Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

EDINBURGH walking tours and amazing BIKE TOUR

EDINBURGH walking tours and amazing BIKE TOUR

Old Jul 10th, 2017, 04:45 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
EDINBURGH walking tours and amazing BIKE TOUR

I spent 2 days and a half in Edinburgh. JUNE 2017
FIRST DAY I did 3 walking tours morning with Gareth, an afternoon walking tour with Erik of Sandemans and an evening tour Ghost and Gouls with mercattours.
Three awesome guided tours but missed visiting EDI Castle, at least if you do not enter the castle, visit the village that closes at 5.30 pm! I have to go back for that.
Gareth is very knowledgeable of Edinburgh history...very pleasant and only takes small groups which is a given for interacting with your guide. highly recommend it. Even if you take another free tour.
I did the afternoon tour with Erik from Sandemans, excellent guide! different from the morning tour..so I suggest you do both!
The ghost and gouls is at 7pm a fun entertaining tour that you can do after coming back from your day excursions.
SECOND DAY I did full day to Stirling, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. Amazing tour, I highly recommend the sailing at Loch Lomond, but had a very unpleasant experience with GoScotland as they are brokers and not providers as Highland Experience who owns their own buses. The tour was conducted by a driver acting also as a guide, who talked non-stop and did not interact.
Highly recommend these 3 stops as Stirling village and the whole road from Aberfoyle to Stirling is amazing.
THIRD DAY Half day bike tour with The Tartan Company- they can provide ebikes, all their bikes are practically new. Do not skip this wonderful bike tour. Johann takes you to unknown places around Edinburgh that otherwise, you will never see. A MUST if you visit Edinburgh. Excellent bikes, comfortable, he even provided of jackets. He makes sure everything runs smoothly.. takes care of you. I highly recommend this bike tour. No matter what your age is. You will miss a lot if you skip it. Amazing itinerary and out of traffic route.
doloresmercado is offline  
Old Jul 11th, 2017, 06:05 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,686
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you . We are going to be In edinburgh in September so I will look into these.
live42day is offline  
Old Jul 16th, 2017, 07:57 PM
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
live42day...please don't miss Edinburgh castle as I did... at least the surrounding village...let me know abt it when u are back!!

cheers... have a wonderful time
doloresmercado is offline  
Old Jul 16th, 2017, 08:01 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,628
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
>>...at least the surrounding village…
janisj is online now  
Old Jul 16th, 2017, 08:55 PM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
janisj..hello...
surrounding the castle which is very very high on the top as it was built over an extinguished volcano sits the castle and the surrounding village...
the visit to the castle is 17 pounds but if u walk along high street you can enter that surrounding village.. please note it closes 5.30 pm and I arrived at that time...

My plan after the morning walking tour was to visit the castle and lost time with an afternoon walking tour..

all the best

cheers

Loved Edinburgh...
doloresmercado is offline  
Old Jul 16th, 2017, 09:57 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,628
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
>>surrounding the castle which is very very high on the top as it was built over an extinguished volcano sits the castle> . . . but if u walk along high street you can enter that surrounding village.. >please note it closes 5.30 pmcastle closes at 5:30.
janisj is online now  
Old Jul 16th, 2017, 10:04 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,628
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
This photo shows the Castle from the esplanade at the top of the Royal Mile . . .

no village

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Esplanade.JPG
janisj is online now  
Old Jul 16th, 2017, 10:13 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,628
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
. . . and this photo is 180º from the above one looking from the Castle across the esplanade to the top of the Royal Mile with the Camera Obscura just to the left of center next to the steeple

http://www.mabbs.co.uk/uk/scotland/e...nburgh3058.jpg
janisj is online now  
Old Aug 4th, 2017, 08:20 PM
  #9  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
hi Janisj, I wasn't able to cross to the area surrounding the castle..as I said the entrance was closed..and the guard told me I could have visited the surroundings of the castle...that was what I was told.. from Princess street you can see an aerea surrounding the castle..
so when u come back you will be able to confirm this... cheers
doloresmercado is offline  
Old Aug 4th, 2017, 09:36 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,628
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
>> from Princess street you can see an aerea surrounding the castle..>I wasn't able to cross to the area surrounding the castle..as I said the entrance was closed..
janisj is online now  
Old Aug 5th, 2017, 12:10 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 329
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ah, that is what the grandstands are for!!! They were already set up in the first week of July when we visited and I was not really a fan of how they made the entrance look. I figured they held special events/concerts there year round. Good to know it doesn't always look like that.
paulg is offline  
Old Aug 5th, 2017, 02:41 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 72,628
Likes: 0
Received 50 Likes on 7 Posts
This is what it looks like during the Tattoo. Rest of the year it is just a large paved area.

https://files.list.co.uk/images/e/fi...-lst092121.jpg

And this was the Tattoo scene last year that honored David Bowie

http://www.edinburghspotlight.com/wp...87859728_o.jpg

They do set up the bleachers a little earlier now - the new seats are form the Olympic stadium in London and I guess the logistics are a little more complicated - but they are soooooooo much more comfortable than the old seats.
janisj is online now  
Old Aug 6th, 2017, 10:14 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,190
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
the Village area I presume would be the Ramsay gardens area,some of the buildings actually overlook part of the castle esplanade,btw the most expensive houses in the city.
The stands are for the tattoo are put up in June every year and there are usualy a series of pop concerts there before the tattoo gets going.
unclegus is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
rholt
Europe
8
Apr 24th, 2014 11:45 AM
shaizme
Europe
4
May 25th, 2012 07:50 AM
Biscotcha
Europe
8
Jul 25th, 2005 08:32 PM
Luv2Travel
Europe
7
Jul 7th, 2003 08:05 AM
Philip
Europe
5
Jan 25th, 2003 11:14 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -