Hello fellow travelers!<BR><BR>Thought I'd post my lastest jaunt from NY to Edinburgh via Heathrow.<BR><BR>Quite a relatively smooth experience from JFK-LHR-EDI. Security seems rather acceptable and not as crowded during the same time last year (must make the same trek every April -- hubby must work in Edinburgh/London, so I can meet up with him there).<BR><BR>By the way, aside before I post my latest, I need to ask if it is just me, or has customer service on British Airways gone down, way down. Not just Club World in-flight service, but from the overall concern and sensitivity on their customer service line. If anyone has any complaints I'd like to hear about it. I'll post my experience in my next post.<BR><BR>Arriving last Friday for the long weekend, it was amazingly bright, sunny and temperate. It was a breeze to get through the airport -- Customs is based at the Heathrow transfer terminal before arriving at the BA Terminal 1 from Terminal 4. <BR><BR>We managed an open air double decker tour bus with great weather also on Sat. morning with a rather boisterous, livelly but knowledgeable tourguide named Joy. She was a native Scot and was happy to announce all her personal comments regarding some of the major sites. The Scott Monument I thought was impressive given that it is truly the highest spiral in the city center (hard to believe). Edinburgh Castle on Saturday had free admission so me and the hubby went along climbed up the Grassmarket along High Street on the West End to enter the stone roads of the Castle, all with sunny bright skies.<BR><BR>We ate dinner at the an Indian Curried Tandoori right off the base of the Castle -- so tasty and decadent. Definiitely recommend, the name: Golden....Tandoori???, Anyway, there were so happy to hear that we were from America and welcomed us with tasty appetizers (the usual sampling).<BR><BR>The Howard Hotel in the New Town exceeded our expectations. We stayed at the Lauriston Suite, a terraced one- bedroom apt, really and were greeted by Roy, another local Scot who was so kind and attentive upon our arrival.<BR><BR>I recommend the Howard Hotel for visitors who wish to feel like visitors not tourists or guests of a hotel. The atmosphere at the hotel is discreet, private, and unobtrusive, yet they pay attention to every need you should have. We were running low on toilet paper and phoned reception. In just a matter of minutes, HOORay Sheis Papiere had arrived.<BR><BR>For now, I will close but will continue later. Am picking up film...be back in an hour...promise!<BR><BR>

Just back!<BR><BR>Pictures came out fantastic! Shall I resume?<BR><BR>Well, aside from the occasional Scot whose local dialect was sooo incredibly thick, we only had two drivers that spoke so fast with the accent and could barely understand what was being spoken to us. It's unfortunate because Sunday was a bust with all the rain and such. He drove us around the main roads surrounding Arthur's Seat, the volcanic park, where we took in some breathtaking views of the city centre along with those adorable geese, swans and ducks. Edinburgh is unbelievably GREEN, even in mid April. Is that shocking?<BR><BR>Most shopkeepers welcomed us as soon as they realized we were Americans, though a few thought we were local yocals. Despite that, once they heard our accents, it was "welcome...welcome...can I offer you this...or that, etc!"<BR><BR>Anyway, I would return on another leisure trip but would make a point to venture outside the city and take either a motorcoach tour or drive tour of the outer reaches since most everyone recommended it.<BR><BR>I must correct myself from the earlier post. The Lauriston Suite does NOT have a terrace; it was a separate entrance/exit with a staircase. We didn't have to go through the usual front door entrance. King bed, separate seating area, two writing desks, a vanity, living room with armoire/TV...and the bathroom WAS to die for -- apparently the Lauriston Suite's bathroom is used for marketing and promotional brochures in the UK. It has an immaculately clean marble tiled floor with a separate reproductive claw foot bath and separate shower.<BR><BR>The Tartan shoppe that lies just below Edinburgh Castle has great selections on all Tartan styles: kilts for men, women and children; with pleats without, throws and sweaters and lots of scarves.<BR><BR>We even found if you can believe, the best souvenir yet: a real working miniature bag pipe about half the size of the true Scottish bagpipe for only GBP 12 -- a great value considering how much a signature gift the bagpipe represents -- it was purchased on High Street on the western end of the Royal Mile, called the "Scottish Exeperience."<BR><BR>Gained free admission on Sunday to the National Gallery of Scotland -- worth the walk, especially on a rainy day. They house a couple of Van Gogh's on the upstairs galleries. Most impressive room was the seven covenants bequeathed by the Duke of Cumberland -- worth visiting. The Museum bookstore was well stocked with the usual reproduced postcards and had great selections on books too.<BR><BR>Overall, Edinburgh is a great place to visit. It was crowded for our standards, and we can only imagine how much more crowded it will be once the summer months arrive, especially in August for the Festival when practically everyone from London will be in town.<BR><BR>HOpe this helps in your planning for a future visit.

Maggie: Don't you just love Edinburgh?? And Scots?? Two of my favorite things. <BR><BR>Want to address your question about BA's service. I just flew the Chicago-LHR-EDI route in late February on BA and I really didn't notice any greater lack of attention. We were bumped up (without asking) to the new World Traveler Plus section both ways, which was nice, but the stewards were no more attentive then they've ever been, which is hardly at all. But they are efficient and I don't need much when I travel--just give me the remote control and I'm set.<BR><BR>What I DID think was really nice was the full English breakfast served on the 45 minute flight from LHR to EDI! Let's face it, any airline in America under 4 hours you're lucky if they make one pass with the drink cart!<BR><BR>I'll continue to fly BA because the planes are always clean, the captain's accent puts me at ease (sorry, but whatever works and the flights are usually on time or early.

If "hubby" works in Scotland why have you never got beyond the "Ye olde tartane tatte shoppes".<BR>I imagine that the shopkeepers welcomed you as soon as you opened your mouths because they realised that they could rip you off more easily than they could the canny "local yokels".<BR>Finally, I know we Scots are an ingenious lot but a "reproductive claw foot bath". Do the baths so reproduced start out as cute little bidets? Perhaps the bath breeders are to be found next to the haggis hound breeders.

Grumpy<BR>Get a life eh? This lady was kind enough to post this report and we don't need your nasty comments. Crawl back into you cave and wrap your kilt about your burry head and leave us alone.

Thank you Ech!<BR><BR>I was lead to believe that Trip Reports are invaluable to those traveling to the city/town/country where fellow travelers may or may not have gone/visited, so I'll continue my report providing every detail as possible including the "NO Bidet" in the Lauriston Suite at The Howard on 34 Great King Street (New Town), just north of the Botanical Gardens.<BR><BR>The name of the Curried Tandoori restaurant is Golden Bengal. Excellent offerings and very good service -- includes slight views of the castle if seated closer to the windows.<BR><BR>As the day progresses, I'll keep posting (must get back to work) have a deadline for local newspaper...<BR><BR>Happy Travels everyone!

You couldn't understand the accents? How patronising.

Randy - it's not patronising, just true. I sometimes have difficulty with it - and I'm from Fife (the other side of the river)

Alright Keith, d'ye ken whit? Ah cannae understaund half o' the pish that comes oot the mooth of they weedgies.<BR><BR>I see you point, mate.

Maggie is obviously a troll. All those classic ugly americanizations are just a bit too good to be true.