Itinerary for memorable trip to Edinburgh
 

Hello, everyone. This is a very long posting, and here is why: I am taking what will probably be my last foreign trip for a long while to come, so I want to make it a particularly memorable one. I’ve already been to England and Italy. Now I am going to I visit Edinburgh, Scotland on my own from the morning of June 7 until the morning of June 14. I already paid for a full week in the Pollack Halls of Residence at Edinburgh University.

I visited Scotland before, back in the mid 1980s, stayed in Dunoon and Glasgow, and visited the Argyll area.

Basically, I’d like to know if my proposed itinerary is too rushed or just right. I have a tendency to over plan. My interests include: history, castles, museums, art galleries, battlefields, ruins, scenic views, and souvenir shopping. I’m a fairly active female in my mid-forties with a tendency to develop seriously sore feet early on in any trip.

Just paging through my guidebooks, I’ve already identified the following places I’m seriously interested in visiting:

Along the Royal Mile: Edinburgh Castle, Outlook Tower, Gladstone’s Land, The Writers’ Museum, the High Kirk of St Giles, Mary King’s Close, the Museum of Edinburgh, and Canongate Kirk. Is this better done in one day or two?

The Holyrood area: Palace at Holyrood House and Holyrood Abbey, and Holyrood Park, especially Arthur’s Seat. Is this better done in ½ day or a full day? I am not much of a hiker.

South of the Royal Mile: Greyfriar’s Kirk and Kirkyard, National Museum of Scotland, and the Royal Museum of Scotland. I really enjoy museums and usually spend 2 – 3 hours in them. Along Princes Street: Scott Monument and the National Gallery of Scotland. Sounds doable in one day?

The New Town; Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Georgian House.
Calton Hill and Broughton: Carlton Old Burial Ground, Nelson Monument, National Monument, and the City Observatory. Sounds doable in one day, or less?

South Queensferry area, particularly Inchcolm Island – ½ day?

I am not all that comfortable visiting pubs after dark, but I would love to hear some Scottish folk music. I’d love to do a guided walking tour, but I’m not really into themed tours.

Side trips out of the city: I prefer to avoid most escorted tours since I have difficulty hearing the tour guides. I am sticking to public transportation. I am thinking of spending the weekend in Inverness in order to visit Loch Ness (yes, I admit to seriously wanting to believe in “Nessie”) and Culloden. However, other side trips instead out of the city aren’t out of the question.

Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to read such a long posting,
Tori

"Along the Royal Mile: Edinburgh Castle, Outlook Tower, Gladstone’s Land, The Writers’ Museum, the High Kirk of St Giles, Mary King’s Close, the Museum of Edinburgh, and Canongate Kirk. Is this better done in one day or two?"
OK - it depends on how good a walker you are. I got as far as St. Giles before my feet gave out but if you are pretty fit you could do them all in a day. Start at the Castle and work down.
"The Holyrood area: Palace at Holyrood House and Holyrood Abbey, and Holyrood Park, especially Arthur’s Seat. Is this better done in ½ day or a full day? I am not much of a hiker."
It depends on how much of the Arthur's Seat area you intend to do. The Palace and Abbey can definitely be done in 1/2 day.
"South of the Royal Mile: Greyfriar’s Kirk and Kirkyard, National Museum of Scotland, and the Royal Museum of Scotland. I really enjoy museums and usually spend 2 – 3 hours in them. Along Princes Street: Scott Monument and the National Gallery of Scotland. Sounds doable in one day? "
I think you could do this in one day.
"The New Town; Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Georgian House.
Calton Hill and Broughton: Carlton Old Burial Ground, Nelson Monument, National Monument, and the City Observatory. Sounds doable in one day, or less?"
Allow one day - mostly because of the walking involved. If you finish early give your feet a rest in a park.
Other stuff I can't comment on because I have not been recently. Personally I would skip Inverness but that's my taste.

From the Castle to Holyrood is all down hill so even if you have bad feet you should be able to do it all (including Holyrood Palace) in one day.

I have done this several times -- Castle in the a.m., camera Obscura and then down the hill to all the other places you mention. Stop periodically for meals and drinks and it is an easy day. It makes more sense to separate Holyrood Park/Arthur's Seat from you visit to Holyrood Palace.

Arthur's Seat/Holyrood park means pretty serious walking/climbing - I'd do them one morning if you feel up to it - but otherwise I'd do something else.

I alos would NOT spend 2 nights in Inverness - even if nessie is a "must" for you. I'd rather do day or 1/2 day trips to places like St Andrews or Stirling or Linlithgow.

You CAN do a day trip organized tour to I'ness. I know you want to avoid that sort of thing, but if you must see Inverness/Loch Ness/Culloden, an organized day trip from Edinburgh is a better use of your time w/o having to stay in Inverness.

Were it me, I'd take a day for the Mile, and I'd take my time. Just mooch along, wander down closes and stairs, eat in "proper" places (not chains) and smell the roses. I'd include the Castle and the Palace, and I'd take a taxi back to Pollock, because I'd be knackered

history, castles, museums, art galleries, battlefields, ruins, scenic views, and souvenir shopping. fairly active female seriously sore feet

For the Park and Arthur's Seat, pick a fine day, wander up the hill, pause when you want, look around, see the views. Frankly the Park's not much after that Half a day.

I'm completely prejudiced but I could spend a full day in the National Museum of Scotland (don't forget a large ball of wool). Greyfriars is just at one end of Chamber Street, so, realistically, the morning in there, Greyfriars then down to the Grassmarket and up Victoria Street for some serious shopping.

Princes Street is not that great. Huge vista; masses of chain stores. Scott Monument- you really don't want to waste time climbing it. The number of steps is not going to change, and you'll get a better view from the Castle or the top of Arthur's Seat. Then, if you do this on a Thursday, you can fit the National Gallery in, too. It's open till 7pm on Thursdays.

The Portrait Gallery and the Georgian House are at opposite ends of the New Town. I can feel myself flagging and a taxi coming on. Neither should take long. The Georgian House, I'm struggling with spending more than half an hour in. The rest of that day is beyond me.

Inchcolm is 3 hours on the boat, including 1 1/2 hours ashore AND you have to get to Queensferry, and see anything you want there.

You are most unlikely to have any difficulty with pubs in the town centre, especially those which play folk music.

The big touristy one is the Ensign Ewart near the castle on the Mile. The big genuine one is Sandy Bell's- near Greyfriars.

This web site will keep you right

http://www.gigguide.co.uk/edinfolk.htm

Personally, I'd hate to do a tour to Loch Ness, but... two ways to do it. get one of the mini bus jobbies- Haggis, or Rabbie's or Timberbush or someone. Tell them you have ahearing thing and they'll let you sit up front. No sweat.

OR, get the early train to Inverness, and get one of the Jacobite boats from the town down through the canal and onto the Loch. Then get the train back. Honestly, Inverness is not for you.

Inverness is worthwhile because of Culloden, especially if you are a fan of the Diana Gabaldon books.

All,
I was in Inverness back in 2000 and thought it a lovely town. Why all the negative comments about it? I respect everyone's opinions but would just like to know why everyone is so down on Inverness? Thanks

IMHO Inverness is not a "lovely" town; it's a Victorian creation, which is not especially nice, in a lovely location.

There's nothing there, with the exception of, prehaps, the walk along the riverside, to make it memorable. It's got an execreable one way system; they've ruined the ecology of the river, by reclaiming the mudflats and built horrendous social housing and industrial estates round the outskirts.


99% of the shops are chain stores and there's not decent restaurant in the place. Were it not for the location- in terms of (a) junction and pretty jucntion at that and (b) top of Loch Ness- NO-ONE would go there.

IMHO, of course.

Thank you, Sheila.

If you plan to hike to Arthur's Seat be sure you have the proper shoes. DH hiked up there on our trip last spring and is an avid runner/walker but wore the wrong shoes and complained about his feet for days. I agree with the other posts regarding Inverness--not an appealing place.

Sheila is in Scotland so has a good perspective on I'ness. Now for one American's view. (I lived in the UK for 5 years and have been to Scotland countlesss times)

My impression is that most people who praise Inverness are tourists who have spent maybe 10 days or 2 weeks in the UK where almost ANYPLACE will seem a lovely town. And compared to Denver or Los Angeles or Omaha - it is lovely.

But for a visit in Scotland one can do <b>so much</b> better. Inverness does have a lovely river. But other than that it is a busy, traffic clogged, business center for the north of Scotland.

there are quite literally hundreds of better places to stay a while . . . . .

I agree with janisj on the Inverness question. There are just SO many nicer places.

But Loch Ness is beautiful! At least to a person from WI. Maybe it is difficult for someone in Scotland to understand - but all of our lives we hear about Loch Ness and Nessie and even though there are other beautiful places to visit - visiting someplace that we have heard about all of our lives is wonderful. I visited Loch Ness this month and got some very beautiful photos. I did skip Inverness at the advice of this column though.

While I agree that Inverness is a pretty blah place, Culloden is a great place to visit.

Thanks for posting this. It will help me a lot with my trip to Edinburgh in August, as we seem to have many interests in common.

Thank you everyone who has responded so far.

I don't really want to overnight in Inverness, it's just that, like Barbara and JanisJ said, I've heard about Culloden and Nessie all of my life.

Unfortunately, I can't find day trips out of Edinburgh that cover Culloden AND Loch Ness. I suppose I could take the 6:40 train out of Edinburgh one morning, take a cruise on Loch Ness, catch a bus out to Culloden, then return on the 1830 or 2000 train back to Edinburgh.

What other towns would you recommend for a day trip instead if I decide again Ness/Culloden?

Also, has anyone else been to Inchcolm Island? Is it worth a visit?

Thanks,
Tori

I think there are &quot;better&quot; lochs than Loch Ness, but please be assured my boredom with Inverness does not extend to the loch itself.

Toriliz, have you checked the &quot;wee&quot; tour companies? Haggis etc?

There isn't really anything to see at Loch Ness and there are many more scenic lochs.

Inchcolm island is quite fun on a nice day - I'd wait &amp; see what the weather is like. I considered getting married there, but thought it would be a bit grim if the weather were bad :-)

If you are likely to be interested in all the national galleries in Edinburgh, including the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art &amp; the Dean Gallery which are not in the city centre, it might make more sense to do all of them in one day as there is a free bus which links all of them. See www.nationalgalleries.org.