Edinburgh - great weekend destination (Edinburgh in General)

Member Name: dunner7

Product:	Edinburgh in General
Date:	27/10/08 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good food and bars

Disadvantages: Cold!!!

Edinburgh is a fantastic lively city and makes a great weekend destination for all people.

I lived there for 5 years and will write about it from that point of view. You can arrive into Edinburgh by bus, train or airplane. The airport is 25 minutes from the city and the last stop is North Bridge (just off Princes Street). Both the bus and train station are centrally located and there are taxi ranks outside both to transport you to your destination of choice. The city bus system in Edinburgh is excellent, with Princes Street being the hub, and where most buses operate from.

Where to stay:

If you want to splash out and stay in the city centre I would advise staying at The Scotsman. It is a 5 star hotel housed within the former Scotsman newspaper building. I have never stayed there but was part of their gym and it is swish! The leisure facilities are excellent, with a relaxing pool and a beauty salon with cowshed products.

http://www.theetoncollection.com

The best place to stay in Leith is the Malmaison. It is a beautiful building and situated in trendy Leith with loads of pubs and restaurants on your doorstep. The number 22 bus is a 5 minute walk and brings you right into the centre of Edinburgh (Princes Street). They run every 5-10 minutes.

http://www.malmaison-edinburgh.com/


Where to eat:

La Favorita - a beautiful pizza and pasta restaurant. The prices are very reasonable and it is a good place for a group of people or a couple as it is very lively.

www.la-favorita.com/

The Vintner Rooms - if you want to spoil that special someone in your life then bring them here. It is situated in Leith and has a stunning menu and ambience. It is more for couples and don't forget to bring your credit card! It is one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten in.

http://www.thevintnersrooms.com


Where to drink:

Sofis - when you enter into this pub it feels like you are having a drink in your best friend's sitting room. It is so relaxed and they also have frulli beer. A big positive for me.

http://www.bodabar.com/mt-static/sofi.html


The Street - it is a gay-friendly bar and has fantastic music and DJs most weekends. This is great pre-club bar as it is always busy and the music is usually pumping!

http://www.myspace.com/thestreetbar


What to do:

Bus tour - it is really good and leaves from North Bridge. It stops at all the major city landmarks and also tells about the gruesome past in the city.

Edinburgh castle - you can see the castle from Princes Street and you can also walk up to it and get a great view of Edinburgh. I wouldn't bother paying in unless you are really into castles as the view is just as good from outside.

Edinburgh Dungeon - good fun and also gives you an idea about the history of Edinburgh, told in a funny way.


Festivals

Edinburgh loves its festivals. There is Hogmanay (New Year), which consists of a fun-filled party on the streets.

Edinburgh Festival - during the month of August Edinburgh is party central and you can see comedians, theatre, musicals and gigs. Not to be missed!


My favourite areas

Leith - it is a young and trendy part of Edinburgh. There are lots of pubs, restaurants and quirky shops such as Flux (Bernard Street)

http://www.get2flux.co.uk/


Morningside and Bruntsfield

These run into each other and are known as the rich part of Edinburgh. There are lots of organic shops, art shops and posh jewellers. It is like entering a new world.

Stockbridge

It is also known as a rich part of Edinburgh and has a real villagey feel. There are lots of quirky shops there as well and the very nice Avoca pub (4-6 Dean St) which serves really tasty pub grub.

You can also check out: www.edinburgh.org for more information about what is on and where to stay!

Summary: Lively city with plenty to do!