Dan Perry

My wife and I are leaving on a vacation on the 18th of September. We will be in Edinburgh on Monday, the 24th of September until Thursday afternoon (the 27th). Our plans are as follows: <BR> <BR>Arrive, and go about the town after checking in to the hotel (Castle View Guest House). We should be arriving around noon or 1. <BR> <BR>Tuesday, take a day trip (we will have a car) to St. Andrews. Will not be golfing, just checking out the sites. I am the golf fanatic, and this stop cannot be missed. <BR> <BR>Wednesday, my wife suggested taking a guided tour to Loch Ness, complete with the boat ride on the lake. It leaves at 8:30 a.m.,and returns around 8 p.m. <BR> <BR>Thursday, last minute shopping, and then back to Whitby, where the majority of our stay takes place (family). <BR> <BR>My questions are as follows: <BR> <BR>1. Is the trip to Loch Ness worth it? It does burn up an entire day, in a very short vacation. <BR> <BR>2. What should I visit in St. Andrews besides the golf courses and museum? Anything of particular interest? Should I drive, or consider a day trip? <BR> <BR>3. Would like to eat at one good restaurant while in Edinburgh. Which one should it be? Witchery has been suggested. Any other suggestions? <BR> <BR>4. What should I consider "must-see" in Edinburgh? Obviously, we are going to have to cut some things from the itinerary, but what can be cut? <BR> <BR>5. We have read about Pringles and their famous tartans. Is it worth a trip, or is the quality the same at other shops? <BR> <BR>Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We knew we were going to England, but added Edinburgh to the trip about 2 weeks ago. Any and all help would be wonderful. <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance, <BR> <BR>Dan Perry <BR>[email protected]

Sheila

1. Is the trip to Loch Ness worth it? It does burn up an entire day, in a very short vacation. <BR>No. Firstly because you're not spending enough time in Edinburgh and secondly because there are places which could be described as Highland which are a lot closer and frankly more interesting. Haggis Backpackers, Rabbie's Trailburners and Lothian Regional Transport all do tours which are similar and which might take less out of your day. <BR> <BR>2. What should I visit in St. Andrews besides the golf courses and museum? Anything of particular interest? Should I drive, or consider a day trip? <BR> <BR>I'll send you an email this evening which has some suggestions for a day trip to Fife taking in St Andrew's. The Castle and the ice cream shop are not to be missed. Run down the west sands and pretend you are in Chariots of Fire. <BR> <BR>3. Would like to eat at one good restaurant while in Edinburgh. Which one should it be? Witchery has been suggested. Any other suggestions? <BR>Either the Atrium or the Marque Central. I went and tried the Witchery especially to deal with questions like this. Apart from the fact that it has a wine list to die for, I found it overpriced and overrated. <BR> <BR>Martin Wisharts which is at Leith gets a great name but I haven't been there. <BR> <BR>4. What should I consider "must-see" in Edinburgh? Obviously, we are going to have to cut some things from the itinerary, but what can be cut? <BR> <BR>Depends; what do you like? I'll send my Edinburgh document tonight too. <BR> <BR>5. We have read about Pringles and their famous tartans. Is it worth a trip, or is the quality the same at other shops? <BR> <BR>Pringles are a knitwear shop-more famous for woolens and cashmere than tartan. Good shop for quality but not at the cheap end of the equation. Just wander down the High Street or along Princes Street and you'll find great "retail opportunities"

Kathy

Dan - saw your questions and thought I could offer some suggestions. My husband and I did a quick trip in June. We left on a Sun. evening and returned home on Thurs. We had to fly into Glasgow and then took the train to Ed. the next morning. Of course in Ed. you want to go to the castle. Your best bet is to hook in to an English speaking tour group but if that is not possible, they have a self guided tour avail which is also good. <BR>You can buy all Scottish items at any of the stores - the prices are pretty much the same as is the quality. The stores are all withing walking distance of the castle. <BR>A great restaurant that we went to was called Mussel Inn which is on 61-65 Rose St. Tel.0131 225 5979. No res. needed. Food was excellent and it is very easy to get to. <BR>We did not rent a car - rode the train everywhere. Went to Dundee which is near St. Andrews. A charming town with very friendly people and a great mix of the old and new. Wish we had overnited there at least once. Hope this helps - have a great trip - wish I was going back soon!

greg

Dan, <BR>I hope you had a chance to see PBS TV's (USA, sorry if you are not from USA) "Great Streets" -- "Edinburgh's Royal Mile With Emmylou Harris." Our PBS affliate broadcasted the series last month.

Barbara

Dan, these would be my suggestions for you; <BR>1. Leave out Loch Ness. While you would see a lot of beautiful countryside, you will be sitting in a bus for about ten hours (probably more) and there are other things you could be seeing. Spend that day in Edinburgh, visit the Castle (cannot miss that!), walk down the Royal Mile, exploring as you go. Visit the Camera Obscura, St. Giles, Gladstone's Land, Holyrood Palace. You will find several very good tartan shops also. <BR>2. St Andrews-you can either make a day of it, driving via the East Neuk of Fife (small fishing villages-Crail, Anstruther, Pittenweem, St. Monance) or go directly to St Andrews. After you get off the motorway, you will mostly be driving on two lane roads. Don't miss the Castle in St Andrews, it's right across the road from the hall of residence in which Prince William will be staying. <BR>3. I highly recommend Martin's (Rose Street Lane N.) and a new restaurant called Rogue on Morrison Street. You will need reservations at either of these and, if you seriously consider the Witchery, you should make reservations there now. <BR>4. I have never considered Pringles to be the best, but they have always advertised heavily in the US. They are primarily knitwear-lambswool and Cashmere. Try Romanes & Paterson and Jenners on Princes Street and look for stores on the Royal Mile. <BR>Have a great trip! You will love Edinburgh and Scotland, so start planning your next trip soon!

Linda

Dan, first, I second (third, fourth, ...?) the opinion to skip Loch Ness. It's a beautiful area, but you'd waste a LOT of time on the bus and that time could be used to much greater advantage. Loch Ness is very much a "if you're in the neighborhood, be sure to drop in" kind of place, IMO. <BR> <BR>Second, I know you're looking for hints on Edinburgh, but you're visiting one of my favorite towns in England, Whitby. It doesn't appear to be made for the tourist, and it isn't. But I love the town. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend Bagdale Hall--the main hotel, not the Annex. It's a fantastic, 15th century hotel. If you don't need accommodations, at least try out their restaurant. Very, very good food, if a little on the pricey side. We always eat there while in Whitby. Also, find time to visit the Abbey ruins, high on the hill. And walk down to the beach and walk it. The end of September it may be cool, and it will certainly be windy, but looking over the North Sea from this vantage point always makes me wonder at all the beauty in this world--beauty that no man can control. Also, go down to walk around the old fishing port area. Marvelous, especially first thing in the morning when the boats are coming in. But stay away from the boardwalk. It's the worst example of tourist tacky I've ever seen--and I live in Las Vegas! <BR> <BR>If you still have time, drive about 1/2 hour or less WSW and explore the moors. Wonderful country, with a raw beauty that haunts you. <BR> <BR>Have fun in one of my favorite areas of the world. And, if you get to Bagdale Hall, tell the manager that "the American lady who wanted the fake hotel bill" says hi. He may just remember me (but don't count on a discount on dinner because of it).

kam

Just returned from England and Edinburgh last Saturday. We only had one day in Edinburgh and vow to return. Thanks to Sheila's suggestions, we visited the castle, the Scotch Heritage Center, walked the Royal Mile with lunch at Deacon Brody's pub, visited Holyrood House and the National Gallery. It was a very full day! The weather turned cool and windy threatening to rain, but never did. We found the hop on/hop off buses a good way to save time.

Barbara

Kam, how was the Holy Island?

John G

Not to burst your bubble, but my boyfriend and I spent the Millennium in Edinburgh and we absolutely hated it. Aside from the damp, the people were so miserable. And this was Hogmanny yet! We did like touring the castle and seeing where Mary Queen of Scots was holed up, but everything else was so dreary. There was this horrible underground mall off Princes Street that could have been from some cow town in Iowa. I would never go back. Later, I found out the my aerobics instructor (she's from Hartlepool, England) lived in Edinburg for 3 years and she said she wouldn't go back there even to attend her aunt's funeral. Miserable was her exact word. Now, I did go to St. Andrew's Golf Course years and years ago with my relatives from Old Windsor and I loved it. We ate in some restaurant overlooking the greens and it was really puka! That I recommend. The rest of Scotland that I have seen was just sheep with big orange spots on them. But, the countryside and the color of the sky at dusk are lovely. I hope YOU have a good time. Cheers, John G.

kam

Holy Island was lovely. The abbey is the most interesting part of it, the castle is OK but not really an "ancient" castle. It's an easy walk from one to another. The day we were there was lovely. I imagine in bad weather it wouldn't be so nice. Who can drink that mead??? It tastes just like honey mixed with alcohol! Still trying to collect my thoughts and recover from the 8 hours time difference. I hope to post some useful information in the next couple days--have something to say about the most recent foot and mouth and also a great recommendation for Yorkshire hotel. Just need to nap right now!

Lauren

I have spent about 7 weeks total in Edinburgh during the August Festivals and it is one of my favorite places. <BR> <BR>I agree with everyone who said to skip Loch Ness. I also would advise you to skip St. Andrews. There is a lot to see in Edinburgh, and running hither and yon will exhaust you and leave you insufficient time for the city itself. <BR> <BR>The Museum of Scotland, which was not mentioned by previous posters is an absolute must in Edinburgh. Plan 3 hours minimum. This is a totally modern museum which covers the history of Scotland from prehistory to today. There are plenty of exhibits on Bonnie Prince Charlie and Mary Queen of Scots. <BR> <BR>I agree that The Witchery is overpriced and that The Mussel Inn is an excellent and reasonable choice. I also recommend Fisher's in Leith. Tony Blair eats there when he is in town. <BR> <BR>If you want to read my trip reports from my 2000 home exchange in the Edinburgh area, check the Scotland board on independenttraveler.com. There are 18 parts--LOL

Lauren

People planning to visit Edinburgh, may be interested in the 18 part saga of my 2000 home exchange in South Queensferry, Scotland (just west of Edinburgh proper). It can be found on the independenttraveler.com. When you get to the site, go to the boards, then Europe and finally Scotland and you should find the reports.

John G

OMG what a coincidence! My great-grandfather was born on Holy Island! I have never been and once thought of taking a trip there to see where my family came from and my grandmother told me not to. She said if it was such a great place my great-grandfather wouldn't have left it in the first place! My grandmother is from Old Windsor but now lives in Pennsylvania. She never understands why I want to go to England. She calls it the "land of bad teeth and bad plumbing." She always thinks Im going to get TB. "Did you get your shots?," she always says to me. She is so funny. JG

Judy

Hi Dan , we just absolutely adored Edinburgh. It is my favorite small city in Europe! We spent 5 days there, in August during Festival, and it was wonderful. My very favorite attraction, was Edinburgh Castle! I just LOVED it! I love the way it dominates the Edinburgh skyline! Museum of Scotland was great too! <BR> The Tower restaurant, in the Museum was a first rate restaurant with wonderful food, and magnificent views of the Castle and City. For less expensive fare, we also liked Gordon's Trattoria, and Mamma's Pizza. Be sure to do the Merkat tour Walk, of Mary King's Close, it was exceptional and tres spooky! We did Sterling Castle and Sterling by train, which was very very good. Judy

Dibsy

Just returned from 6 months in Edinburgh. Forget the day in Loch Ness. The ruined castle in St. Andrews is nice. Forget the Witchery. For a elegant evening, try The Tower. For an excellent intimate place try <BR>Sweet Melindas, it's the best food in Edinburgh. Fisher's is good too. There is now a Fisher's in downtown Edinburgh. <BR>Best activity in Edinburgh-- just walking around the city, check George Heriots School for 17 century Scottish architecture, the Meadows for local color, Gladestones Land for history and the National Gallery for a few incredible impressionist works. Done rush, enjoy the Scottish pace.

Sheila

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