Taking the High Road to Scotland

Edinburgh is a delight of a city. The old town is fairly large, and the castle is one of the most impressive I've ever seen. Go dancing. Eat haggis. Sip whisky. Get out of the city and see the countryside. And go to the Highlands. This is only hearsay for now - I only had five days and I was based in Edinburgh, so I didn't really get the chance to go north. But everyone I've talked to says that it's a must. I will be back. You will then be able to find me in the Highlands.

The Artist's Sit provides great views of the city. It's the best vantage point of any city I've ever been in - and the best part is that you don't have to pay a few bucks to climb up in a tower to get it. Just put your hiking shoes on and head up there.

Quick Tips:

Go to the Highlands. Don't be like me, a poor soul who is now impatiently waiting my chance to get back to Scotland and head to the Highlands. Go. Go now. If you're into souvenir shopping, really shop around. I saw more price variation here than in many cities I've visited. Take advantage of the many free museums Scotland has to offer. There are excellent collections in Edinburgh. Go out! Drink the whisky, if you have the stomach. Talk to as many people as you can. The Scots are a fun-loving crew, and they have those beautiful, if occasionally not understandable, accents.

Best Way To Get Around:

I spent most of my time in Edinburgh, which is easily walkable though there is a good bus system available. There is also a free bus that runs between some of the museums. Bus 100 runs from the airport into town for £3 one way. Trains and buses go around the country and are actually fairly inexpensive. If you have the chance, rent a car and drive... where? North, of course.

We were hungry, hungry kids when we stopped at The Criterion in St. Andrews. It's a happy looking pub with a short but savory-seeming menu written on a couple of blackboards. There was indoor and outdoor seating. We were there around 3:00 in the afternoon, and there were people lingering at several of the tables, inside and out.

As I glanced over the menu -- quiche, lasagna, potato skins, soup, a variety of toasties -- I was all set to write a stellar review for them. I mean, quiche? Lasagna? On a short little pub menu? Fantastic. And everything for about 5 pounds or less! I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to eat, wavering between the quiche, the lasagna, and the tomato soup.

I finally decided on the quiche, placed my order, and we went outside to sit. The food arrived within 15 minutes, I would say.

I started with the salad. I was impressed, because the greens were dark and varied, and it included tomatoes and bell peppers. I'm not a big fan of dressings, but I didn't mind whatever it was that was on it. I'm also not a big fan of salads, so I ate a few bites and moved onto the quiche.

Big mistake.

It was cold. Not, "whoops, we didn't bring your food soon enough" cold, but "this is cold quiche" cold. Disgusting. It didn't even taste that good, even when I imagined what it might taste like warm. I've eaten strange things in my life, many of which I've enjoyed, but apparently I just don't have the stomach for cold quiche. Three bites later I gave up and went to the nearby Tesco for some groceries.

My friend ordered a toastie, which looked fine. I mean, how could it not be? It's not terribly hard to toast some bread, and if you're choosing your own fillings (of which there were many to choose) you can't really go wrong. He seemed to like it.

So, if you're in St. Andrews, maybe give it a try, but don't eat the quiche.

We arrived here after midnight - I was just grateful to find a place without a cover charge that stayed open past 1am! There are a couple of intimidating security guards at the door, but they smile and step aside as you enter.

To your immediate right there is a bar. To the left you'll see some comfy looking red seats against the wall. Don't linger - the space here is narrow and it's best to work your way through. There seemed to be another room in the back with another bar, but instead of entering we turned left and headed up the stairs past the bathrooms and into a room with a third bar and some enthusiastic dancers. In general, the downstairs seemed to be a little more mellow than did the upstairs.

Drinks were a little on the expensive side. Do yourself a favor and go on Sunday nights, when all drinks are one pound. We were there on Saturday so I didn't get to experience it, but I'm told that the Opium is very, very popular on Sunday nights.

And fairly popular on Saturday. We never did find a place to sit - everything was already taken. It's hard to generalize the Opium crowd. The young and the old, the conservative and the pierced/tattooed, the quiet and the loud all mingled together. Take note that my friend's coat was stolen. He went outside to smoke and we all accompanied him (Scotland is now smoke free in all enclosed public spaces!), and when we returned his coat was gone. This could happen anywhere, of course, but it's a good reminder that not all people are as upright as we want to believe them to be. I had a lot of fun here. Go. Go on Sunday, especially. Drink cheap! Hip-hip-hooray! 

Opium - Open from 8pm to 3am

National Gallery
10am to 5pm daily (7pm on Thursday)
Free!

I have to be honest: this is not my favorite of all the art galleries I've been to. The National Galleries of Ireland and England are both far superior. That said, it is still worth visiting. First of all, it's free. Also, it's small, which is part of the disappointment to me, but it means that it doesn't take long to get through it.

There are some paintings worth seeing. Rembrandt and Vermeer both have paintings here, as does my very favorite artist, Rubens. There weren't very many people here when I visited - midday on a Saturday. Of course, it is October, but there were still plenty of visitors around the castle and elsewhere in town.

If you really like art or have a little time to fill, stop by the National Gallery. If gazing at art isn't your favorite activity, this gallery isn't going to make you enjoy it any more. You shouldn't feel guilty if you don't make time for it.

Lyceum Theatre
Box Office Monday-Saturday 10-6pm.

Tickets to shows at the Lyceum vary in price, depending on where you sit, what day you go, and whether or not you are a student or a person with a disability. Matinees are less expensive than evening shows, and all seats cost the same on those days -- so if you want to sit up front, you won't be paying any more than you'd pay to sit in back. Matinees are on Wednesday and Saturday.

Students only pay half price! For a seat in the back, that means about 7 pounds for a weekend evening show. Not too bad for an evening of great theatre.

I saw Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice at the Lyceum. It's running through the October 21, so you can catch it if you're in Edinburgh before then. If not, you can look forward to Mary Stuart, Pinocchio, All My Sons, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Monks, and Man of La Mancha, playing in that order, each for about a month at a time, through May 2007.

I was sitting in the very last row of the highest balcony and I thought the view was fine. It was definitely worth saving some money, in this case. The space is fairly small, so even from back there you shouldn't have trouble hearing or seeing.

The set was plain, as any good Shakespeare set is. There were three chairs on a stage created to look like stone, with stone walls. The lights were used to great effect, changing the entire set from gray to gold when we were in Portia's chambers.

The costumes were modern-day, with the men's suits looking a lot more up-to-date than the women's dresses. One character in particular, Jessica (Shylock's daughter), is dressed quite differently from the rest of the characters. It adds an interesting emphasis to the fact that she is Jewish -- therefore different from the rest of the characters. She's even different from her father in that she doesn't like living under his rule, and she marries Lorenzo -- a Christian.

The show lasts about 2 hours and 45 minutes, which includes one intermission.

I really enjoyed the Merchant of Venice, and I will certainly be seeing another show at the Lyceum when I am next in Edinburgh.

Stand Comedy Club
8:30 or 9:00 pm
1-10 pounds

The Stand offers comedy shows every night of the week at its cozy downstairs location in Edinburgh. Prices vary according to what day it is and who is performing. Students can generally get a cheaper seat. Go early - otherwise you might be left with standing room only. It's a happy little space with animal print stool cushions and paintings on the walls. There are also messages written on the walls - in chalk or something made to look like chalk - that say things like "Please do not chat while acts are onstage" and "toilets." You know - essential information. It's a place that feels friendly even from the outside. I walked by unsure of whether I would stop or not, but it felt so nice that I had to go in.

That said, I actually went on Sunday at 1pm, which the Stand hosts Whose Lunch is it Anyway? It's a two-man improv act. They play the typical improv games that you might see on Whose Line is it Anyway? and some I've never seen before. This show is free every Sunday. They promote it as a great way to beat a hangover. The Stand has a small but enticing menu with dishes like Moroccan lamb, hamburgers, and nachos. They serve food Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening, and Sunday at lunch. There is also a well-stocked bar.

The show lasted about an hour and a half, maybe two hours, with two intermissions. I sat on the side in the back and had no trouble seeing the action. At one point, they asked the audience to name a B-list celebrity that they could use in their next act, and I was reminded that I wasn't exactly in Kansas anymore - none of the names mentioned were any I'd ever heard before! The audience gets plenty of opportunity for participation, as the performers get all their suggestions from the viewers. Two lucky (or unlucky?) people got to go onstage and manipulate the performers' arms and legs.

All in all, a lot of fun. I would have liked to go see one of the stand-up acts, but I guess I'll have to save that for my next trip to Edinburgh.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery
10-5pm daily (Thurs till 7pm)
Free!

The Portrait Gallery is another of Scotland's free museums. It's made up of portraits of the people who have shaped Scotland's history, and I found it surprisingly fascinating. It's a fairly large collection; you should be able to spend quite a bit of time here if you want to. It wasn't at all crowded.

My favorite portraits included those of J.M. Barrie, Andrew Carnegie, the beautiful young Queen Elizabeth II, and a painting called The Oncologists. This was an eerie work of three doctors whose research is helping to battle cancer. You won't want to miss that painting. In fact, I'm going to recommend going to the Portrait Gallery just to see that work. It's moving.

Definitely visit the Portrait Gallery before the National Gallery, and if you only have time for one of those -- this one is it.

When we found we couldn't rent a car (I was the only person with the winning combination of a driver's license and a credit card, and I wasn't about to attempt driving on the left side of the road), my new friend and I decided to hop on a bus to St. Andrews.

The ride took about two and a half hours along the coast. I'm sure it was beautiful. I was sleeping so I probably shouldn't make that claim. Someone try staying awake and get back to me on that.

We headed straight for that magical place where the land meets the water. There wasn't much there in the line of sand, just lots of rocks and cliffs -- absolutely gorgeous. We sat for a long time, enjoying the view and that cool ocean air, and not enjoying the smell of fish. Ew.

Then we ventured back to the center. It didn't take long. St. Andrews is a small, sweet little town, an absolute pleasure to walk through. You'll see dozens of students bustling around on their lunch breaks or after classes, dressed in uniforms.

We went straight to the Cathedral. You can go up in the tower if you pay, but we didn't. We just explored the ruins, which are fascinating. It was so massive! There are little plaques throughout the area explaining what part of the church you are standing in.

We also wandered through the cemetery, reading the tombstones. It's always hard for me to do that -- I feel I need to read each one, give each one equal time, but there are so many that it's not a practical activity for someone with only a few days in the country. If you have a few minutes to spare, read a few of them.

After eating a late lunch, we journeyed the 2.5 hours back to Edinburgh.

If you have an extra day for St. Andrews, go ahead and go. It's a lovely town, and the cathedral is well worth the visit.

Royal Museum
10-5pm daily
Free!

This is one of the best-displayed exhibits of natural history I've ever seen. Each animal is in its own little habitat. Some are sitting, some standing, some lying down -- one tiger is even leaping! It doesn't have nearly as many specimens as does, say, the Natural History Museum in Dublin, but the ones they do have are presented very well. Even if natural history museums creep you out a little bit, as they do me, you still might find yourself enjoying this.

There is another exhibit full of ironwork, jewelry, armour and other arts and crafts, including stuff from ancient Egypt! Especially interesting is the art in industry pieces -- I love looking at how people work to make functional objects look nice. You don't think of art tying into things such as kitchen appliances, but it does! It does! These things are designed not only for a functional purpose, but an aesthetic one, as well.

I could have spent a lot more time here. Unfortunately, we were in a bit of a hurry by this point, so we sort of hustled through. I'm planning to revisit it next time I'm in Edinburgh.

Okay, so it's not that much of a hike. Maybe twenty minutes up the hill. But it felt like a lot to me, a girl who has grown accustomed to the Netherlands, where you're lucky to find an incline, much less an actual hill.

It doesn't take long to realize where this particular vantage point got its name. The views are spectacular. I think it would inspire even a non-artist to pull out a pencil and paper. I went with Leo, a resident of Edinburgh who has been up there many times, and he still pulled out his camera and took a bunch of pictures before saying, "What am I doing? I already have so many of these."

You can look out over the sea and over the town. Across the way is the castle, and Holyrood Palace, the Queen's Scottish residence, is a bit to the right of that. Hold on to your hat. It was so windy up there. You even have to be a bit careful at the edge, as the wind can tip your balance on occasion. Be careful also during the climb up - the grass can be a bit slippery. If you're really brave you'll try running up the hill. I saw a couple of runners sweating their way up and down.

In so many cities, there is some church tower that charges you three euros to climb the stairs and see the city. They're often good views, but this is by far the best of any view of any city I've ever had - and it's free! We sat there for quite a while. I'd probably still be sitting, if I hadn't had to catch that pesky plane back home.