edin burg
- Edinburgh Castle
- A walk through the Royal Mile
- A look into the whiskey shop in Royal Mile
- Scott Monument (looking like Harry potter story castle)
- St. Giles Cathedral
- Palace of Holyrood
- Our Dynamic Earth (Museum)
- National Gallery Of Scotland
- Nelson's Column (Carlton hill)
- Royal Museum
- Princes Street Gardens
- Holyrood Park (A nice hike up the cliff is nice)
View Edinburgh in a larger map
No comments:
Post a Comment