Insight Guides Greak Breaks Edinburgh

Insight Guides

• Publisher: Insight
• Print ISBN: 9781780051482
• eBook ISBN: 9781780057798
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Travel

Great Breaks Edinburgh is a compact travel guide that combines snappy text with full-colour photography to highlight the very best that this lively city has to offer. The Walks and Tours section suggests various routes around the city to discover the key sights that you will not want to miss; from a wander around the historic scenery and bustling pubs of the Old Town and Edinburgh Castle, to the ancient buildings and spectacular views of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Arthur's Seat. Each walk offers a selection of places to eat and drink as you go and clear maps plot all the major sights.

The Overview chapter offers some historical context to your trip and suggests some venues to experience Edinburgh's vibrant entertainment and festival scene along the way. The Travel Tips section lists the active pursuits and themed holidays you could try, along with essential practical information and our selective hotel recommendations. Edinburgh's Top 10 helps you to plan how best to spend your time and experience the very best of Scotland's capital.

Tour 1 : Old Town and Edinburgh Castle

This walk of the heart of the old city is just over 1½ miles (2km), so you can easily do it in half a day, but if you wish to spend an hour or two at each sight this is a full day’s walk

Highlights

• The Grassmarket
• Greyfriars Tolbooth and Highland Kirk
• Royal Mile
• Writers’ Museum
• Camera Obscura
• Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre
• Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh’s most important historical sight and the centre of the city’s tourism, the Castle is built on a dramatic piece of volcanic rock that survived the last Ice Age and protected a ridge of rock behind it from advancing glaciers. The resulting ‘crag and tail’ created a site for a well-protected town on raised ground between two valleys and beneath the towering fortress. The ‘tail’ leading down from the Castle supports the Royal Mile, so called because it runs the length of it, for 1 mile 106yds (1.9km) down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (click here).

The route begins at the historic Grassmarket, lurking below the southfacing drop of the castle rock, before leading up to George IV Bridge – one of many bridges crossing the valleys up to the Castle ‘tail’ – and now lined with tall buildings. Taking in one of Britain’s most impressive cityscapes from Greyfriars churchyard, the route continues to the upper reaches of the Royal Mile itself, providing a deep history, intriguing sights and fascinating range of museums. It ends with a tour of Edinburgh Castle, including a visit to the city’s oldest building, St Margaret’s Chapel.

The Castle in the morning light.

Douglas Macgilvray/APA

GRASSMARKET

The cobbled Grassmarket 1 [map] has long since shaken off its down-at-heel reputation and now houses hotels, great pubs, cafés and restaurants, which in summer offer refreshments al fresco. Most of the tall tenements here were built in the 19th century, though a few older buildings survive, such as the atmospheric White Hart Inn, and at the east end close to Victoria Street, an early 17th-century stone house, constructed when most of Edinburgh was still built of wood. Nearby is one of the old wells sunk to supply Edinburgh with its first clean water in the late 17th century. Long ago the monks of the Greyfriars Franciscan convent held cattle sales here, but the Grassmarket is better known as the location of the public gallows where executions took place until the 18th century, often providing entertainment for the jeering mob.

Bagpiper on the Royal Mile.

Douglas Macgilvray/APA

West Bow Wizard

Victoria Street replaced the upper West Bow, which had zig-zagged steeply up to the Lawnmarket, causing consternation to those trying to haul goods to market. It is said to be haunted by a galloping headless charger ridden by a 17th-century resident, Major Weir, the ‘Wizard of the West Bow’ who was executed after confessing to a string of depravities.

The Covenanters’ Memorial, where the gibbet stood, was created in 1937 and recalls the many martyrs who died alongside common criminals. The hanging of religious dissenters peaked in the 1680s under Catholic James II, but the original Covenanters were signatories of the National Covenant of 1638, opposing imposition of the English form of Protestantism (click here).

A much more modern addition to the Grassmarket has been Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, Dance Base (www.dancebase.co.uk), located at the north-western end of the square. With an exciting programme of workshops and classes for all ages alongside a full festival line-up of events, it’s well worth finding out what’s on.

West Bow

At West Bow, where the well stands, the wide Grassmarket splits into narrower roads. The Cowgate runs east along the lower edge of the Old Town, beneath the high arches of George IV and South Bridges. Once a route for cattle on their way to the grazings on the Burgh Muir, the street became fashionable in the 16th century, yet following the building of the bridges above it in the 19th century its lower-level tenements had become immigrants’ slum homes. Now it is liveliest after dark, with a number of bars and clubs. Curving uphill onto the bridge from West Bow on the north (castle) side is Victoria Street, noted for the individuality of its shops.

Beautiful stained glass inside Greyfriars Kirk.

Douglas Macgilvray/APA

GREYFRIARS

At the southern side of the Cowgate, historic Candlemaker Row loops up towards George IV Bridge, and contains the Hall of the Incorporation of Candlemakers, built in 1722. Farmers would gather in the inns and taverns of this street, with the old, rambling Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar remaining at its summit. Opposite, on the corner of Candlemaker Row and George IV Bridge is the tiny statue of Greyfriars Bobby, the little Skye terrier who so faithfully visited his master’s grave in Greyfriars churchyard each day from 1858 for 14 years, later to be immortalised the world over by Walt Disney.

The Grassmarket

The Grassmarket has some interesting small shops wedged between the restaurants and bars, and adjoining Victoria Street offers a wide range of curio shopping, with great vintage clothing to be found at Swish (No.22–4). For hand-made Scottish woollies try Bill Baber Knitwear Design, 66 Grassmarket, while Clarksons of Edinburgh at 87 West Bow is an exclusive jewellers specialising in gold wedding rings. For kids and child-like adults, Aha Ha Ha (99 West Bow) is a joke shop and fancy dress venue that is something of an institution.

Entering the church grounds.

Douglas Macgilvray/APA

Greyfriars Church

Perhaps the prettiest urban churchyard in all of Britain, the Greyfriars Tolbooth and Highland Kirk 2 [map] is situated behind the top of Candlemaker Row as it runs uphill from...

Table of contents

• How To Use This E-Book
• Tour Map
• Edinburgh’s Top Attractions
• Overview of Edinburgh
• Entertainment
• Tour 1 : Old Town and Edinburgh Castle
• Tour 2: Royal Mile and Scottish Parliament
• Feature: Literary Edinburgh
• Tour 3 : Palace of Holyroodhouse and Arthur’s Seat
• Tour 4 : South Side Museums and University
• Feature: A City of Festivals
• Tour 5: East Princes Street and Calton Hill
• Tour 6: West Princes Street and New Town
• Feature: Botanic Oasis
• Tour 7 : Water of Leith to Stockbridge and Dean
• Tour 8 : Leith
• Tour 9 : Excursion to Firth of Forth
• Tour 10 : Excursion to Edinburgh Zoo, Linlithgow and Falkirk
• Tour 11 : Excursion South to Roslin and Pentland Hills
• Tour 12 : Excursion East along the Coast
• Travel Tips
• Themed Holidays
• Practical Information
• Accommodation