Sunshine on Leith

I chose the suburb of Leith over central Edinburgh for its accessibility by road and its transportation links into Edinburgh. Leith’s main attraction is the yacht, Britannia, and a little further down the waterfront, there is the Maid of the Forth which often sails out of Newhaven harbour to Inchcolm Island. There is another reason to stay in Leith… within a very small footprint there is an excellent variety of restaurants and pubs. Access to Edinburgh is down the two miles of Leith Walk, a busy street of small shops. The town core around The Shore and Leith Water is an attractive area of classical and Georgian buildings. We liked the relatively small-town feel while still within minutes of Scotland’s most interesting city.

Quick Tips:

If you’re going to stay in Leith for a couple of nights, I would first scout out the restaurants and make a few reservations. There are several establishments on The Shore overlooking the Water of Leith and a few more in the Commercial Quay complex. You can plan your trip on the town’s excellent website, Leith.

Best Way To Get Around:

Once in Leith, we found we could leave the car and walk everywhere in the area. For longer jaunts, into Edinburgh for example, there is the bus system. Bus stops are everywhere and in front of Ocean Terminal there is a series of stops that will allow you to go almost everywhere in the system. There is also the possibility of calling a cab (Persevere Taxis, 555 2323), but I never saw the need for one.

The Sandaig is a 4-diamond (AA), 4-star (Scottish Tourist Board) property overlooking Leith Links, a huge park of play areas and trees in central Leith. It has a number of immediate advantages.

While you can walk from here into Edinburgh, it’s about 2 miles down a busy street; I can’t advise it. The bus stop is just outside the door and a bus travels from there to Princes Street’s Waverley Station stop. You can catch the same bus back (#25) from in front of Marks and Spencer on Princes Street. If you’re driving into Edinburgh, getting in and out of Leith is easily done without dealing with busy Edinburgh Streets. (It’s just off the A199.) Within 15 to 20 minutes you will find a number of great restaurants.

All the rooms at Sandaig are in the two floors above ground level. There is an eclectic variety of rooms with different bed combinations. Rooms with a double and a single seem to be popular and one room features 3 single beds. There are 4 rooms on the top floor. Our room, #10, was to some extent, "under the eaves" and was a bit small, but it did have quite a large 3 piece bathroom. All the rooms that we saw were really well done, very clean, and some were just wonderful in their decoration and detail.

But there is more than just the room… there is breakfast. Breakfast is served in a beautifully decorated former front parlour. The offerings include the usual, but you can order a wide variety of things from a full Scottish breakfast to omelets and poached eggs and so on. Breakfast is a treat.

Parking at Sandaig is on the street… but with easy access to so much, I parked the car and either walked or took the bus. They also accept credit cards. It turned out to be a great place to stay. You can see more at Sandaig.

Fisher’s came highly recommended and it is difficult to get a table. We walked in during the week to make a reservation and had to settle for the night following. The menu is seafood oriented and the wine list is extensive, and it’s all done in a relatively small room.

The starters include swordfish, king prawns, scallops and smoked salmon in the 5- to 6.50-pound range. The main menu, which is quite short, includes finnan haddie, butterflied sea bass, grilled whole Dover sole, fillet of halibut, king scallops and braised ham in the 11.50- to 19-pound range.

The room is attractive--granite table tops, prints, mirrors and a strip wood ceiling with pot lights. The service is quick and attentive.

We ordered the finnan haddie and the sea bass, and without going into details of all the garnishes, both were very good and were served with a side of vegetables (snow peas, baby potatoes, and a carrot puree) that was done to perfection. We selected a white from the wine list at 12 pounds and finished with a cheese assortment at 7 pounds.

My only caveats: while we were dining, it got very loud in the room. It appears that Fisher’s is popular with local business types who gather to drink and eat. Also, our bill was presented with a 10 pound mistake in it. It was rectified without comment other than, "Whoops!". Much of the evening was very nice, but Fisher’s is in a highly competitive market.

To begin with: it was marvelous. We had walked in during the afternoon – a bar, somewhat smoky with a dining room that featured a somewhat limited menu on the other side. Regardless, I booked, and if you are booking for two, try to get the nice little niche in the window.

The limited menu included a number of rather exotic starters and went on to grilled fillet of salmon, a grillade of swordfish, fillets of sea bream and king scallops. There was also a vegetarian dish and the dishes that we ordered.

The room is handsome with a blonde-wood plank floor, medium-dark tables and chairs, ship prints, nice wall papers and colours, attractive mouldings and a printed ceiling as well as a curious ceiling decoration… pairs of oars cradled in ropes. (No smoking in the room and once in, cigarette smoking from the bar seemed negligible.)

We ordered the roast breast of pheasant stuffed with fruit dumpling wrapped in bacon and served with port jus and the pan fried fillet of prime Aberdeen Angus beef with creamed black pepper and cognac sauce.

Well, it was (as the English say) just brilliant. The steak fillet was enormous and both dishes were cooked to perfection and included an excellent side of vegetables. There is a dessert menu with a variety of offerings and a wide selection of coffees… we kept it simple with lemon sorbet and expresso.

It was a perfect evening in a great, little, unpretentious restaurant. I’d go back in a minute.

Giuliano’s is large, modern and bright. It presents as very smart with an open kitchen… a bit noisy but extremely friendly. And if there are some birthday celebrants in the house… they do get a fuss made over them.

The food is marvelous and the menu extensive. There are hot and cold antipastos, appetizers, chicken, veal and beef dishes not to mention pizza and pasta. Then there is a long wine list. You can check out the menu and see the restaurant atGiulianos.

We selected foccacia, a vegetarian antipasto and parma and mozzarella to start. We followed it with two extremely good pasta dishes from a long list, a bottle of Montepulciano, a double expresso and a dessert and it all came in at about 50 pounds plus tip. We were extremely pleased with the dinner.

So the food is excellent and the atmosphere is equally so. What will you notice most? I have never seen a team of waiters, all of whom are Italian, move so well. The service is superb, friendly and fun.

The area of the Shore has a number of good restaurants. If you’re thinking Italian, Giuliano’s is the place to be.

Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia now lies in Leith and is accessible from the top floor of the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. The entry is 9 pounds.

Britannia was launched in 1953 with an overall length of 412 feet and gross tonnage of 5862 tons. In her lifetime she would sail over one million miles, visiting 600 ports in 135 countries. Having been a royal home for 40 years, she was decommissioned in 1997, the last of a long line of royal yachts that began during the reign of Charles II.

How do I know so much? The visit begins in an exhibition area in the shopping center before you board the yacht. Having arrived at the entry point, you are given an audio device that moves you through the exhibits. You start at the top of the ship on the bridge deck and descend through 5 levels of the ship. The tour doesn’t go everywhere, but it will show you what you want to see and probably more.

From the admiral’s cabin near the bridge you will pass by the royal bedrooms to the three galleys and on to the magnificent dining room which is still used for corporate events and then to the offices of the Queen and her consort.

The yacht was meant to have the feel of an English country house and that is most evident in drawing room and its anteroom. The area could contain a reception of as many as 250 people. Then it’s down to the various messes and wardrooms, through the laundry and the hospital and on to the royal barge and the engine room. It is, to a degree, a lesson on the subject of class – the upstairs and downstairs at sea.

The audio device and the extraordinarily professional way that the tour has been organized make for a great visit and look into the lives of the royal family.

Edinburgh has a marvelous bus system. Lothian buses will sell you a day pass for 2.30 pounds (One way is 80 p. or one pound depending on the number of stops.). The buses seem to go everywhere--it’s just a matter of figuring out which number goes where you want to go. Buses going to Princes Street all end up at Waverley Station or across the street from it. From that point you can take the train or embark on one of the four tourist bus companies. These buses queue up on Waverley Bridge Street and the tickets are sold at the bus.

The four bus lines are Majestic Tours, Mac Tours, City Sightseeing and the Edinburgh Tour. Each has its own route and each charges 8.50 pounds for the day of sightseeing. Edinburgh is a large city… large enough to make bus use worthwhile. There is a small kiosk at the corner of Waverley Bridge and Princes Street (on the park side). The Lothian offices are at the corner of Waverley Bridge and Market Street. You can buy a Royal Edinburgh ticket which will give you access to all four bus companies for 2 days and admissions to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace and the Britannia. It’s not a bad deal and will save a lot of shoe leather. There is also a 4 company ticket that gets you 24 hours of transportation for 12 pounds.

This trip included visits to (and these are very brief observations): Edinburgh Castle (9.80) – You have to go just for the views. While the crown jewels of Scotland and their history is interesting, I found the National War Memorial building very powerful. The war museum is just that, but really, the castle doesn’t have a lot of impact. Camera Obscura (6.50) – On the Royal Mile near the castle, the wonderful world of illusion. The camera itself is a curiousity. Fun and interesting. Gladstones Land – On the Royal Mile near the castle. A National Trust property, a 17th century tenement building. Interesting, but unimpressive. Holyrood Palace and the Queen’s Gallery (11.00 combined ticket, can be done separately) At the other end of the High Street from the Castle. The Queen’s Gallery is with an audio tour. These are works owned by the late Queen Mother. I found the collection sentimental rather than interesting. The palace, however, contains wonderful state rooms. Scottish Parliament (No charge, you have to ask for a ticket into the chamber.) Opposite Holyrood Palace. Quite accessible and the architecture is interesting to say the least. The Royal Mile. Edinburgh’s High Street with lots of restaurants, bars and shops. A nice place to spend some time. St. Giles Cathedral. (No charge) On the Royal Mile. Interesting but not great. The Thistle Chapel is worth the requested pound. The Tartan Weaving factory. (No charge) On the Royal Mile near the castle. Worth a visit to shop or see the exhibits and watch the looms at work making tartan cloth.