things to do in edinburgh

[audi1961]

other than the normal attraction s like the zoo, castle shopping on princess street etc, what else is there to do and see in edinburgh, have been told about a clock museum but cant find a location for it , any help so we can have an even better time there would be great

[Buenchico]

I'm particularly interested in clocks but I'm unaware of any specialist museum in Edinburgh.

The Royal Yacht Britannia is popular with many visitors:
http://tinyurl.com/5ff7gg

The People's Story Museum is also recommended:
http://tinyurl.com/5fq5j4

Being a big kid, I particularly enjoyed the Museum of Childhood:
http://tinyurl.com/577yly

For further ideas, check out the links here:
http://tinyurl.com/6btpcn

Chris

[audi1961]

someone we know came upon it by accident so doesnt know exactly where it is, he referred to it as a museum but it possibly is maybe an old shop

[vehelpfulguy]

How about the Royal mile ?

This is a road that links the Castle at one end, and Holyrood House at the other.

There are thing to see and do all the way down the mile and you could easily spend a day going from one end to the other (assuming you go in the castle and Holyrood house).

Here is a picture of it, with the castle in the foreground and Holyrood house in the distance.

http://www.architecture.ed.ac.uk/assets/Ed1/ca stle_royalmile.jpg

Here are some web sites for the royal mile

http://www.edinburgh-royalmile.com/

http://www.aboutscotland.co.uk/edin/royal.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Mile

[vehelpfulguy]

The old original part of Edinburgh is around the castle and the Royal Mile.

It was very hard for the city to expand as the land north of the castle was a huge bog, and all the sewage from the city went into this bog, so it stank.

Eventually they cleared the land and built a whole new set of streets with lovely squares and buildings.

The area is around George Street. If you look at this map you below can see the straight lines of the roads and squares either side of George St (north of the castle).

This area is well worth a visit.

http://www.edinburghhotelscotland.co.uk/edinbu rgh-hotel-images/Edinburgh_Map_City_Centre-lg. jpg

[vehelpfulguy]

There is also the botanical gardens

http://www.rbge.org.uk/

[vehelpfulguy]

One thing to consider is a ghost tour.

While I do not believe in ghosts, there are certainly many strange and eerie places in Edinburgh, particulalry in the old town near the castle.

When the plague hit the narrow crowded lanes in Edinburgh the authorities decided to brick up either end of some of them and allow the people inside to die.

It is said ghosts walk these lanes.

As I said, I dont believe in them, but these tours do take you into some places that you cannot normally visit, and if you go late at night it can really scare you.

One of the most famous "haunted" areas is Mary King Close. More here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_King's_Close

http://www.stuckonscotland.co.uk/edinburgh/mar y-kings-close.html

http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/

http://www.mercattours.com/home.asp

[jno]

did I read somewhere they are actually digging up the royal mile this year? If so it could be very crowded or dusty. Scots may be able to set me straight on this if I've got it wrong.

[edinphred]

There's a lot more to Edinburgh than the Royal Mile and the New Town although they are fantastic places to visit and I'd reccomend them too.

There are regualr free buses between all the major art galleries in the city e.g. The National Portrait Gellerty to the Galley of Modern art. The bus service connects them all and is free to everyone.

Then there's the little gems like Cramond Village down by the shore with Lauriston Castle on the way. There's the port of Leith which has some interesting tourist walks and Portobello Beach is worth a visit on a sunny day, it's well past it's sell by date but it's fun all the same.

It really depends on how long you're spending in the city and how many people you're traveling with e.g. kids, family, partner, as part of a group.

I'd also reccomend a visit to the Scottish Parliament building, Dynamic Earth (if there's kids) and a walk up Arthur's Seat for the most amazing views in the City.

[Whickerman]

Mary King's Close is a must see. Several streets were literally bricked up during the plague, and the rooftops used as the foundations for streets built above. They're reopened this and you can take tours - bloody impressive, but get tickets early. I don't go for all the ghost tosh, but it's a remarkable historical visit.

[Whickerman]

see, I really should read these posts first. Sorry vehelpfulguy.

[audi1961]

thanx all

[JoolsTwo]

jno - They are digging up most of the main streets in Edinburgh at the moment. They are putting in tram lines. We were there a couple of weeks ago and it was a mess. I just hope these trams are worth all the upheaval.

[audi1961]

well whatever we decide to do i am sure we will have a great time, but wont be taking a machine gun, sorry

[dawndevil]

National Museum of Scotland Chamber Street
http://www.nms.ac.uk/nationalmuseumhomepage.as px

Art Galleries
http://www.nationalgalleries.org/
city art centre (they have a james bond exhibition on you might like the films?)
http://www.cac.org.uk/


Enjoy!

[audi1961]

thanx, hubby is a bond fanatic especially the aston martins. since i first posted my question have found out that the clock place i was looking for is apparently down an alley near jenners department store and is an old fashioned clock shop rather than an actual museum, but appreciate all help given so roll on tuesday when we are off.