Two days In Edinburgh

Old Sep 15th, 2007, 03:49 AM
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Two days In Edinburgh

My husband and I are arriving in Edinburgh from US on a Saturday morning and are being met for a 3 day private tour of a very small part of Scotland outside of Edinburgh. We will return there on a late evening bus from Inverness so will be ready for 2 full days of sightseeing in Edinburgh and the immediate area. Any suggestions on the best way to pack as much in as possible? I am thinking we will want to tour the castle and then just wander around taking in all the scenery. My husband would like to make a quick trip to see Rosslyn Chapel (using city buses) but I thought that I had read it was being refurbished. Is it worth the trip out? About how long would it take? Thanks so much for any input.
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Old Sep 15th, 2007, 05:11 AM
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Before you arrive have a look at http://www.edinburgh-royalmile.com as this may give you some ideas as to places to visit during your stay. Probably the best idea is early on on your first full day, take one of the city bus tours (suggest the likes of Guide Friday as they have tour guides on board as opposed to others who provide taped commentary) This will let you see around the city and ask the guide any questions which you may have. The bus ticket lasts 24 hours so you can get on and off to suit yourself.
Edinburgh Castle can take 3 - 4 hours to look round and Holyrood Palace about 2 hours. The trip to Rosslyn Chapel using the 15A Lothian bus will in all take about 4 hours. There is work ongoing but it is still worth the trip.
The Whisky Heritage Centre (now Scotch Whisky Experience) on Castlehill is worth a look if you have not visited any of the distilleries during your stay. The walk down the Royal Mile is interesting especially the likes of the Museum of Childhood and the Peoples Museum http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/museu.../SC000138.html
When you get to the bottom oif the Royal Mile you can visit Holyrood Palace, The Queens Gallery and the New Scottish Parliament. Thereafter you can re-use your bus ticket to take a rest and travel round the city centre and this saves the walk back up the Canongate..
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Old Sep 15th, 2007, 05:23 AM
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The work being done on Rosslyn Chapel is to the outside, not the inside and it is definitely worth the trip.

I would probably start at the castle on day one and after that walk down the Royal Mile, stopping for lunch along the way and ending up at the palace.

On Day two I would head out to Rosslyn Chapel early, getting there when they open to avoid the heaviest crowds. I would probably agree with 4 hours. I'm trying to remember how long we spent. I'm thinking we got the 10am bus and it only took 30 min to get there, probably spent an hour and a half in the chapel and then we had lunch at the Rosslyn Glen Hotel. So yes, I'd plan on 4 hours, but no more.

This should leave time for more things to see on the first night, and the afternoon/night of the second day.

There are wonderful museums here, shopping, ghost/vault tours like The Real Mary King's Close, and much much more.

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Old Sep 15th, 2007, 06:46 AM
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I was at Rosslyn Chapel on August 31. The place has become a tourist objective and it was crowded. I suggest getting there as early as you can.

Before you go, read all you can because to walk in cold will leave you mystified. There is more there in a tight, compact space than you can imagine.

I suggest NOT reading (or re-reading) any of the da Vinci Code before going because much of what Brown says is pure fiction; factually his description is balderdash. As the Rosslyn guide said, "Folks, it ain't a movie set."

In Edinburgh, I suggest two places to visit. If you like gardens, then visit Princess Street Gardens, even take the afternoon tour led by one of the garden's rangers.

If you want to photograph the floral clock, you will need a wide angle lens. My zoom lens goes down to 38mm equivalent; a 28mm would have been far better for photographing the clock because of the clock's slanted and constricted position on the side of the hill.

If you like oddities, take a stroll up Carlton Hill.

The castle is somewhat obligatory, but I hope the tourist mobs are not as thick when you arrive as they were for us.

I fully agree on the on-off bus ticket. We took advantage of it because for the price you cannot beat it. You will need to walk some, but the bus is handy.

One note of caution about the bus: You must have the exact change for your ticket. The till does accept paper notes because I bought our day bus pass with a 5£ note.

However, don't get on the bus and hand the driver a £20 note.
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Old Sep 15th, 2007, 08:35 AM
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Princes Street Gardens are lovely, but if you really like gardens, then don't miss the Royal Botanic Garden.

When will you be there? Between October and April, there's less to see on the Royal Mile, and eelsewhere, as some very interesting places close during the off season.

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Old Sep 16th, 2007, 06:14 AM
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I've been to Edinburgh in January before and there was still lots to do, but yes do check on times and what is open if you are going off season.

I took a ton of pictures at Rosslyn Chapel this past June, if you want to get an idea of what it's like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tammima...7600601602153/

Those pictures are towards the middle/endish of my pics, and start after Edinburgh Castle.
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Old Sep 16th, 2007, 07:20 AM
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Thank you for all of the information. We arrive on Sept 29th and are taking a private tour in hopes of seeing just a bit more of Scotland. That tour is 3 days and we end up in Edinburgh on the night of Oct 1st and leave for a quick jaunt to London on the 4th before heading home on the 6th (husbands request - and since it is OUR anniversary!!).

We are very excited and counting down the days!
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