Edinburgh: Part One
I arrived in Edinburgh on what happened to be a cold and rainy Monday afternoon, but this didn’t affect my excitement to finally be there. The city has a grand historic feel to it, which I noticed from the moment I began my walk from Haymarket station. Many of the buildings had a similar feel to what I had seen in London, during the previous months. Already it had a very different vibe to what I had just experienced in Glasgow. Below is a photo of Edinburgh Castle, an incredibly grand structure situated on one of the highest vantage points, looming above the city. I checked into my accommodation and decided to head straight to the castle to make the most of my afternoon. This below photo wasn’t taken on the actual day of my visit as it was so foggy that you couldn’t even see more than about ten meters in front of you.
During my second day in the city I went on a walking tour of some of the key historical areas along the Royal mile and the Grassmarket area. The Grave is one of Edinburgh’s cultural memorials for a Skye Terrier named Bobby, you can read about the story here. The stone reads: “GreyFriars Bobby died 14th January 1872 Aged 18 years.
Let his loyalty & devotion be a lesson to us all.
As a touching tribute, many visitors like to leave sticks as a small token of their appreciation. The cemetery is beautiful enough to just wander around and take in the architecture and history of the area. Further down you can see the famous statue of Bobby, located just a around the corner from his grave.
The famous Elephant House coffee shop was one of the places J.K. Rowling frequented whilst writing the Harry Potter novels, I didn’t go in but it was nice to walk by and see it for myself. After my walking tour in the morning I spent the rest of the day just exploring the city and taking in the sights. I was able to visit the writers museum just off the Royal Mile, which featured works and personal items of many of the city’s literary heroes. One of these was Robert Louis Stevenson who penned Treasure Island, one of my favourite childhood books, so it was very cool to be able to explore his story as a child and writer. That evening I decided to go on a ghost tour because I was curious about the darker aspects of Edinburgh’s history. We began on the Royal Mile and made our way in the opposite direction of the morning’s tour. We headed over to Carlton Hill just in time to see a beautiful view of the city during sunset and ended further down along the Royal Mile before finishing for the evening.
I really enjoy being able to take the time to learn about the history of the places that I visit, it enriches my own appreciation of the areas I’m exploring. Edinburgh was no exception, I didn’t know much about the history of the city or how it fitted into Scotland’s history. By the end of several days in the city I had a clear view of the past few hundred years and I was then able to see how this fitted into the nation’s overall narrative.
Look out for Edinburgh: Part Two coming soon!
Kathleen Freeman is a graphic designer and freelance writer; she is currently undertaking a Media and Communications degree. In her spare time she continues the search to find the book/coffee shop combination store throughout the globe.
All images, unless otherwise stated, are copyright of Kathleen Freeman, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of the author.