We stayed at a lovely bed-and-breakfast called the Orwell Lodge. Along with everything else on this trip, we had misadventures getting there. A kind man at the train info station told us to catch bus #17. So off we traipsed to the bus stops. Asking several other kindly Scots along the way, we finally found a side street with a bus stop for #17. After waiting 30 minutes, we gave up and decided to walk back to the train station and catch a cab. Once there, it was only a matter of catching a driver's attention. Only seeing this done in movies, I raised my arm to flag one down. Amazingly, one stopped. A brightly rainbow-colored cab stopped a few feet in front of us and our bags. We walked towards it, only to be pushed aside by a rather rude old lady. Our mouths were agape as she slammed the door in our faces. The driver proceeded to get out of the cab and ask the lady out, seeing as he stopped for us and she had been rude. We proceeded in the cab, astounded. Along the way, we chatted. His thick Scottish accent was endearing, and he told us gossip about the English royal family and other stories. We tipped him, thankful to be at our resting place for the night. Once inside and checked in, we enjoyed a pint, watched a football match (that's soccer for you American folks), and talked to the bartender, who told us that we were smart to catch a cab, seeing as the #17 bus would have put us across town! All in all, our first night in Edinburgh was packed with new experiences. And the pint of Tennent's was a welcome sight.
Quick Tips:
Spend more than a day in Edinburgh. It's well worth it!Best Way To Get Around:
Make sure you have a bus map; after that, it's a breeze!