Scotland, the land of medieval kings attracted me from a long time, since I was a movie freak, and loved watching fiction based films based on the early ages of Europe. From London we took a flight to Edinburgh and then opted for a 3 day package tour to cover the delights of picturesque Scotland.You may even travel by train at quite affordable rates.
On reaching Edinburgh airport, we took a taxi to reach our hotel near Edinburgh station. I must say that if you are planning your tour, make sure you book your stay at the centre of the city, so that you spend the minimum time commuting to and fro from the hotel to city junctions like airport or train station. Finding hotels through internet and booking could be easily done, while you check the past review and ratings of the hotel.
Transporting around the city : Best is to avail the hop on hop off tour which operates throughout the year at vary affordable rates. You can buy tickets online. You may take a private transport or avail city buses.
Edinburgh, the magical city:
Edinburgh, is a bustling city that houses Universities, castles, restaurants and a rich history. Walking though the stony streets of Edinburgh is no lesser than experiencing the history of a once culturally rich Victorian city. Somewhere in my mind, I had a hallucination that Madam JK Rowling, must be sitting in street side restaurant with a cup of coffee, to pen down her next series of Harry Potter.
There are several tour agents, who will help you with a tour guide to cover the main spots of the city within 2-3 hours. Some adventure freaks prefer to go for a night tour with a story telling guide who would narrate the spine chilling horror stories from the past that includes witch rituals, pagan rituals, executions and some urban myths about local monsters.Don't be surprised to see some awesome magical feat performed by some local witchcraft on the streets.
There is no dearth of mediocre standard reaturants with excellent English breakfast. We enjoyed a full fledged breakfast at 10 £ and fish meal for dinner at 18£. I got the opportunity to taste haggis , a characteristic food of Scotland, made from inetrnal organs of sheep. Dont go as per the description, but the snack was crispy and awesome.
St Gille's Cathedral: Visit the St. Gille's cathedral, the first parish church in Edinburgh established in the year 854, which was re- conseracted in 1243. Observe the gothic style architecture of the church and find the passionate stories attached to it.
You may avail the rooftop tour which is possible for a group of at least 4 people or more. You will enjoy the spectacular view of the city, as well as enjoy some beverage at the café.
Edinburgh Castle: Visit the Edinburgh castle, said to be one of the oldest castle that is situated over a great volcanic rock, which according to the guides is 70 million year old extinct volcano. This is not only an infrastructure, but the four walls have experienced history of wars, killing and birth of royals.
Your guide will narrate the magical stories associated with each and every wall, corners of the castle.
: Have a walk on the royal mile, a succession of streets that join the palace with its castle. You might be have seen this in various Hollywood movies like 'Edinburgh in the nineteenth century', which was also published as a guide book.
Well, since Scotland is a city of magic, I saw various feats here that reminds of Harry Potter. Don't be surprised to observe real magic here on the streets.
Princess street garden: This is built in between two public parks situated at the centre of Edinburgh. They lie in the shadow of the castle of Edinburgh. Spend some time around the Nor loch, which is situated on the Northern side of the loch. Edinburgh being a medieval town, you may see various structures quite off the time, but preserved with great care.
National museum of Scotland :National museum of Scotland is quite an interesting place.You would love to see the grand galleries, art, design, fashion galleries and other archaeological collection of the world. Don't be surprised to discover the T. rex grinning with it's 5000 years old skeleton, posing to be your long lost brother ( just kidding).Your kid will definitely love the interactive games and other wonders of science on display in the museum.
Greyfriars Crik: if you have time in hand, stroll the city to explore Greyfriars crik, the meadows, Holyrood palace and Scottish Parliament building and money.
Well, this is not the end. If you are a bit interested in paranormal activities, you have a very interesting walking tour at night. This is a group tour led by a tour guide who will narrate stories of treachery, murder and suicide. Well, you might be so much indulged in his stories that you can come across a couple of Victorian character while in hallucinated state.(I am kidding again). Everything depends on your thoughts. But exploring a land of the unknown, a Victorian city which races with modernity and a vibrant city is a matter of chance. A travel freak like me never leaves behind an opportunity to see the unseen.
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