Our tips for a great
getaway in... Edinburgh Scotland
A city of contrasts, Edinburgh is constantly trying to reconcile the old with the new. The Old Town huddles along the back of a ridge running from the ancient Castle down to Holyrood Palace (the Queen's pied-à-terre) and the modern Scottish Parliament. Ancient streets wind between towering houses with old pubs in the cellars deep beneath. Across Princes Street, the New Town is laid out in fine Georgian splendour. Here, the counting halls, made superfluous when the Scottish Capital's thriving financial sector moved to the outskirts, have re-emerged as halls of hedonism. Over it all looms Arthur's Seat, a mountain in the city, impartial to theatre, Festival, Fringe or fortune.
bestpub for real ale: The Regent Bushy eyebrows were raised when an out-and-proud gay pub won the accolade of being the local Campaign for Real Ale's pub of the year. But The Regent isn't your usual cold-lager-and-cocktails gay bar with a constantly pounding soundtrack. It's a traditional pub first – but with a gay edge. A straight-friendly venue that welcomes all-comers and serves its beer with the care it deserves. Where >2 Montrose Terrace, Edinburgh Tel:+44 (0)131 661 8198 view map
beststreet: Fleshmarket Close The multitude of small alleys that run between – and sometimes underneath – the houses on the Royal Mile are known in Scotland as a "close" or a "wynd". Exploring them is one of Edinburgh's unique attractions: who knows what will be at the end – a magnificent view, a towering courtyard or a hidden "howff" (pub). One of the best of these is Fleshmarket Close, which runs North from opposite the Fringe Office, across Cockburn Street and down steep steps to the Fruitmarket Gallery and City Art Centre. It contains Edinburgh's smallest pub, the Halfway House, and also gave its name to one of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus novels. Where >Halfway House, 24 Fleshmarket Close, Old Town, Edinburgh Tel: +44 (0)131 225 7101 view map Website > www.halfwayhouse-edinburgh.com
bestvenue for live music: The Voodoo Rooms The recently opened Voodoo Rooms in West Register Street attract a classy brand of band to their gold-on-black environs in the New Town. Situated above the Cafe Royal – itself the best restaurant to eat oysters in the city – this hive of interconnected Victorian social rooms has had all the original ornate plasterwork picked out in gold-leaf. Serving as a cocktail bar by day, by night the entertainment is equally as fabulous. Where >The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, New Town, Edinburgh Tel:+44 (0) 131 556 7060 view map Website > www.thevoodoorooms.com
bestrestaurant for regional French cooking: La Garrigue La Garrigue brings a touch of the Languedoc to Edinburgh's Jeffrey Street. Chef/proprietor Jean-Michel Gauffre has created an authentically warm and welcoming atmosphere to complement the kind of dishes you would find in the southwest of France. Here, there's time for a pre-prandial pastis before delving into the sensual delights of the cuisine from Gauffre's home province. Where >La Garrigue, 31 Jeffrey Street, Old Town, Edinburgh, Tel: +44 (0)131 557 3032. view map Website > www.lagarrigue.co.uk
best-kept secret: what's in the crypt of the Rosslyn Chapel? Secrecy shrouds the beautifully ornate Rosslyn Chapel in the village of Roslin just south of Edinburgh, with its Apprentice Pillar, carvings of maize (long before a European had been to the Americas) and fertility-giving Green Men. Not least of the myths associated with the chapel is that Scotland's crown jewels, the Holy Grail or even the head of Christ are hidden in its crypt. Unfortunately, although the crypt certainly exists, its entrance has been lost. And since no-one can actually check, what's inside remains a secret. Where >Rosslyn Chapel, Chapel Loan, Roslin, Midlothian, Tel: +44 (0)131 440 2159. view map Website > www.rosslynchapel.com
bestview of the castle: tomb with a view! A snapshot of the Castle is near-obligatory for anyone visiting Edinburgh. But for something a bit different, go to the tombs to the rear of the Old Calton Burying Ground on Waterloo Place – past the tower-like mausoleum to philosopher David Hume. Looking out over the valley between New and Old Towns, they provide an excellent perspective of the Castle, particularly when it glimmers in the mid-evening sunlight. Where >Old Calton Burying Ground, Waterloo Place, New Town, Edinburgh. view map
Compiled by Thom Dibdin
besttrivia
One of the earliest depictions of the Stars and Stripes is a piece of graffiti carved by a prisoner during the American War of Independence on a door in Edinburgh Castle.
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