Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
We went through the city center of Edinburgh, Scotland to find a highly-recommended bar close to the university – only to find it closed. But luckily next to it Andrew Usher & Co., a student bar with many different beers on tap was open. A lovely place with self-service and board games (including a Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit) – a good place to relax. Continue reading “Beer tasting”
Calton hill is a hill in Edinburgh, Scotland not far from the city center. It was once the location of the city jail and is since 1999 the seat of the Scottish government. Tourists get up there to have nice views on the city center around the Royal Mile and Arthur’s Seat and to discover the different buildings on the hill. Continue reading “Best views on the city”
If you want to go hiking in Edinburgh, Scotland you might look at for Arthur’s Seat. It is the 251 meters high Hausberg of the city located 1.5 kilometers east of the city center. It is unclear why it is named “Arthur’s Seat“; some suspect that the name comes from the Gaelic “Àrd-thir Suidhe” meaning “place on high ground“. Continue reading “Arthur’s Seat”
The National Gallery of Scotland is a picture gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland – located within the Princes Street Gardens underneath Edinburgh castle. It consists of two neo-classical buildings linked in the underground and opened in 1859. The collection consists of Scottish and European masterpieces. Continue reading “National Gallery of Scotland”
The Scott Monument in Edinburgh, Scotland is a town’s landmark and the biggest monument honoring a writer in the world. It commemorates Sir Walter Scott and is located in the Princes Street Gardens not far from the main railway station named after his novel Waverley. It was built from the year 1840 on. Continue reading “Scott Monument”
If you’re tired of walking around in the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland you might consider a break in the Princes Street Gardens. They are located underneath Edinburgh Castle and can be found along the Princes Street beginning at the Waverley train station. This area was originally a lake that was continuously contaminated by sewerage from the old city center and was therefore dried-out. The park was then created in 1820. Continue reading “Princes Street Gardens”
The Britannia was a yacht used by the royal family from 1954 to 1997. It was utilized for 696 journeys to other countries and Prince Charles and Lady Diana had their honeymoon on the ship. In 1986 it was used to evacuate 1000 refugees from Yemen. Later it anchored in Leith now belonging to Edinburgh, Scotland and is maintained and used as a museum ship. Continue reading “HMY Britannia”
They are maybe the biggest attraction within the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland: the glasshouses surrounding the Temperate Palm House built in 1858. You can see numerous plants in different glasshouses with diverse levels of temperature and humidity – including a giant water lily. But already the main glasshouse in Victorian style is worth a visit. Continue reading “Giant Glasshouses”
The Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Scotland is a wonderful place to relax. It was founded in 1670 for scientific reasons close to the Holyrood Palace. Today it is split up into four different locations showing specific collections. It is the second oldest botanical garden in the United Kingdom – after that of the university of Oxford. Continue reading “Royal Botanic Garden”
The Mercure Haymarket is a nice hotel located a little bit aside in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is not too far from the Haymarket you can reach by tramway from the airport and the walking distance to Edinburgh castle is also still acceptable. The place is well decorated, clean and has very friendly staff and a good Scotish breakfast (including Haggis). Continue reading “Living underground”