Such dusky grandeur
clothed the height
Where the huge castle
holds its state
And all the steep slope
down,
Whose ridgy back
heaves to the sky
Piled deep and massy,
close and high,
Mine own
romantic town!
'Marmion'
Sir Walter Scott
Edinburgh was built to impress. It's a peacock of a city, boasting some of the best sightseeing in Europe. And proud of it. On arrival in the Scottish capital, a thousand years of history immediately bowls you over. Like its famous fictional citizen, Miss Jean Brodie, you find Edinburgh in the mid 1990s very much 'in her prime': sparkling with some of the most sophisticated hotels, entertainment and attractions in the UK.
Your first glimpse of Edinburgh is something you'll never forget: like Venice, there is simply nowhere else like it. Possibly the best way to arrive is by train. As you emerge from Waverley Station, on one side is the medieval Old Town, dominated by the impressive castle; straight ahead are Princess Street Gardens, location of the towering Gothic monument of Sir Walter Scott, to the right is Princes Street, the main shopping avenue of Edinburgh.
Beyond lie the domes and classical columns of the elegant Georgian New Town where private schools, private clubs and private gardens are the order of the day. Edinburgh, you see, is a very 'private' city. Private, conservative and classy. The city resembles an elaborate stage set. It's got everything: hills, extinct volcanoes, the sea, mountains, beaches, bridges, rivers, canals, docks. Physically, it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
With just under half a million inhabitants, it's a compact metropolis: the sort of place that's best to walk around. Within two days you'll have come to grips with its geography - a feeling that most visitors enjoy. The capital divides neatly in two: the Old Town - which was all there was until the early 18th century - and the elegant Georgian 'New Town'. Most first-time visitors start with the castle, which is much more than just superb views from the ramparts and the crack of the One o'Clock Gun (a daily time check). Edinburgh Castle offers atmosphere galore, from the gloomy dungeons with their tales of French prisoners to the Honours of Scotland Exhibition, where you can view the oldest regalia in Europe - the Scottish Crown, Sceptre and Sword of State.
The castle is the head of the spine of the Old Town - the Royal Mile - which overflows with tartan gift shops, bagpipe makers, cosy cafes and quirky museums and galleries. There are plenty of highlights on this particular menu of attractions, from the story of Scotland's national distillation at the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre to the very lovable Museum of Childhood on the High Street.
While walking is the best way to tackle sightseeing in the Old Town, the WACRA '97 bus tour will help negotiate the New Town. From your perch you can enjoy neoclassical architecture at its finest. The National Trust of Scotland has decked out No 7 Charlotte Square with decorative schemes and furniture in period, where you can savour the style o 1796, when it was all the rage to move out of the cluttered Old Town to these swish residences in the New Town. You'll find The Georgian House bang in the middle of Robert Adam's palace-fronted block, on the north side of elegant Charlotte Square only moments from Princes Street.
Edinburgh is built on seven hills -which means some stunning panoramas over this distinctive city. Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh's own little mountain, has superb views over the Fife and beyond. Calton Hill, at the east end of Princess Street, si another excellent viewpoint over the city centre. To the south of the city, a chairlift at Hillend takes you up the Pentland Hills, a favorite walking area for the locals. Leith is Edinburgh's sea port and was formerly an independent town. Today it is a community with a reputation for its great selection of pubs and eating places within easy distance of the Water of Leith. Seafood restaurants in particular are well presented.
The city has a host of museums, galleries and visitor centres open all year round. And with so many attractions close together in this compact city, you could say that a holiday here is fairly weather-proof.
Town-house hotels and upmarket B & Bs are a feature of the city, as are historic pubs and restaurants serving excellent Scottish cuisine - just don't come without reservations. Edinburgh International Festival (last two weeks in August and first of September) is a cultural beanfeast, the biggest arts festival in the world. Edinburgh puts on a show for all the world, and three-quarters of a million visitors come to enjoy it. But something of the electric atmosphere of the Festival clings to the city all year round. No matter when you visit, you're sure to notice that Edinburgh is where things happen. - Edinburgh is simply one of the world's great cities.
Return to NEWSletter - Spring 97 Issue.