Livin' in the Burgh (Edinburgh in General)

Member Name: Renza_e

Product:	Edinburgh in General
Date:	07/04/09 (270 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots to do, lots of places to eat, gorgeous city, love the nightlife

Disadvantages: Good old Scottish weather I suppose and I do dislike the busyness of city life

During my final year of school I was walking along South Bridge hand in hand with a romantic interest towards the vista that is the grand old Register House on Princes Street. It was a mild autumn night, the buildings and train station glistened with light. It was just beautiful and so utterly relaxing and it was during that walk that I entirely made up my mind that Edinburgh university was my first choice university. Three years later, whilst I might have been a little disillusioned about university life I certainly wasn't disillusioned about Edinburgh...

*~It's like Sim City up here!~*

So in the current economic climate you may possibly want to stick about in old Blighty as the value of the pound is enough to make you sick. I do suggest a trip to Edinburgh should you decide to stay. On the downside, you may liken it more to Sim City than Athens of the North at the moment. Numerous buildings are being built or redone, there's extensive tram works down Princes street and as I write this sentence right now in the National Library of Scotland, I can feel the vibrations of drilling from the floor below. There's no escape! Every finished project is met with a sigh of relief, bit by bit revealing a much prettier and less chaotic capital. Even so, if you can put up with a little inconvenience, Edinburgh is still architecturally gorgeous and the best sites tend to be scaffold free.
I write this after spending a day waltzing around in the sunshine. I love grand architecture of the old buildings and the fact that the Old Town, particularly that surrounding the Royal Mile, retains the layout of bygone years. The Royal Mile is the prime tourist street that runs all the way up hill to the Castle. It's quaintly cobbled and numerous shops and restaurants line it (some of them very touristy of course). The David Hume statue always makes me smile. Not really the most attractive man in real life, he sits swathed magnificently with a toga as if he was a philosopher of Antiquity himself.
Cars aren't generally allowed access to the Royal Mile and so it becomes a great space for exhibitionists during the festival. During the month of August the Royal Mile really comes to life and if you can cope with being flyered by a 'forest' of leaflets then it really is worth a visit during the festival. You can pick up ideas for shows here and even if you can't afford any shows it really is pretty entertaining. In the past, I have been entertained by numerous dancers, jugglers and singers of all sorts. The contortionist we came across really stood out for me as he quite gruesomely dislocated his back before our eyes as he made a Houdini-style attempt to get out of a straight jacket (he was to disgust Simon Cowell and Co only months later with his act on 'Britain's Got Talent.)
Alongside the Royal Mile are some excellent little shortcuts to other places via the little closes, a distinctive feature of the Old Town which I don't think I've seen in any other city. Now I'm going to bore you with some history but what some people may not know is that before the late seventeenth century, Edinburgh was a tiny little city. Desiring for protection, everyone crammed themselves within the confines of the city walls. Instead of expanding outwards, Edinburgh for a while expanded upwards (and downwards). Therefore, in this densely packed area emerged some of the first multi-storey tenements. Even if it was downright unhygienic it left a unique mark on the city. Admittedly, many of the closes that weave underneath the buildings retain the sweet smell of p*** and stale booze and the steep hills and steps mean the less mobile probably want to take an easier route around the city. However, if you can bear faint unpleasant smells and uphill walks then you should go for a wander along these passage ways.

The rest of the city is also absolutely stunning. On the Princes street side of the city you can find the expensive New Town. Along with many of the architectural structures and constructions within the City, this was an eighteenth century development - probably because they finally realised, the aninity of it all, that maybe there was just a touch too many people in the centre of town and they began to expand outwards. Moreover, the elite of the city wished to physically distance themselves from the 'riff raff' of society and move into their own grand residences. Ok, so enough with the history lesson. It may be gorgeous to look at but what can you do in the burgh?

*~GET CULTURED~*

The great thing about Edinburgh is that it's such a compact city that most things are within short walking distance but should you ever need to travel any distance the bus service is relatively cheap at only £1.20 for adults one way in any direction (apart from the airport bus) and there's usually plenty of taxis about. Now, I'm not going to tell you about everything you can do in Edinburgh - there's just too much to do. However, I thought I'd let you know about my favourite and some of the most famous attractions.

~The Castle~

Of course you can't visit the capital without visiting the Castle. Definitely worth a visit for those with any interest in history and you can get some stunning views up there. Unfortunately I really hate the prices at the Castle particularly as they only offer concessions to the unemployed and pensioners - students have to pay the full £12.00! And word of warning - The 1 o'clock gun is louder than you think... To diverge slightly, my friend apparently heard the most hilarious conversation about the Castle, not long ago, between two Americans on Princes Street: 'Isn't it just so handy that they built the castle so close to the train station...?' From a nation where you can convince some that haggises are actually creatures hopping about the Highlands I would not be surprised if this was true...

~Chamber Street Museum (aka the National Museum of Scotland)~

My dad used to take me here as a kid and it summons up a fondness and nostalgia within me whenever I walk within its grand entrance hall which looked so massive when I was so tiny. A wonderful museum which provides an insight into cultures all over the world, from the ancient to the more recent. I particularly love their taxidermic (and fake) animals. They even have a stuffed Dodo. The best thing about this place is it is absolutely free.

~Museum of Childhood~

This is another free exhibition. It holds a small charming collection of children's toys, dress and other paraphernalia of children's past lives and I found it absolutely fascinating.

~The Galleries~

Edinburgh certainly is a city of culture and there's plenty of galleries to visit. I particularly love the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in the New Town. Many of the portraits there are brilliant and I always find it interesting to look at pictures of well-known persons or just to gather an insight into how people in the past looked.

~The Dark Side of Edinburgh~

If you have a good knowledge of Edinburgh's history you'll know of its dark past. A city with a split-personality, it inspired the city setting of R.L Stevenson's 'Jekyll and Hyde'. Behind the facade of its grand buildings inhabits a grizzly 'underworld' or at least the remnants of one. Some of the attractions give you the opportunity to explore this. There are numerous ghost tours which take you underneath the city vaults. Not only did Edinburgh's residents once live in high tenements but the overcrowding problem forced many of its poorest residents to go underground to live in the notorious city vaults. First built within the infrastructure of the 'bridges' that make up Edinburgh, these vaults were initially meant to used for shop storage and workshops. When these began to flood, businesses moved out of the vaults and various poor persons took residence there. Living conditions were terrible - dank, damp, overcrowded and downright dirty. Disreputable activity set up shop here with criminal activity and prostitution rife. Burke and Hare were even said to operate here picking off their victims from amongst these unfortunate souls. The human suffering experienced in the vaults has supposedly marked it with much paranormal presence. By the late nineteenth century the vaults were entirely closed off but in the late twentieth century were excavated and eventually used for ghost walks. I've been on one these ghost walks. I can't say I experienced a ghostly presence but it is definitely creepy down there and I wouldn't let myself wander too far from the group. Another worthwhile ghostly attraction is Mary Kings Close. I haven't actually been there yet but I've been told it is made of underground closes that are supposedly haunted and stories state that plague victims may have been walled up there.

~The Festival~

Edinburgh has a great selection of theatres and there's always shows running to go see. However, the best time to visit for theatrical events is during the month of August when the Edinburgh Fringe and International Festival take place. Edinburgh really comes alive during this month and it is rather exciting to visit at this time. There's hundreds of shows on, there's an increasing chance you'll spot someone famous and most clubs open up till 5am. I've had the advantage to have a flat in Edinburgh for the past two summers to enjoy this festival. Whether you are a performer or a theatre lover, this festival is simply wonderful.

~Edinburgh at Christmas and Hogmanay~

Edinburgh is an even more magical place to visit in winter. Princes Street is lit up with tasteful Christmas lights, there is a Christmas market, a fairground and even an ice rink. If you can bother to bear the cold, it's really quite lovely...

*~SHOPPING~*

I'm not much of a fan of shopping and prefer to buy stuff online even in Edinburgh but there are some wonderful and interesting places to shop in Edinburgh. I particularly enjoy the shops along Cockburn Street (pronounced 'Co-burn' ^_^) which have an ecletic mix of interesting, alternative shops. It's less than a minute away from the station too. I also rather like Armstrongs - a vintage clothing shop which can be found on the Grassmarket. You'd probably be better, however, going to Glasgow if you love your shopping as Edinburgh doesn't have the best selection of shops.

*~EDINBURGH NIGHTLIFE~*

Whilst Glasgow is known for having the best nightlife, Edinburgh's pubs and clubs are also pretty good. I'm more of a pubs and bar person myself but I do go to clubs too. Here are a selection of my favourite places:

~The Hive~ The Hive is a club which I love because it plays rock and alternative music on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. I particularly love Misfits on a Friday night which has free entry before 11.30pm (£4 thereafter). Drinks are cheap here and they've just recently extended their range of drinks with a cocktail bar in the backroom.

~Opium~ Opium is a rock bar not far from the Hive. It can be absurdly busy during the weekend which is annoying as you can't get a seat. The music is great here however and it stays open until 3am. Drinks are cheap and there's a karaoke on Monday night which is always a laugh.

~Brass Monkey~ This is a pub...with a giant BED! I adore this place. You can kick back with your friends in a room which is basically a giant bed full of cushions and a special tables for this set up. It has some great quirky film decor in this room and the ambience of it strikes me of one thing - hippies and a luxurious opium den. It usually has excellent music, nice cocktails and they screen a film at 3pm every day. Buy a round of drinks and you may even get to chose what that film is.

~Jekyll and Hyde~ A gothic themed pub that can be found in New Town but definitely better than Frankenstein's. They also do nice cocktails (I'm quite the cocktail drinker) and I love the 'horror film' decor. Good luck on finding the toilet though if you're drunk. I take great pleasure in not telling people where the toilet is in this bar when they first visit. Not necessarily because I'm mean but because of their expression when they discover it's pretty much hidden behind a mock bookcase.

~Cabaret Voltaire~ Cab Vol is a great place for seeing some smaller bands play. I saw Elliot Minor here when they were starting out and thoroughly enjoyed it. A nice intimate venue that does club nights as well.

~The Library Bar~ This bar is actually part of Edinburgh University's union building, the Teviot. It was a library recently converted into a bar and is rather swish looking. It was also classy enough to be used as a venue for the likes of Kiera Knightly during the Edinburgh film festival.

~Revolution~ I am a fan of vodka and mixers and this bar does some great vodka cocktails along with other concoctions. If you're feeling adventurous you may wish to try the porridge vodka shot for a pound.

*~Too many things to do!~*

I have already gone on quite a bit about what you can do in Edinburgh but I must stop here. There is too much to do. The active may fancy a wander up Arthurs Seat or Calton Hill. The Beltane Fire Festival is held on Calton Hill (30th April this year). Introduced in the 80s a friend told me that this festival used to be pretty mad. Lots of naked frolicking and well...somewhat more 'risque' activity before the locals put a stop to matters. However, having cleaned up since I've been told the festival is a delight and should exams not get in the way intend to go this year. Amongst other things to visit there is the zoo, the Scott Monument, the Rosyln Chapel, the Camera Obscura, Greyfriars Kirk (the resting place of Greyfriars Bobby), the Botanic Gardens, Portobello Beach (preferably on a sunny day)...I could go on and on... I can say, however, that there is one place you may wish to avoid...

~The Scottish Parliament - Do go down and visit Holyrood Palace but ignore the ghastly building you may see from a distance. Yes, it does look like a bunch of school kids got their holds on the design plans and yes, that does look like bits of bamboo stuck to the side. If the leaders of Scotland can approve of such a mad (and expensive) design this further supports my views that Scottish independence just shouldn't happen. Sometimes I dispair over modern architecture. Apparently it's rather pretty inside but it's a shame they made such a mess of the outside. Just pretend its a pretentious 'new age' set of business premises and not one of Scotland's million pound embarrassments.

*~PLACES TO EAT~*

Being a city there are lots of wonderful places to eat but here are a selection of places I recommend, keeping in mind that I am a student and don't tend to eat at fancy places or eat out that often...

~Jimmy Chungs~ I've already reviewed Jimmy Chungs fairly recently but this chinese restaurant can be quite handy if you are pretty hungry and up by Lothian Road (for the Grindlay Street one). I would probably never go to the Waverley one because it's so busy and can be more expensive. But definitely cheap with a good selection.

~Chinois~ This is actually another Chinese buffet restaurant that I actually prefer to Jimmy Chungs and can be found in the Omni Centre at the top of Leith Walk (near Princes Street and below the Vue Cinema) The food is just yummy!

~Monster Mash~ A cheap cheerful place that sells traditional British fare - mash in particular, as suggested by its name. Its a lovely wee retro place with tasty versions of well-known comfort foods. I particularly love their haggis, neeps and tatties. The staff are also great here - a friendly eccentric bunch.

~Frankenstein's~ Frankenstein's is another gothic themed pub. I like to go here because, as students, my friends and I can get buy one get one free meals with the Frankenstein's card they offer and there's even 'free food Tuesday' (if you buy drinks you get free food!). The food is tasty and they do have deals on particular days for non-students such as 2-for-1 fajitas on a Wednesday.

~The Elephant House~The Elephant House is a cafe on George IV that does capitalize on the fact that J.K Rowling spent some of her time writing the first Harry Potter novels here. However, it is a charming place that sells good food and is a nice place to go for lunch as they sell some lovely paninis and baked potatoes.

~Black Medicine Coffee Co~ I've only been here a few times but I love it. My friend and I particularly enjoyed their paninis and smoothies and the atmosphere in this place is very nice.

~The Dome~This is the one posh place I have been which I came across under amusing circumstances. I was on a date with a guy that ended up extending overnight (I crashed *alone* on his sofa bed after watching many episodes of Black Books with him). In the morning he suggested we go somewhere to eat. Thinking he'd take me somewhere cheap, cheerful and studenty, it was much to my horror that he took me to the posh and grand restaurant that is 'The Dome'. Having slept on his sofa overnight I looked a little bit on the rough side...at least for a place that had a massive chandelier in the entrance hall. But then again, I forgot that this guy was kinda' rich. I didn't pay for a single thing - I don't think I could. For a start, he bought me a fancy sandwich which cost about £9 (!!). I looked around at the elegant ladies and well-dressed businessmen around me and encouraged him to ask for a table in the corner. What made the date even more mortifying was when he asked me if I would like to go on another date - I didn't fancy him at all and found him rather dull (Money can't buy you love indeed). A fancy place with excellent high quality food but definitely a place for when I have a better income.

*~A Place to Stay~*

I can't really comment on this matter because I do have a flat in Edinburgh but I know where I'd like to stay. One day when I have lots more pennies (wedding night maybe?) I'd love to stay in the Witchery. It looks gorgeous. The rooms are gothic, luxurious and utterly romantic. However, it is £295 a night and has been visited by various celebrities (Matt Groening, Dannii Minogue, Ewan McGregor, etc). A girl can dream...

*~The People~*

Well of course you'll find lovely people like me but I find that us Edinburgh dwellers are rather pleasant people. Of course, Edinburgians do have the reputation of being rather uppity and posh and it's quite amazing how Anglicized the city is - a lot of English accents can be heard in what is the capital of Scotland (not that I have anything against the English - I just find it rather strange). I would say that it is a rather posh city with some rather posh people. However, after working at Tesco you'll find that there are some rather rough and entirely unposh people about (a few who aren't quite acquainted with baths and showers lol)
Edinburgh is great because you feel so much safer when you walk about at night than in other places in Scotland (Glasgow for example). I don't mean that you should be completely relaxed about your belongings and personal protection but it does feel so much nicer here. And man am I pleased you don't come across many Neds (Chavs to you English folk). I come from Ned-ville (one of the blokes from my town was the first to get an ASBO) so Edinburgh was such a contrast.

*~AND FINALLY!~*

I realise I have said quite A LOT about going out and about in Edinburgh so I really must stop here. All I can say is that Edinburgh is a wonderful city which I'd love to stay in after university and is definitely a great place to visit. It is after all the place that influenced many authors included R.L Stevenson (in his writing of Jekyll and Hyde) and J.K Rowling (who found that the historical setting really stirred her imagination). It has also provided wonderful settings for films like 'Driving Lessons' (featuring Rupert Grint and Julie Walters) and 'Hallem Foe' (starring Jamie Bell). A beautiful city even with recent construction work, I only wish I didn't have to study so much and actually had the time to go out and explore it more often.

*~Thanks for reading this mammoth review :) x~*

*~Also published on Ciao under 'Renza' - April 2009~*

Summary: I'm a lucky girl to study in such a wonderful city!