Searching for Braveheart

All I ever want to do when I visit a new city is approximate the experience of the locals as much as possible. Alas, this was not to be with Mom in tow, who proudly proclaims that all she ever wants to do when she visits a new city is hit all the spots in the guidebooks. Nevertheless, I was able to taste some fine scotch whiskeys, linger in dusty corners of a couple of medieval castles, jog along the Water of Leith, and down a few pints in the local pubs, all in the hopes of touching the intangible answer to the question: what would my life be like if I lived in Edinburgh?

Quick Tips:

Do not hesitate to ask the locals for help: my mom and I were looking for a particular shop, and the guy we asked got on the phone to call them up for directions, then walked us halfway there!

And The Royal Mile is one of the biggest tourist traps I've ever seen. Steer clear if you have even half an ounce of adventure in your blood.

Best Way To Get Around:

Edinburgh is a city to be experienced on foot. But, if even your most comfortable walking shoes have given out, I suggest you brave the bus system. It's easy and quick, especially if you have an idea of the main thoroughfares and where they intersect.

Apparently, not only is the Residence a homey and luxurious city hotel, but it also sells its availability as timeshares. My mother and I are lucky enough to have a friend with four nights of his timeshare left who gamely offered them to us.

We had a room with one queen bed, a sitting area (couch, coffee table & TV) at the foot of the bed, and a round dinette tucked in the window alcove. This dinette area was a charming & cozy place to sit and read the paper while watching folks walk by the bay windows. The bathroom had to have been half as large as the living area itself - that is, it was enormous, and had a deep tub perfect for soaking, a towel-warming rack, and plently of shelves to hold the toiletries of two vain women! The decor of the room was cassic, classy and welcoming. We both immediately felt comfortable - and my mom is in her early 60s and not readily at her ease in hotels.

The staff was wonderful - they answered every question, mapped out daily itineraries for us, recomended restaurants and then made the reservation, you name it!

Even the other guests were lovely, friendly, and curious, knowing when to politely take their leave and when to chat on.

There is a sitting area on the ground floor with an honor system whiskey bar. That was enjoyable, to have a sip of scotch and sit by the fire flipping through art books. Our room had its own entrance as well along the side of the building, so if we preferred we could leave from there.

This hotel is owned by the same businessman who owns the Bonham Hotel & Restaurant up the block, and thus room service is available from the Bonham Restaurant. My mom and I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with traditional fish and eggs on our last morning there. Other mornings we just made our own coffee and tea from the supply they provided in the hutch there in our room.

Overall, I'd recommend this hotel to anyone concerned more about their comfort than their budget. It was within walking distance from key sites (the museums, Princes Street) in the city, and close enough to the Water of Leith that I had easy jogging every morning we were there.

A lovely restaurant with sidewalk seating off George Street and Princes Street, my mom and I had our best lunch here of the whole trip.

We sat at a table outside and enjoyed the September sun as buskers played merrily from across the street.

The endearing (but not chatty) waitress bustled out with our appetizer--breaded goat cheese fried to tasty perfection--and then quickly followed with a steaming pot of mussels in a fragrant broth of shallots and cream. My mom and I devoured them as quickly as we could without seeming piggy; they were that good.

Obviously, from the name of the joint, we ordered the house specialty and got it right. Also on offer was a menu of other seafood delights, salads, and whatnot, as well as about four different broths for the mussels to choose from.

I'd recommend this restaurant for lunch, as the pedestrian traffic is fun to watch and the crowds seem to thin out in the afternoon. My mom and I split lunch, and my bit was just over 7 pounds, and the exchange rate that the time put that meal at around $12 or $13.

See www.mussel-inn.com.

This restaurant was a nice walk from where we were staying (The Edinburgh Residence) and is situated in a darling Tudor House.

You walk in, and the ground floor is a charming wine bar - it really does evoke France - where I would have wanted to return one afternoon to sit and sip wine and taste cheese if we'd had the time.

The dining room is on the second floor, furnished in dark wood with tables pushed against the walls beneath windows that afford a lovely view of the Leith River and the neighborhood.

The proprietors, the chef and the wait staff are all French, which certainly adds an authentic touch. I had for dinner the roasted venison, which was cooked until it was quite tender and which was served with a sauce of its juices and cranberries. It was quite tasty. My mother had the duck, which I can't remember how it was prepared but she did enjoy it. We each got servings of scalloped potatoes, which were creamy and moist.

As we were dining on a budget (and frankly, towards the end of our trip, tiring of restaurant food) neither of us ordered dessert or coffee. The exchange at the time brought my half of the meal to around $30 with tip, not cheap considering I didn't even have a glass of wine.

However, if you feel like splurging you could have quite a cozy meal here. Also, I would definitely recommend the wine bar at the end of a long day of museum-hopping.

My mom and I walked by this restaurant when we were shopping on the chic George Street and it instantly appealed to me. The back dining room is done in all oak panelling, with shiny oak tables, which is a little pub-like. But the front room with the bar is a bit shinier, a bit more glamorous, just right for toasting a night out on George Street. It was just what I, a 30-something city girl, was looking for. So, we went in for dinner (an early one--we were seated by 5pm) and I was instantly convinced, while my mom was dubious. This bore itself out throughout the meal, as it seems the restaurant is designed more for 20- and 30-somethings who are looking for a place to sip cocktails and peruse the rest of the crowd and less for people like, well, my mom.

Thankfully, though, the noise level was subdued throughout our meal (we sat in the back dining room) and the cute crowd didn't start to pile up until we had paid our bill. And the meal: service was excellent, but our food was inconsistent. My salmon cakes, the appetizer, were quite possibly the best I've ever had, tangy and fresh, with cilantro and scallions, while my entree of tomato risotto was a complete let-down, very average and boring despite the fancy presentation with crossed chive spears and designer toast. My mother finds an average meal almost unforgivable, while I am willing to forgive if the "scenery" is above average.

Our bill for two, with drinks and post-exchange, was about $80, steep for the quality and atmosphere.

I would recommend either stopping in for lunch, when things are less expensive and less nightlife-y, OR coming in around 7pm wearing your party shirt and favorite jeans, with three of your best and cutest girlfriends in tow.

To preview before you go, see www.thelivingroom.co.uk.

This cafe is located in the basement of the Scottish Nat'l Gallery of Modern Art, and I have to say, it's as good as any museum cafe I've been in, and possibly the most pleasant!

It is brightly lit with a view of the gardens: floor-to-ceiling windows run all along one side of the restaurant. Food is served cafeteria-style, and lines can get long, so either get there at noon on the dot when they start serving or bring an extra dose of patience with you. It can get loud in the room, so be prepared for that.

On offer are selections of soups, salads, and sandwiches made fresh each day. Everything we had was tasty, and it was, in fact, hard to choose! You can also get a glass of wine or beer and desserts like carrot cake, etc.

All in all, it was a lovely place to take a break from an intense day of "museum-ing" and recharge for the next museum.

Oh, if you are in Edinburgh and have ever read a book or drank a pint of beer, you must join this walking tour. I had a lot of fun with the wacky actors arguing their literary history, and with the other members of the tour who were good sports and just as interested in the tour as in the multiple pit stops we took at pubs along the way.

The actors who lead the tour play two argumentative and opposite types who, through their debates on the characters and lives of Scotland's greatest writers, tell you about the rich Scottish literary history. The tour winds you through some historic areas of the city, and although only one of the bars was really & truly a pub where the great authors tippled, the other sites were picturesque and close enough that after a pint or two no one was complaining!

After the tour ends, the guides deposit you in a pub (the Abbotsford) on Rose Street, where most of us stayed for a few more pints and a chat until the publican had to shoo us off our stools.

This pub tour is an excellent thing to do if you are with friends or if you are a singleton (as was I), since the actors instantly create an air of camraderie that puts everyone in a jovial and social mood. Plus - you'll laugh a lot!

One of the best things to do when visiting a city is to put on your joggers and go for a run. You get the heart pumping, get a local's view of the city, and with any luck get lost enough to stumble upon some lovely tucked-away neighborhood chock-full of architectural examples.

The Water of Leith is perfect for this. Most of it runs along the river, and the path is an easy-on-the knees dirt and gravel. But bits of it hop up into the city itself, and wind through behind houses and offices. During on of these hops is when I got lost, turned around, and ended up running towards the suburbs rather than back towards Edinburgh. And my but weren't the houses lovely - three-story stone things, with picture windows and secret gardens out back. Some even had their own stone stairways that led down to the Water of Leith.

Eventually a nice Scotsman (a bit taken aback at my red and sweaty face) pointed me in the right direction and returned me to the path along the River. Poor guy was going to work - while I knew I was going to spend my day in the Castle and in museums.

The run along the water of Leith is perfect - tranquil, with the occasional couple walking their dog, leafy trees overhanging the gurgling river. For a runner, it was almost as good as it can get in a strange land.

I entered the pathway along the Water of Leith through the Dean Gallery entrance, which was right near my hotel, but there are entrances throughout the city (just ask at your hotel's desk) and then follow the handy arrow'ed signs along the path to get "there & back again." When in doubt, rely upon your friendly Scotsmen!

Go here for more information: http://www.waterofleith.org.uk/river/river.shtm

My mom and I stopped in here after a thorough tour of the castle, and boy, were we ready for something to warm us from the inside out! We went around 4pm and stayed for about an hour--it seemed to be the off-peak period, which was nice, since we got some extra attention from the bartender. She knew her scotch whiskeys, and was she eager to share her knowledge.

We managed to wheedle her into bending the rules for us and switching out the preselected whiskeys in the tasting flight to ones we requested. All told, the whole tasting experience was $30 (after exchange), plus I think we tipped her, which was well worth the warm, glowy, relaxed feeling we walked away with!

The four we tried were the Auchentoshan 10 year, Glengoyne 10 year, Glen Elgin (this was my favorite and wouldn't you know it, only available at their shoppe), and the Caol Ila 18 year. She helped us devise a "flight" of whiskeys that ranged from smokey to peat-y.

This whiskey bar was the perfect way to cap our first day in Edinburgh, especially for scotch whiskey novices like us (and less so now).

It is times like these that IgoUgo works against us - so much has already been written about this fantastic castle by IgoUgoers, I can't imagine what I could possibly add. But I will try, since every visit it unique, right?

My first suggestion is do this early in the day while youe energy is up. There are so many nooks & crannies to investigate, and if you are a history buff (or even if you're not), you will want to really take your time to meander through. My mom and I did the audio tour, and I found it extremely helpful to hit the buttons at each site as we came to it, and to hear about the royals, soldiers, and others who made history at the castle.

What made this castle perhaps my favorite part of our time in Edinburgh was the way it captured my imagination. I could imagine the battles fought against the British who were storming from the base of Castlehill. I could imagine the noblewomen strolling through the courtyard during peacetime. I could imagine the plots agaisnt the Queen Mary, the whispers in the nooks & crooked stairways. I could see the guards patrolling the rooflines and wall's permieters.

We were there on a sunny day - so lucky! - and were afforded stunning views of the city from the top of the castle's walls. It wasn't hard to imagine what the city would have been like filled with the clattering of horses' hooves and carts, or blanketed in snow for the winter. It was here that I first thought I could imagine the brave, hardy and proud spirit of the Scots, as I learned about the numerous times the beat the English back, or the numerous times they seized their own castle from the Brits.

What can I say? I highly recommend this castle to anyone who has a shred of imagination in their minds or a wisp of romance in their hearts!

This is surely one of the coolest galleries I've ever been in during all my travels. I will call it a jewel box of a museum. It reminded me most of the Frick Gallery in Manhattan in that it is a highly considered and carefully crafted collection, put together within its building for a total effect.

While the Frick specializes in traditional Old Masters' art, the Dean specializes in surrealist, and to a lesser extent, modernist art. To support this eclectic collection, the gallery's walls are painted vibrant hues of blue, red, orange, and purple. Wow! The second I walked in, I felt at home. Now here's a museum where I won't get in trouble for talking!

Apparently the main benefactors of the gallery were enormous collectors of surrealist art and maintained the most extensive library of writing on surrealist theory and practice. This library is reproduced within the gallery and it is a marvel. Not only are books and pamphlets by Dali and Magritte and others on display, but there are "cabinets of wonder," which feature sculptures of dismembered hands and feet, examples of taxidermy (a platypus!), and other such oddities. All together, the total effect is perfect and complete. It makes you smile at the whimsy, but also makes you shiver at the places these artists' imaginations could go.

One of the most memorable pieces is a large sculpture that takes up the entire foyer, which has a vaulted ceiling, so this sculpture is two stories high! It's by Eduardo Paolozzi and is a massive rendering of Vulcan.

While we were there, a special exhibition of the photographs of Henri Cartier-Bresson were on display on the second floor. They were a sobering counterpart to the surreal art on the ground floor. It showed his photographs taken over the course of his career from throughout the world. For exhibitions that may correspond to your visit, you can visit http://www.natgalscot.ac.uk/.

Also worthy of a visit are the sculptures on the grounds of the museum, as well as the Water of Leith walkway, which you can access from the Dean Gallery's property.

While fans of more traditional art my be put off by this wacky collection, I'd recommend this gallery to anyone, since it has such strong personality!

And on the last day, I found Braveheart.

To get to Stirling Castle, I had to play it cool. Feign disinterest, perhaps even slight disdain for yet another castle with stories of other vanquished Scot royals and warriors. But in the end, my mom and I booked the train to Stirling and were on our way.

The train deposited us at the base of the town about an hour after we left Edinburgh. Rather than hoofing it up that long, steep hill, we jumped in a cab that drove us up to the castle in 10 minutes. It was a scenic ride through Old Town and worth every pound we paid as we relished every step we didn't take!

And there it was, settled up on the tip of the highest hill, with green lawns spreading down in every direction... Stirling Castle, defended by William Wallace, inhabited by Mary Queen of Scots and her son King James, and site of one of the most sophisticated and down right coolest excavations ever. These restorations were archaeological in scope and are in the process of determining what the original rooms were structured like, what their uses were, and how they morphed over the decades.

The self-guided audio tour explained it all fantastically, with sound effects and details that brought all the rooms and buildings to life. I could linger where I wanted and skip ahead when I wanted. From the first steps through the outer gates, my imagination was enthralled. I could hear the horses clattering up into the castle with news for the queen; I could see the ladies in waiting milling about gossiping about the latest scandals between Mary and her deadbeat husband Lord Darnley.

I loved walking through the castle itself and learning about the royal chambers and the hall where the king and queen gave audiences. The chapel, one of the oldest in the whole UK, and the great banquet hall were both amazing when I stopped to think of the historic monets that passed there--Prince James' baptism and the final feasts of Mary Queen of Scots' reign before she was thoroughly under the thumb of Queen Elizabeth of England.

But I must say that my romantic heart got the better of me, and I felt an emotional charge as I listened to the details of the battle William Wallace is most known for--when he won back Stirling Castle from the British on September 11, 1297. And note, people: I have never seen the movie starring Mel Gibson! Stirling Castle is that powerful, the landscape surrounding is that evocative, that simply having the story told to me while I stood there on the castle wall, looking out over at the Wallace Monument, gave me a shiver imagining the pride and surge of power the Scots must have felt at reclaiming their castle. I tell you, history clings to this place like moss on a rock. And just like that, I found Braveheart.