So my brother and his new wifey are going over there in May...Edinburgh and Stirling area mostly. Never been there myself, so any thoughts or recs or ideas? and yes:
I remember reading a story a decade or so about it being the unhealthiest place on Earth. The example that stood out at the time - health food stores apparently all sell cigarettes. Also, apparently the most unhappy place in the UK: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.da...fficial-edinburgh-most-miserable-11177945.amp
Never been, but looks like there is a national park about a half an hour away from Stirling called - Loch Lomond & the Trossachs. I bet some fun can be had there. Enjoy your trip, looks like some beautiful country.
for such a small country, lots of cool bands have come out of there... thin lizzie donovan cocteau twins primal scream jesus & mary chain belle & sebastian ac/dc - via australia mogwai teenage fanclub
Hopefully they can make it in and out in ~10 days without being unhealthy or unhappy. I will pass on the warning just in case, though. Cheers. ETA: there is in fact a tour of "Trainspotting" locations, so they have that covered, thanks again
Chvrches The Proclaimers go see all the castles, dungeons, ghost tours. so much history in Edinburgh. never been to stirling though
I was surprised at how overly touristy Edinburgh is. I love Edinburgh touristy. Went down on a spare day when I was in Aberdeen for work, rode the train into Waverly and then walked around as much as I could. Liked the castle as well as the shops and museums around the castle. Didn't have a whole lot of sight seeing time, but I really liked going to Dunnottar Castle. It's closer to Aberdeen than Edinburgh, but pictures don't do that place justice. It's an abandoned castle that sits on a pillar of rock connected to the mainland by a small land bridge.
Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities in the entire world because I love old buildings, Scotch, and dreary cold rain... here are some recommendations from my visit that most will enjoy. Do not overlook Balmoral Hotel: A great location and spot, even if you don't plan to stay the night Go to the Balmoral Scotch bar. I highly recommend this to top off the evening if they want something relaxed and low key. Even consider booking a room there if price is no objective. The scotch bar is wonderful because the people tending it are fun to talk to about scotch, if that is something they like. They have a huge vault of scotch as well from all regions for all tastes. The hotel's restaurant has a Top notch brunch. It was called Hadrian's Wall as well and you can go there even if you aren't a guest. Not sure if they changed since I went, but worth it if you are going to the station, park, or castle because it is in the center of the city. This is near the large park and shops, and a great chance to visit the Sir Walter Scott Memorial if you are into his works. It is hard to miss regardless. You can also see if any festivals are happening at the nearby park. Go up to the Castle from there are well. All of this is near the train station and near buses for easy transport. https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/the-balmoral-hotel/restaurants-and-bars/scotch/ Edinburgh Castle: An obvious choice and obligatory Bring a rain coat and umbrella incase the weather turns south, as it can get bad up on that hill with wind and rain. At the castle there is a tea room which has delicious cake and tea for a nice interlude during a castle visit. I suggest trying the Victoria Cake. Witchery Weird concept. Original. Fun. Walking distance to the castle, there is also a cool restaurant called the Witchery with occult themes. https://www.thewitchery.com/ Edinburgh Zoo: A real winner for Penguins and Pandas This zoo is nice, well kept after, and has a great penguin exhibit. Its all-star is the Panda though, which only a few zoos in the world have because China rents them out at high prices. Go try to see him, however we were warned that he doesn't always come out. We didn't see him during the first viewing hours, but got lucky after having a hot cocoa at the cafe and saw him come out to eat during the new scheduled viewing. This is worth it if you want to say you've seen a Giant Panda. It is harder to get to though and you may need to take a short taxi ride. Other ideas: Inveraray Castle: Day trip for sure, but highly worth it if you want to visit a nice castle that is more museum to a famous scottish clan. On the way from Edinburg, stop in the village of Luss to enjoy the lake view, small village homes, and the good cafes and restaurants. Loch Ness: Famous This is a no brainer to some. This is another famous spot that people like to visit. Not sure if it is a tourist trap or worth it. Maybe they can explore it and book a bus out that way for a day trip. Some buses go that way and include a visit to a Scotch Distillary. Distillary Tours: Start your drinking early Go take a distillary tour from nearby Scotch producers who offer them. Not too hard to figure this one out and the obvious benefits.
@Buck Turgidson a lot of the things on this list seem pleasant: https://www.timeout.com/edinburgh/things-to-do/the-20-great-things-to-do-in-edinburgh
Bingo. She will love the touristy stuff in the city, my brother will love it, then tolerate it and then be ready to head to the countryside after a few days. Restaurants are always interesting to hear about. He loves food and scotch. That bar, The Bramble, looks cool. Will pass the word.
urg...im a dumbass. i actually knew they were irish, but ill admit i didnt know the correct spelling. U-too is from scotland though, right?
Its a beautiful but super cold. There are a lot of whiskey distillery, but you need a car. Edradour was pretty cool. glenlivet is cool too, but its a drive.
Check out the theatre scene in Edinburgh. We saw a couple of excellent plays there a few years ago. The Jazz Bar is a good spot to check out for music and drinks. Edinburgh Castle is a trip.
my 19 year old daughter is on a two-month backpack trip in Europe, this is exactly what she did while staying in Edinburgh last month. She's doing a food/travel blog and really liked the Amber Bar and Restaurant in Edinburgh