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Your Guide to Edinburgh
Posts by The Hairy Coo:
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions…
October 13th, 2011What do you get when you put a brilliantly arranged persicope and a pinhole camera on top of a tall rooftop in Edinburgh? A ‘Camera Obscura’ of course! This quirky attraction has been around since 1892 and is located right next door to the castle (see map below) in an old Victorian era building called “Outlook Tower.”
I admit that at first I felt a little weird about going to see it since not only was I initially really confused about exactly what it was but also because the ads seemed directed more towards children, rather than people my age. Nonetheless, it was bound to be at least something different to do, rather than going to see yet another museum, so I patiently waited in line, bought my £9.95 ticket, and climbed up the stairwell to the top floor.
Since I was early (the first show wasn’t for another twenty minutes) I spent some time admiring the rooftop views (amazing!) and spying on unknowing tourists on the streets below through the various telescopes stationed around the ledge. There were actually quite a few older people there, so I didn’t quite feel as awkward as I thought I might.
When we were finally admitted into the theatre, myself and about ten other people were seated around a small circular table to watch as we got a special “tour” of the city. The young man who was our “guide” did a good job trying to be funny and enthusiastic, but it was still slightly awkward sitting in a dimly lit room staring at a table with a bunch of strangers. The projected image was even too dark to really see very well, and while I’m sure that back when first invented, the attraction was probably considered pretty high-tech, I honestly didn’t find it all that fascinating.
From the show, I wandered down the steps to see the next few floors below, all housing the “World of Illusions”. Most of these attractions were optical illusions/fun house type things, but still pretty good for a laugh, and a the remainder of the displays managed to hold my interest for another ninety minutes.
I especially enjoyed the giant vortex tunnel and mirror maze, both of which toy heavily with your senses, and are probably the best attractions there.
Overall, the actual ‘Camera Obscura’ was interesting, if a little disappointing, but when you consider all of the fascinating things under one roof, it is a fun alternative to having the typical bunch of historic facts thrown at you by a tour guide in the Old Town, or if you need to find some way to entertain kids (or even yourself) for an afternoon.
The Camera Obscura and World of Optical Illusions is situated on Castehill, right at the top of the Royal Mile.
Bibi’s Bakery – ‘Cupcake Heaven’ in Edinburgh
October 9th, 2011Cupcakes are definitely one of my weaknesses, so when I walked into Bibi’s Bakery on Hanover Street (conveniently just off of Princes Street), my heart immediately soared. In front of me was a display of gorgeous treats, with a choice of at least 14 incredibly unique and delectable flavors!
I honestly felt a little overwhelmed, having to choose between Chocolate and Marshmallow, Banoffee, Smarties, Victoria Sponge, and Blueberry and Cream Cheese because they all looked SO good! Also tempting me were the display of brownies which looked incredibly rich and came in several flavors like raspberry, nut and of course, original chocolate. The prices weren’t bad either, with a single brownie costing £1.25 and an individual cupcake £1.50.
Whilst struggling to decide, I made sure to browse through the shops’ small selection of baking goodies and gifts, ranging from cute cards and notebooks to small cupcake baking and decorating supplies.
The bakery itself was very charming, with large front windows that showcased several tiered displays of its elaborately decorated cupcakes to passing shoppers. Bibi’s did provide me with a sweet little to go box that kept my cupcake perfectly intact, even after walking down three blocks of crowded streets, through a shopping mall, and taking a quick bumpy ride on a bus.
When I finally ate my cupcake (the flavour of the day, “mocha latté”), it was the perfect little treat: icing with just the right sweetness and flavour, whilst the sponge was fresh and light.
If you share my liking for sweet things, then it’s certainly worth the effort to stop at Bibi’s for a small afternoon treat!
Bibi’s bakery is located on Hanover Street, just off Princes St.
Los Cardos – Mexican Takeaway
October 8th, 2011Lauren visited ‘Los Cardos’ in September 2011, below she gives us her thoughts on this little Mexican takeaway located on Leith Walk…
Los Cardos (‘The Thistles’ in Spanish)…where to start? First, I’ll mention that because this restaurant is located on Leith Walk (a REALLY busy/crowded street, 20 minute walk from the Old Town) that it may occasionally get overlooked. I myself spent the past two weeks walking by it on my way to ‘Hairy Coo HQ’, giving it little notice and thinking it was just like any average, cheap, fast food restaurant. Today though, that all changed.
Walking through the door I realized that this was in fact not your typical Mexican takeaway (not that there are many of those in Scotland! – ed). The walls were painted a deep red, with a only a few small and modernly styled tables, chairs, and benches. A number of tin stars hanging from the ceiling gave the small place a very cool, somewhat eclectic vibe.
The menu sign was a tad bit confusing at first glance, but take one or two minutes and it gradually starts to make sense. You start off with picking between five main dishes (burrito, fajita, quesadilla, etc.) and from there add fillings (steak, chicken, pork, vegetarian, and yes, even haggis!) toppings (various salsas from mild to hot), and sides (tortilla chips, guacamole, etc.). I decided to go with a fajita, along with vegetarian filling and little bit of moderately spicy salsa on top, to give the dish a slight kick. The man behind the counter was incredibly friendly and patient as he helped me make sense of salsas and seasonings, all while chatting on about a time he’d spent in Philadelphia. I asked him if it was usually as quiet (at the moment, I was the only person there), but he assured me it wasn’t-especially late at night and on weekends, when people stop by on their way to/from parties or the local pubs.
Now I’m not usually much of a Mexican food fan, since a lot of times I feel like it can be very filling or usually too heavy on the cheese and beans, but I just LOVED this! It was a decent size, tasted very fresh, not too spicy or greasy, wasn’t overdone with cheese or sour cream, and yet still incredibly satisfying. Despite telling myself that I couldn’t possibly finish it all – I did.
Los Cardos is one of my favourite places that I’ve eaten whilst in Edinburgh, and if you’re in the mood for quality, budget-friendly Mexican food, then you should certainly visit here!
You’ll find Los Cardos near the bottom of Leith Walk, a twenty minute walk from the Old Town.
Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh
October 7th, 2011The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh – A Review
Most people don’t tend to think of gardens when they think of Edinburgh, but the Royal Botanic Gardens (established since 1670!) are certainly one of their best, and perhaps least well known, attractions. The gardens are about a one mile distance outside of the city centre (on Inverleith Row), but if you don’t mind walking (which took me only about 20-25 minutes), or taking a short bus ride (‘Lothian Buses’ numbers 23 & 27 take you right there from George IV Bridge and Waverley Bridge), then you ‘ll be incredibly pleased with what you find.
Admission to the gardens is free, with a total of seventy acres of various plants, trees, and features to explore. There are a range of daily garden walks and themed tours available, as well as year round special events including art exhibitions, occasional food tastings, and even educational classes.
While spring is the best time for visitors to see the flowers, Autumn showcases an amazing foliage display and I was in heaven walking around under all the gorgeous changing leaves, several of which were starting to sprout plump red berries. I passed a peaceful duckpond and an abundance of benches that had been kindly placed around for guests wishing to rest their feet, but I was eager to spend more time walking around making sure I got to see everything. Main highlights that you won’t want to miss are The Chinese Hillside (beautiful little pond and pavilion along its edge!), the Woodland Garden , Alpine House, and the Scottish Heather Garden, which felt like seeing a bit of the highlands in Edinburgh. My personal favorite was the Queen Mother’s Memorial Garden, which has not only a fun little labyrinth for visitors to work their way through, but also a neat little stone pavilion, its ceiling decorated in a gorgeously ornate design crafted from pine cones and seashells.
Probably the most photographed feature of the gardens are the Victorian Palm Houses whose designs first date back to the early 1800′s, each complete with beautiful 11 foot glass ceiling domes. Entrance to the remaining glasshouses costs £4, but is well worth it since inside are impressive collections ranging from rainforest vegetation to arid land cactuses, and water habitat plants.
Before leaving I made sure to poke around the displays in the visitor center (which had some pretty interesting info on pollution, climate change, etc.) as well as the gift shop since it has a great selection of odds and ends for everybody, especially those who love gardening.
My advice: make an effort to visit the gardens if you have time since it’s definitely one of the city’s most beautiful and outstanding attractions!
You can find the Royal Botanic Gardens on Inverleith Row. This is around a 20-30 minute walk from the Old Town, or if you prefer you can take the ‘Lothian Buses’ numbers 23 & 27 from George IV Bridge & Waverley Bridge. Costs £1.30 for an adult single fare, as of October 2011). The main entrance to the gardens is just a couple of minutes walk away on Arboretum Place.
Castle Rock Hostel…
October 6th, 2011Our Intern, Lauren, has been visiting different accommodation providers in Edinburgh. Here’s her thoughts on one of Edinburgh’s most popular hostels, ‘Castle Rock‘…
Now, I can’t lie and tell you that I’ve actually stayed at Castle Rock Hostel. However, I can truthfully say that, after making an afternoon visit, I thought this place was AMAZING and if the need ever arose in the future, I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to book a bed here!
The Hostel is literally in the heart of the city, just down the street from Edinburgh Castle, and a short two minute (if even that) walk from The Royal Mile. I swung by on a rainy afternoon to see if I could get a quick tour, but since I hadn’t called ahead I didn’t expect to see much.
Outside it looked pretty quiet, but the place was literally abuzz with activity once I got through the door, as numerous people milled around at the front desk, wandered up and down the stairs, and through the hallways. What caught my eye right away was that this place looks just as AWESOME as it sounds! The main hall looks like the entrance to a grand castle, with an incredibly high ceiling-from which a huge Saltire was proudly draped- and suits of armour placed on the staircase landings.
The girl behind the desk was really friendly when I approached, and didn’t hesitate to lead me around when I asked to take some pictures. We meandered through the busy kitchen, which was clean and well organized and is open for all guests to use (they do offer breakfasts for a small fee). From there I was shown the spacious movie room (they show two every night), as well as the “study lounge” which looks incredibly elegant with its big tables, cozy fireplace, and chandeliers. So far, I was liking what I saw.
Since January, the hostel has undergone some renovations to expand, which included adding more rooms into what was once an attic. The rooms themselves were a decent size, looked very clean, with carpeting, provided bed linens, and have optional bedside lockers to secure any personal belongings. The bathrooms looked clean and spacious. I especially loved seeing lots of info pamphlets and fliers provided for guests all about local events, restaurants, and attractions as well posters offering MacBackpackers day and extended tours up to Loch Ness, Skye, etc.
There are pool tournaments, free morning walking tours, and free pub crawls on Thursday evenings! It seemed like an overall affordable (lowest starting at just £14 a night) fun, tidy, and safe place to stay, with a great social atmosphere for young travelers and backpackers, and I was certainly impressed!
‘Castle Rock’ can be found on Johnston Terrace, just 30 seconds walk from the Lawnmarket on the Royal Mile.
Dunbar’s Close, Edinburgh…
October 6th, 2011A fantastic wee place to visit whilst in Edinburgh, just off canongate on the Royal Mile, the ‘secret garden’ of Dunbar’s Close…
The Elephant House
October 6th, 2011If you happen to be one of the world’s loyal followers of the Harry Potter series then you certainly will have heard of the Elephant House café, where author J.K. Rowling was often seen scribbling down notes for her early writings.
While the Potter books may have put this place on the map it certainly is a star in its own right, serving delicious food for reasonable prices in an outstanding location.
My first visit was early one weekday morning where I hoped to enjoy just a small pot of tea. I’d walked by several times but never actually gone in, so naturally I assumed the café would be filled with small tributes to the boy wizard, framed and signed Potter memorabilia hung proudly above the register. This clearly wasn’t the case, as I found out when I walked through the door to find a calm, comfortable, and homey place-its walls dotted with various pictures of (true to its name) elephants.
While there were a few articles and signs posted that gave homage to the Potter franchise, it certainly wasn’t overwhelming. A neat display case full of tiny elephant figurines along with a few elephant carved wooden chairs was set up in the room but not too much to be considered tacky, which I liked. Along with a small slew of university students scattered amongst the tables, there were quite a few businessmen, tourists, backpackers, and even a young mother pushing her baby in a stroller. It was perfectly quiet for a weekday morning and I perched myself along one of the counters in the front room with my tea (excellent quality loose leaf green-my favorite!) and a fluffy croissant (delicious and buttery!) to lazily people watch through the windows.
Not only is the Elephant House Cafe just off the Royal Mile, and a few minutes walk from the Castle (of which it has a GREAT view in its large back room!), but it’s also just down the street from the National Library of Scotland and just a short walk in the other direction from the famous little statue of Greyfriars’ Bobby. Open seven days a week, this place serves not only coffee and tea but also a selection of wines and beers too, along with various breakfast, lunch, and dinner items such as pastries, soup, and paninis. They even have an awesome website with blogs, photos, a live webcam, and tips on how to make the perfect cup of tea! I certainly was impressed with this place, and plan to stop by again for some breakfast, in the very near future.
JK Rowling being interviewed in the ‘early years’ about Harry Potter, IN ‘The Elephant House’…
Untitled from Dave Taylor on Vimeo.
You can find ‘The Elephant House’ right on George IV Bridge, just off the Royal Mile
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National Museum of Scotland: A little bit of everything.
October 4th, 2011Lauren visited the ‘National Museum of Scotland’ on Chambers St. in September 2011, here’s her thoughts:
If you love history, science, or just varied cool stuff in general, the ‘National Museum of Scotland’ should be listed as a “must-see” of your places to visit in Edinburgh. The newly redesigned museum is not only FREE, but has an AMAZING and diverse collection of exhibits to explore. Dolly the sheep, jewelry owned by Mary Queen of Scots, fossils, lots (and I mean LOTS) of animal displays, antique inventions and technology all make an appearance, along with a busy café and rooftop restaurant offering a range of classic Scottish foods.
Don’t miss the most important exhibit, the ‘Story of Scotland’, which takes visitors back to the very beginning of the nation’s history, right through to the present day. And of course, Dolly the sheep, the world’s first cloned animal!
Perhaps the best part about the museum (at least for me, and any other photography lovers out there), is that cameras ARE allowed, and a good numbers of visitors could be seen walking around happily snapping away. Another huge perk, the museum’s stunning rooftop views of the city. Not only is the roof terrace beautifully designed, but it includes several benches to sit a while, and enjoy the scenery. There’s also a free telescope for visitors to use.
If you do wind up heading to the museum, plan on making a day of it, since there’s so much to see. You will be on your feet a lot of the time but there are a number of benches and chairs to take a rest, and various lifts for those who have mobility issues. Make sure to stop by the gift shop near the exit, which has a number of interesting trinkets and souvenirs that aren’t available in most of the ‘tourist tat’ shops. Make sure to give at least a small donation on your way out too, since its obvious that a LOT of work has gone in to
making it such an AMAZING attraction!
You can find the entrance to the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers St., just off George IV Bridge, a couple of minutes walk from the Royal Mile.
Pig Out at “Oink”…
October 2nd, 2011Lauren visited “Oink”, in Victoria Street, near the Grassmarket, for us on the 14th September.
If you have ever walked down Victoria Street, not far from Deacon Brodie’s Tavern on the Royal Mile, you may have noticed a small crowd of people hovering outside and gawking through the window of a tiny little eatery called “Oink.”
Aside from the bold and artsy sign above the door, what really draws most people to this little place is actually a rather shocking (but still somehow fascinating) window display of, you guessed it, a HUMONGOUS roast hog complete with carving knives still plunged inside. I had to walk by a few times to stare at it myself and question if it was real, but it was in fact one hundred percent genuine roast pig and as a sign on the wall proudly stated, the meat is provided by top quality farms in the Scottish borders.
The menu is quite simple since the only food that they serve is well, pork, but it was different than anything I’d ever seen before and a certainly a welcome change from the typical chicken or beef options.
Not only do they offer customers the choice between three different size sandwiches (including one for kids!) but also the option of adding toppings such as sage and onion, chili, applesauce or even haggis.
The man the behind the counter was incredibly friendly and playfully convinced me to try an “oinker” or mid-sized sandwich, which I topped with a little haggis and applesauce. In no time, the meat was quickly carved straight off the window hog and I was presented with a warm and plump little dish, which was without a doubt one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever tasted- juicy, slightly sweet, perfectly cooked. I wasn’t quite brave enough to try the little piece of crispy crackle that was placed on top, but did manage to finish every last bite and wash it down with a small cup of tea (the drink menu is surprisingly larger than their food offerings).
The eatery itself was VERY tiny, and probably only about ten to twelve people could probably sit inside comfortably but for a quick sit-down bite, it was pretty decent although visitors should keep in mind that there’s no bathroom and they don’t take credit cards-only cash. While it may not be the first choice for vegetarians or those squeamish about seeing cooked animals up close“Oink”certainly has a unique charm and you may want to try it at least once if their in the mood for something different.
You can find ‘Oink’ easily, right in the heart of the Old Town, on Victoria street, right off the Grassmarket or George IV Bridge.
The Royal Yacht Britannia
October 1st, 2011Our intern, Lauren Shaw, visited the Royal Yacht Britannia for us in September 2011. Here she shares her thoughts on this beautiful, “floating country house”.
Anybody with a real interest in seeing how Britain’s royal family travels in style may want to check out the Royal Yacht Britannia, for which general admission tickets cost £11. Just a short bus ride from Edinburgh’s city center straight to Leith’s Ocean Terminal will bring you to the Britannia visitors’ center located on the second floor (it can be a little tricky to find if you haven’t been in the center before). Here there are some short displays and pictures about the history of the ship, which most people may want to breeze through since some of the information plaques are lengthy and perhaps ‘information overload’, clearly used to distract those waiting in the entrance line during the busy summer months.
Once receiving a short introduction and audio headset visitors are free to board and wander around the ship at their leisure. I quickly found that while the headset was easy to use, it was sometimes difficult to hear while outside on the deck as the wind was whipping around, and at other times the audio recording was so long and detailed that I just stopped listening.
The interiors were very impressive, but certain places inside (mostly the crew quarters) didn’t have a lot of room to walk around and people frequently wound up bumping into or squeezing past each other while trying to keep up with guide on their headset. Some individuals with trouble walking may find the entrance ramp challenging, although there is a lift for assistance.
Despite these little setbacks, the ship did have some unique features. A quaint tea room was on board, as well as a small sweet shop (who graciously offered us free samples of freshly made fudge!) and an interesting royal sailing exhibit which was located on the lowest deck.
Visitors can also stop for a photo opportunity next to a stone statue of a sailor and lifesaver. Overall it was very thorough tour and is probably best enjoyed without taking the kids along, if you heavily take an interest in the royal family, and/or if you like exploring ships in general.
You can find the Royal Yacht Britannia at the ‘Ocean Terminal’ shopping center, a fifteen/twenty minute bus journey away from the city centre.
