Tuesday, July 16, 2013

EDINBURGH

(includes Leith, Linlithgow, North Berwick & Roslin)

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
Elephant House – 21 George IV Bridge (Old City); 011-44-0131-220-5355; elephanthouse.biz; where J.K. Rowling wrote much of her Harry Potter books; average coffeehouse fare but lovely castle views from back room.
Urban Angel – 121 Hanover Street (Central/New Town); 011-44-0131-225-6215; urban-angel.co.uk; for baked goods & coffee or tea.



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Cafe Royal Bar & Oyster Bar – 19 West Register Street (New Town); 011-44-0131-556-1884; caferoyaledinburgh.co.uk; 140 years-old; Victorian touches remain; ground-level Circle Bar is open throughout day; bar highlight is notable inventors’ tile pictures collection.
Deacon Brodie’s Tavern – 435 Lawnmarket (Old City); 011-44-0131-225-6531; nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/scotlandandnorthernireland/deaconbrodiestavernroyalmileedinburgh; named after character upon whom Robert Louis Stevenson based Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Doric – 15-16 Market Street (Old Town); 011-44-0131-225-1084; the-doric.com; among city’s oldest pubs; 50 different single malt whiskies or Edinburgh-brewed ales on tap; built in 17th Century (originally as linen shop); promotes fresh local produce to supplement food menu, but also has traditional pub fare.
Gillie Dhu – 2 Rutland Place (West End); 011-44-0131-222-9930; ghillie-dhu.co.uk; traditional Scottish pub.
G&V Bar – 1 George IV Bridge (Old Town, at G&V Royal Mile Hotel Edinburgh); 011-44-0131-220-6666; quorvuscollection.com/gandv-hotel-edinburgh/bar; fancy.
Monteiths – 61 High Street (Old Town); 011-44-0131-557-0330; monteithsrestaurant.co.uk; modern mixology at high level; atmosphere is cross between speakeasy & private club; loud but in good way.
Shore – 3 Shore (Leith, at Fishers Restaurant); 011-44-0131-554-5666; fishersrestaurants.co.uk/shore-bar-and-restaurant; old, wood-paneled pub overlooking Water of Leith.



HOTELS
Balmoral – 1 Princes Street (Central/New Town); 011-44-0131-556-2414; roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/the-balmoral-hotel; old world luxury; unreasonably expensive.
Hotel du Vin Edinburgh – 11 Bristo Place (Old Town); 011-44-0131-285-1479; hotelduvin.com; affordable; 1739 stone building with decidedly modern interior; great restaurant.
George Hotel – 19-21 George Street (Central/New Town); 011-44-0131-225-1251; edinburghgeorgehotel.co.uk; 5 connected, 1757 townhouses; average restaurant.
Glasshouse – 2 Greenside Lane (Rosewell); 011-44-0131-525-8200; theglasshousehotel.co.uk; chic hotel with bright, stylish rooms & suites feature free WiFi, iPod docks & Nespresso machines; upgraded rooms add access to rooftop terrace, bottled water & minibars; suites have sitting rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows & wraparound terraces or luxury bathroom with walk-in showers; high-end restaurant serves locally sourced Scottish fare, as well as afternoon tea; rooftop has 2-acre garden/terrace.
Le Monde – 16 George Street (Central/New Town); 011-44-0131-270-3900; lemondehotel.co.uk; occupying handsome 19th Century stone building on George Street; ask for Marrakech, Miami, Paris, or Rio de Janeiro rooms.
21212 Restaurant With Rooms – 3 Royal Terrace (Broughton & Calton); 011-44-0131-523-1030; 21212restaurant.co.uk; modern, refined rooms in Georgian townhouse, set above fine-dining restaurant & chic lounge.



RESTAURANTS
Cafe Royal Bar & Oyster Bar – 19 West Register Street (New Town); 011-44-0131-556-1884; caferoyaledinburgh.co.uk; 140 years-old; Victorian touches remain; main menu offers more than just oysters (langoustines, lobsters & salmon), as well as beef & rabbit; closes after lunch & reopens for dinner, but ground-level Circle Bar open throughout day; bar highlight is notable inventors’ tile pictures collection.
Dogs – 110 Hanover Street (Central/New Town); 011-44-0131-220-1208; thedogsonline.co.uk; gastropub; serves Scottish favorites, like steak & mushroom pie, haggis, black pudding & bacon hash with duck egg; some vegetarian options, oddly.
Elephant House – 21 George IV Bridge (Old City); 011-44-0131-220-5355; elephanthouse.biz; where J.K. Rowling wrote much of her Harry Potter books; average coffeehouse fare but lovely castle views from back room.
Gardener’s Cottage – 1 Royal Terrace Gardens (East End, below Calton Hill, enter from London Road); 011-44-0131-558-1221; thegardenerscottage.co; 19th Century building that once housed actual gardener for Royal Terrace Gardens; seasonal dishes at 3 communal tables.
Monteiths – 61 High Street (Old Town); 011-44-0131-557-0330; monteithsrestaurant.co.uk; modern spins on traditional Scots food; off Royal Mile down old-world “vennel,” under welcoming wicker fairy light arch; cozy bar area, decked with ‘tartanalia’; drinks take as much center stage as food; little dining room in back feels crowded in Medieval architecture sense; atmosphere is cross between speakeasy & private club; loud but in good way; really imaginative Scottish food & charming service make all that slip away from your consciousness; try haggis bon bons with Bloody Mary jam.
Mussel Inn – 65, 61 Rose Street (Central/New Town); 011-44-0843-289-2481; mussel-inn.com/seafood-restaurant-edinburgh; informal, lively, seafood bistro.
Outsider Brasserie – 15 George IV Bridge (Old Town); 011-44-0131-226-3131; theoutsiderrestaurant.com; whitewashed walls & minimalist décor; Edinburgh Castle views; mostly Mediterranean menu; reservations recommended.
Stac Polly Restaurant – 29-33 Dublin Street (Central/New Town); 011-44-0131-556-2231; stacpolly.com/dublinst; ground-floor brasserie & fine-dining restaurant in stone cellars, serving Modern Scottish cuisine.
Stac Polly Restaurant – 38 St. Mary’s Street (Old Town); 011-44-0131-557-5754; stacpolly.com/stmarys; best Scottish food.
Terrace Café – 20 Inverleith Row (Stockbridge/Dean Village, at Royal Botanic Garden); 011-44-0131-552-0606; rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/edinburgh/visitor-information#_=_; for afternoon tea, weather permitting.
Urban Angel – 121 Hanover Street (Central/New Town); 011-44-0131-225-6215; urban-angel.co.uk; for lunch; bright blonde wood bistro emphasising fair trade, organic & locally-sourced ingredients.
Witchery by Castle – Castlehill (at Royal Mile); 011-44-0131-225-5613; thewitchery.com; mostly for atmosphere; like eating in a medieval private club; next to Edinburgh.



SHOPPING
Iain J. Mellis Cheesemonger – 6 Bakers Place (Stockbridge); 011-44-0131-225-6566; mellischeese.net; make sure to try Grimbister (crumbly, slightly lemon-y Orkney farmhouse cheese) & Bishop Kennedy (slightly peaty, velvety, unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese).
Iain J. Mellis Cheesemonger – 330 Morningside Road (Morningside); 011-44-0131-447-8889; mellischeese.net; make sure to try Grimbister (crumbly, slightly lemon-y Orkney farmhouse cheese) & Bishop Kennedy (slightly peaty, velvety, unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese).
Iain J. Mellis Cheesemonger – 30A Victoria Street (Old Town); 011-44-0131-226-6215; mellischeese.net; make sure to try Grimbister (crumbly, slightly lemon-y Orkney farmhouse cheese) & Bishop Kennedy (slightly peaty, velvety, unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese).
Jenners of Edinburgh – 48 Princes Street (Central/New Town); 011-44-0131-225-2442; houseoffraser.co.uk; department store in late 1800s, remarkable Victorian building with glass roofing.



SIGHTS & SITES
Arthur’s Seat – Holyrood Park (Central/New City, on Queen’s Drive); 011-44-0744-365-8890; historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/holyrood-park/; main peak of hill group that forms most of Holyrood Park, described by Robert Louis Stevenson as “hill for magnitude, mountain in virtue of its bold design”; beautiful views.
Bass Rock – Harbour (North Berwick, at Scottish Seabird Centre); 011-44-0162-089-0202; seabird.org/discovery-centre/cameras/bass-rock/13/33/69; Bass Rock is island in outer part Firth of Forth; approximately 1.2 miles offshore; steep-sided volcanic rock, 351' at highest point; home to large gannet colony (150K); currently uninhabited, but historically settled by early Christian hermit; later site of important castle, which after Commonwealth period used as prison.
Calton Hill – central city (just east of New Town); edinburghguide.com/parks/caltonhill; tremendous views of & from, often used in photographs.
Edinburgh Castle – Castle Hill (Old Town); 011-44-0131-225-9846; edinburghcastle.gov.uk; worth seeing are Great Hall, Royal Palace, St. Margaret’s Chapel & Camera Obscura; can be ridiculously crowded; claustrophobic in crown jewels room.
Linlithgow Palace – off M9 (Sulisker, Boghall Linlithgow, 15 miles outside Edinburgh); 011-44-0150-684-2896; historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/linlithgow-palace; 20-minute pleasant train ride from Waverly Station; palace overlooks Loch Linlithgow, with huge grounds ideal for picnicking; where Mary Stuart born in 1542.
National Museum of Scotland – Chambers Street (Old Town); 011-44-0300-123-6789; nms.ac.uk/scotland#_=_; recently renovated; diverse exhibits encompass Scottish history, natural world, science, art & design; also cloned sheep, Dolly, preserved by taxidermy.
Palace of Holyroodhouse (& Holyrood Abbey) – Cannongate, Royal Mile (Central/New City, Horse Wynd); 011-44-0303-123-7306; royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse; royal family’s official residence; even more famous as 16th Century home of ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots; tour highlight is Mary’s Bed Chamber, her home from 1561-67, where her jealous 1st husband, Lord Darnley, restrained pregnant queen while his henchmen murdered her secretary & favorite, Rizzio (plaque marks spot where he bled to death; 89 portraits of Scottish kings (commissioned by Charles II, supposedly record his unbroken lineage from Scota, Egyptian pharaoh's daughter who discovered infant Moses in reed basket on Nile River’s banks); includes ruins of Holyrood Abbey.
Parliament – Parliament Square (Old Town); 011-44-0131-348-5200; scottish.parliament.uk; home to pre-Union Parliament of Scotland & now houses Supreme Courts of Scotland.
Princess Street Gardens – Princess Street (Central/New City); 011-44-0131-529-7921; edinburgh.gov.uk/directory_record/164144/princes_street_gardens; public park in city center; created in 2 phases in 1770s & 1820s.
Rosslyn Castle & Chapel – Chapel Loan (Roslin); 011-44-0131-440-2159; rosslynchapel.com; Dan Brown’s novel Da Vinci Code & subsequent Hollywood film has caused visitor flood to descend on Scotland’s most beautiful & enigmatic church; built in mid-15th Century for William St Clair, 3rd Earl of Orkney; ornately carved interior, rich in symbolic imagery; as well as angels, biblical figures, flowers & vines, carved stones include many examples of pagan “Green Man”; other figures associated with Freemasonry & Knights Templar; make sure to take 5 minute stroll to remains of Rosslyn Castle below Chapel.
Royal Botanic Garden – Arboretum Place (Stockbridge/Dean Village); 011-44-0131-248-2909; rbge.org.uk; 70 acres; highlights include glasshouses (home to palm trees & tropical plants), Queen Mother’s Memorial Garden & Scottish Heath Garden; nice place for afternoon tea at Terrace Café.
Royal Lyceum Theatre – Grindlay Street (West End); 011-44-0131-248-4848; lyceum.org.uk; live performances.
Royal Mile – extends from Old City to Central/New City; edinburgh-royalmile.com; from Edinburgh Castle to Palace of Holyroodhouse (Queen’s official residence in Scotland); be sure to explore narrow alleys that lead off Royal Mile to “closes,” with names like Fleshmarket Close.
Sir Walter Scott Monument – East Princess Street (Central/New City, in Princess Street Gardens); 011-44-0131-529-4068; edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venues/scott-monument; gothic tower built in 1840s to honor Sir Walter Scott; circular stone stairway ascends 287 steps above with 360˚ views.
Scottish National Gallery – 1 Queen Street (Central/New City, on Mound); 011-44-0131-624-6200; nationalgalleries.org/visit/introduction-114; collection includes works range from Bernini to Gauguin to Sir Henry Raeburn; among 1st pieces you will see is Titian’s Venus Anadyomene, bought for nation for more than £11m in 2003; 500-year-old Renaissance work, described by then director general Sir Timothy Clifford as “very sexy lady,” had hung in gallery for 60 years on loan from Duke of Sutherland; further in are Canova’s Three Graces, purchased jointly with V&A in 1994.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery – 1 Queen Street (Central/New City); 011-44-0131-624-6200; nationalgalleries.org/portraitgallery; among Edinburgh’s many free museums; famous Scots’ portraits, ranging from Mary Queen of Scots to Sean Connery.
Usher Hall – Lothian Road (West End); 011-44-0131-228-1155; usherhall.co.uk; live performances.

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