Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - What city to visit after London conference

Edinburgh Edinburgh itself is a mixture of a wonderful late mediaeval city with a planned Georgian New Town. The Castle is a must, but a brisk hike up Arthur's seat (a hill in the centre of the town above Holyrood Palace) will give you magnificent views out over the whole of east central Scotland. The Forth Rail bridge is worth driving past. The estuary of the Forth widens to superb beaches (with wonderful links golf courses behind them ) and in Fife you have St Andrew's, home of golf (the beach where they filmed the opening sequences of Chariots of Fire?). To get there you go past Loch Leven where Mary Queen of Scots was kept imprisoned on one of the islands. The Royal yacht Britannia is berthed at Leith, Edinburgh's port, and can be visited by the public, and the new Museum of Scotland in the centre of the City is pretty good, for the architecture as well as the exhibits. It's also a great shopping city. To the south you are about an hour's drive from the Borders; lovely rolling hills and some lovely stately mansions including Abbotsford which was owned by Sir Walter Scott- whose memorial is in the middle of Edinburgh's main shopping street, and which can be climbed for the view over the gardens and up to the Castle. Further north there are Perth and Stirling, and the foothills of the big hills (big by British standards, that is) Mary Kings Close is a street which, in the middle ages, was on ground level but when the great plague came to visit Scotland (and Edinburgh in particular) it hit the place hard. The worst section of the city was right in the heart of the 'old town', where the present City Chambers are nowadays. This street was known as Mary Kings Close (after an advocate’s daughter so the story goes) and the local authorities, the kind beings that they are, decided to seal the both entrances of the street up with everyone still inside. This street was rediscovered many years later and now you can take a tour down there. WARNING - they tell you that because of the many people sealed alive down there that there are ghost aplenty. It may be true - I went down a couple of years ago and it was a very, very chilly experience. Tours can be arranged from the Royal Mile The two best places in Edinburgh for folk music are 2 pubs (surprise!) One is the Tron and the other is Sandy Bell's. Sandy Bell's also used to produce a news-sheet "Sandy Bell's Broadsheet" and I think they still do, which lists all the folky stuff going on all over Scotland. As far as Edinburgh is concerned, I can think of another pub which houses traditional/folk music. It's the Ensign Ewart which is situated near the entrance to the Castle - can't miss it. Arthur's Seat IS a magnificent climb and, unless it is raining, well worth it for the views. It is a great openspace in the city. The approx. 1/2 mile hike provides a commanding view of the city, castle, sea, and sorrounding countryside. Another possibility is to take your car up to the northwestern suburbs. In Davidson's Mains there is a baronial (i.e., circa 1895 but looking very medieval) house called Lauriston Castle. The tours are great, as this "castle" has secret passageways, a library bookshelf that hides a secret door, etc. From Davidson's Mains it is a very short (7-8 minutes)drive to Cramond, which has a yachtsman's harbor, the mouth of the River Almond, a medieval church (Cramond Kirk) and the remains (in the churchyard!) of Rome's northernmost garrison fort. The New Town The Royal Mile The Castle Valvona and Crolla Greyfriars Bobby The Meadows Dean village the Scott Monument Calton Hill Arthur's Seat Hollyrood- palace and Park The New parliament The Museum of Childhood Cafe Vittoria St Giles Cathedral Parliament House Make sure you visit the National Museum of Scotland (Chambers St) in Edinburgh. It just opened and is incredible. As for places to not miss, don't miss the city of Edinburgh. There is so much to see and do. I enjoy the Palace of Holyrood, Edinburgh Castle, Mary Kings Close, Georgian House, Gladstone’s Land, St Giles Cathedral, and the Scott Monument. Plus there are great restaurants, pubs, gardens and parks. My favorite restaurant is The Marque. It is on Causewayside and the food is fantastic. The prices were quite reasonable considering the level of cuisine (about $35.00 per person including dessert). If it's atmosphere you like try The Witchery. The prices are a little steep, but the food is good and it's right beside the castle. (as far as atmosphere, the name says it all) There is a visitor's gallery at the Scottish parliament and you can get tickets from (would you believe) the ticket office! There is no dress code. We had dinner at Breck's Pub on Rose Street and I believe Princes St. Best meal we had in the UK our whole trip. Breck's is easy to find it has mounds of flowers all over the building. For a truly memorable dining experience, go to the George. It is a wonderful room and the food is exquisite. Don't miss it! We happened upon a wonderful restaurant called Stac Poly. The staff was wonderful and lots of fun and made my daughter's birthday very special. Highly recommend you have dinner there one night.