A Ferbruary Weekend in Edinburgh
We booked this trip months in advance, and as the date got closer, one question kept coming up: what would the weather actually be like? Scotland in early spring doesn't exactly have the best reputation. As it turned out, we had absolutely nothing to worry about.
The trip started the way it often does – laptops out, working from the hotel room. Once that was out of the way, Edinburgh was waiting.
Down and under
Our first proper stop was The Edinburgh Underground, and our guide Morven turned out to be one of the best we've ever had.
Our guide Morven
The underground is actually i the fourth floor of this building
We entered from street level on South Bridge, walked down two flights of stairs and felt ourselves descend below ground. So when the tour ended and we headed for the exit – down another three flights – we stepped through a door and found ourselves back on a completely normal street, same level as everyone else. Mildly baffling. It took us a moment to work out what had happened: South Bridge spans an entire valley, and we'd entered from the top and exited from the bottom. The photo above explains it better than words can.
The bridge with the vaults that have been incorporated in buildings to make up the underground
The vaults themselves were originally used by merchants, until the bridge's cheap construction let in so much rainwater that they gave up and left. The criminals who moved in ran a thriving illegal distillery – whisky and gin at around 45-48% – because nobody in Edinburgh could get a licence from the English after the Act of Union. Everybody drank the illegal stuff, including the noblemen.
Inside the vaults. It was wet and humid due to water sieving through from the road above
Up on the Royal Mile
Walking up the Royal Mile afterwards, we passed Paisley Close, where the inscription above the arch reads "Heave awa chaps, I'm no dead yet" – the words of 12-year-old Joseph, pulled from the rubble two days after a tenement collapse in 1861. The story made it all the way to Charles Dickens, who happened to be in Edinburgh at the time.
Heave awa chaps, I'm no dead yet
The Royal Mile has no shortage of entertainment. On almost every corner there's someone busking, and on this particular day the soundtrack was provided by a piper in full kit.
Busking in Edinburgh
Amazing Grace - I love bagpipes!
Scott Monument
The views from the top of Scott Monument are worth every step of the climb – Edinburgh Castle to one side, the New Town stretching out to the other. The decorative detail up close is something else entirely.
A sheep called Dolly
Thomas has a more than average interest in genetic technology, so a visit to the National Museum of Scotland was on the list. And there she was – Dolly, the world's first successfully cloned mammal, staring back at us from behind glass. Edinburgh, never short of surprises.
Dolly, a scientific wonder
Eggs Royale and a good start to the day
We are, it has to be said, big fans of Eggs Royale. When it's done properly – runny yolk, proper hollandaise, good smoked salmon – it's hard to beat as a way to start the day.
Eggs royale for breakfast
thejazzbar
We love jazz, and one evening we headed down to thejazzbar, a proper underground jazz venue just off the Royal Mile. One of those places that feels exactly right the moment you walk in.
Duck & Waffle
We also tried the Edinburgh outpost of Duck & Waffle. Great spot – but it can't quite match the original in London. Some things just belong where they started.
Barry Fish
Dinner at Barry Fish in Leith was the highlight of the trip on the food front. We started with cocktails and crab tartlets, followed by grilled octopus and a lobster bite that barely lasted two seconds. Mains were a beautifully cooked halibut in a rich bisque sauce – the kind of dish that requires a sip of wine between each bit in to give you the ultimate food experience.
In Edinburgh slang, "barry" means something is really good. So Barry Fish essentially means "great fish» (which is true) and not, as we though; that the owner was called Barry.
But the head chef was, so we were not entirely wrong.
Edinburgh is one of those cities that rewards curiosity. Around every corner there's something that's either very old, very strange, or both. We'll be back.
