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Best places to visit in Edinburgh – Scotland (part II)

Located beyond the east end of Princes Street is the Calton Hill (UNESCO World Heritage Site), surrounded on three sides by Regent Terrace, Calton Terrace and Royal Terrace. At Calton Hill you’ll find various iconic monuments and some incredible views out over Edinburgh. Take a hike to the top of the hill, sit and relax in a quiet(ish) park-like setting.

The monuments on Calton Hill include the National Monument, which looks like Athens’ Parthenon; the obelisk-like Nelson Monument and the Dugald Stewart Monument.

The Victoria Street, is a very picturesque street, known for its unique and colourful shops.

The Arthur’s Seat was one of my favourite places, despite being a bit of a hike for my fitness level.. 🙂 It’s located about 1 mile to the east of Edinburgh Castle; and it’s the main peak of the group of hills which form most of Holyrood Park, formed by an extinct volcano. From the top you get the greatest panoramic views of Edinburgh’s stunning skyline of Victorian and Georgian architecture and the Firth of Forth (estuary) in the distance.

Was a tough hike and some of the parts are rather difficult (at least for me) depending on your aptitude, the walk to the top takes approximately one hour, but the views from the top are worth it though.

The old Calton burial Ground also known as the Old cemetery, dates back to the late 16th century, and despite not being as extraordinary has the Glasgow one, still worths a visit. Supposedly JK Rowling got a few ideas for names in the Harry Potter series here. And just because I’m already talking about graveyards, there’s another famous one, the Greyfriars Kirk, laying on the tale of Greyfriars Bobby, a dog who supposedly sat upon the grave of its deceased owner for fourteen years following its masters death. The graveyard itself is quite beautiful and offers a nice view of the city.

The Museum of Edinburgh, offers a good view over the history of the city through a collection of artefacts, you can also dress up with replica costumes and have some fun 😉 the museum also has a great courtyard.

If you are on a tight budget walk and spend time at the parks, gardens, and museums, almost all of these are free…

I will leave here a few more pictures of other corners of the city, hope you enjoy it..

Let me know if you have been to Edinburgh, and which are your favourite places..
Looking forward to hearing from you..

? read part I ?

Best places to visit in Edinburgh – Scotland (part I)

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While traveling across Scotland, we took a bus from Glasgow to Edinburgh. We quickly dumped our luggage in the room, and went out to explore the beautiful city with gorgeous historical and natural wonders. No matter where I am, I always feel that stroll around is the best way to properly experience a country/city, so is what I always do… is no surprise that I did around 90 miles in 4 days (by foot), my legs and feet always complain but my heart and soul just crave for it..

Even having been walking endless miles, I still need to say that all the main attractions are quite close to each other, and despite the hills, Edinburgh is a great walking city, so walk is the best way to discover this beautiful historic city.

Edinburgh is split in two by the valley that separates the Old Town from the New Town. The Old Town of Edinburgh, dates back to Medieval times, and is where we found the oldest attractions. The Royal Mile, is undoubtedly the most touristic street and is packed with people, pubs, shops, restaurantes, and street performers; feels like theres is nothing that can’t be seen on this street. To be fair, this packed touristic places are not my cup of tea, so what I enjoyed the most here were the escapes to the many quirky streets going from there.

The St Giles Cathedral, located in this street, is covered in lovely details and has beautiful stained glass windows. Pop in to see the pretty blue ceiling, and the intricate Thistle Chapel.

At the west end of the Royal Mile is the Edinburgh Castle, a landmark visible from many parts of the city. The entry fee is £17 for adult, so if you think is too much (what I do), you can always enjoy the views from the Castle Esplanade. I didn’t go inside, has I think is not worth the price. On the other hand the Craigmillar Castle, located in the other side of Edinburg have a more acceptable fee (£5.50) and it’s really nice.

The city’s best museum is for me, by far the National Museum of Scotland, located very close to the National Galleries on The Mound. This museum is dedicated to the natural world, world cultures, art and design, science and technology, and Scottish history. Like most museums in the UK, it’s free.

From here in direction to the Royal Botanic Garden you can stop at the charming village of Stockbridge. This place has a nice vibe and is away from the city center touristic buzz. The picturesque street Circus Lane, is another must.

The Royal Botanic Garden is a great hidden gem and a very special place; for me an absolute must-see in Edinburgh, specially if the weather is good. They are a great escape from the crowded Old Town. On a sunny day you can explore the many different features around the garden and also the glasshouses. The Garden lies in Inverleith, a half-hour walk north of the city centre. The stroll through New Town and Stockbridge is worth the time. The gardens are free to enter, but for the Glasshouse you pay a fee.

Back at the crowded old town the Princes Street Gardens are another free outing. The gardens are a great spot for relaxing on a sunny day; from here the views are excellent to the Castle. This garden is home to the gothic Scott Monument, which can be climbed by 200 ft above the city (£5). This area also contain some of the city’s key museums and serve as a venue for Edinburgh’s famous summer cultural festivals. The National Gallery is located in the midst of the Princes Street Gardens and displays a lovely collection.

Princes street (named after George III’s sons) is the main shopping street in Edinburgh, so very frenetic and congested with people and buses. The National Portrait Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy are both located just off Princes Street, so it’s very easy to pop in for a visit.

? read part II ?

Exploring Glasgow for free, Scotland

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Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city, and a great place to start a trip to Scotland. Despite overshadowed by the famous Edinburgh, this city is at least equally amazing. I need to say that in the end of my visit I was totally in love with this city, that once was a former industrial powerhouse, but now is a cultural hub, with lots of interesting things do do and see.

Glasgow is today a cosmopolitan city, with a rich history, and a national cultural hub, home to many great museums (most of them free). The museums and art galleries have superb collections, that will surprise you as much as surprised me.

We landed at Glasgow’s airport and got the connection to the city center, using the bus 500, that takes 30 minutes to be on the Queen Street, close to George Square, in this short trip it’s already visible the historic sandstone buildings and modern architecture.

For my surprise Glasgow serves very weird food from deep-fried piza or even fried Mars, but the vegan options just kept surprising me. I need to say that the claims that Glasgow is the mecca in Scotland for vegan food lovers may be very true!

We visit the city by walking around, without taking any public transports (what was probably a mistake, at least is what my legs and feet were saying).

We started our trip, walking around the city centre without a plan towards George Square, that is the heart of the city, and has impressive Victorian buildings and statues paying homage to the Scottish greats. From there we went to the Gallery of Modern Art, where is the famous statue of the Duke of Wellington wearing a traffic cone as a hat.

While walking around, we just did a stop at Glasgow Central Station, not to take a train but to have a look at the arquitecture and its glass roof. Here you can also join a tour that supposedly reveals some of the station’s hidden secrets 🙂 I can’t say that’s true, because I haven’t done it.

From the train station it’s only a couple of minutes’ to the Lighthouse, on Buchanan St. This place can be a bit difficult to find but deserves the effort. The building was designed by the Scottish architect Charles Mackintosh back in the 19th century, and is an exemple of Art Nouveau. Today is the centre for Design and Architecture, and has many different exhibits and galleries. Including a free exhibition on Mackintosh’s work. From the lighthouse, you have an incredible skyline view of Glasgow.

We kept walking till we got to the river side that has a path along the River Clyde great for a walk or even cycle, from where you can see modern buildings like the Clyde Auditorium (known as the Armadillo) and the titanium-clad Glasgow Science Centre.

Then was time to visit one of the city’s most famous museums, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. This museum is definitely a must see. But not before a lovely man invited us to take a coffee and some biscuits at a local church, the Sandyford Henderson memorial church.

The Kelvingrove is an immense place with a great a collection, that you will enjoy even if your are not an art person, because part is a art gallery and part history museum. Essentially, it’s an art, life science, and cultural museum rolled into one, with plenty to see, housed in a beautiful historic building.

From here across the park is the University of Glasgow, an imposing gothic-style buildings that reminds vaguely Harry Potter.

The Glasgow Botanic Gardens are located in the heart of city’s West End by the River Kelvin, and are a short walk from the university, and a must go if you are a nature lover like me. The gardens are lovely and the glasshouses looked like they were straight out of the Victorian Era revealing exotic ferns and tropical plants as you go.

The Riverside Museum,with its Zaha Hadid-designed sinuous curves, is another must. The museum is dedicated to transport and travel. the exhibition is very interactive and even has a recreated street taking you back to 1890s Glasgow, where you can pop in into different shops. From here you can take a tour of the Glenlee, a restored tall ship, If you fancy something like that.

Once in the city center we went to visit the the 15th century house, Provand’s Lordship, the oldest in Glasgow and the magnificent Cathedral.

The Necropolis, it’s right behind the Cathedral, and it’s a cemetery with distinctive, decorative tombstones which are works of art in themselves designed by major architects and sculptors of the time. The necropolis is located on top of a hill and has great views to the city and the Cathedral.

The People’s Palace and the Winter Gardens are a great museum to have an insight about Glasgow’s history, and t’s located in southeast Glasgow.

Glasgow’s street art is visible over the city, Smug One is an Australian born street artist based in Glasgow that has painted enormous murals.

If you are planning your trip bare in mind that the weather can be very unpredictable so just pack clothes for each of the 4 seasons 🙂 I suggest at least 3 days if you want to visit Glasgow properly but I recommend 4, for the sake of you legs and feet 🙂

If you have the time, away from the city there are plenty of remote places to explore.. be happy and have fun..