Enchanting Edinburgh - Europe travel story
Enchanting EdinburghFaizul Khan Tanim recommends a magical city for adventures
With castles, cathedrals, myths about witches and warlocks, premium scotch, festivals, and historical stories about William Wallace, Rob Roy, the bagpipe, the kilt, the Loch Ness monster, and much more, Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland is a majestic city and capital since the 15th century.
It stands on seven hills creating a dramatic skyline for this lively cosmopolitan city. While touring the city, you can see the differences between Edinburgh's Old Town and the new Georgian part.
Listen to the tales of hangings in the Grassmarket as you marvel at stories about attempts to capture Edinburgh Castle. Visit the Royal Mile, where you will glimpse all the highlights of the city, which joins Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House.
Edinburgh Castle has the Scottish crown jewels and the stone of destiny. Walk down the path from the castle to see St. Giles' Cathedral. It is the mother church of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland and is located at the midpoint of the Royal Mile. Its interior central pillars date back to 1124. The church boasts some of the most exquisite stained glass windows in the United Kingdom, made during the Victorian era.
On the ground near the church is the Heart of Midlothian, a heart-shaped carving on the site of the former Tolbooth Prison. Legend has it that the prisoners used to spit before entering the jail, and locals carry on this tradition by spitting on the heart for good luck.
One can marvel at the splendour of Scotland’s original Parliament Hall, hear stories about the celebrated author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or experience fear near the Royal Mile area.
The city has a long tradition of fairs, festivals, full of music and drama. Don't miss the Fringe Festival or Edinburgh Tattoo festival in August. The Fringe is the most popular of all the festivals with tickets selling out by early January. Performers from across the world make this event unforgettable. New and established faces come with their shows and it is considered as a stepping stone for artistes.
When you are done, you can relax at the Edinburgh Hard Rock Cafe, sip your favourite drink and see the guitars and instruments hanging on the walls, used by great musicians.
As dusk approaches, you can take the fantastic ghost tours. Edinburgh’s history was, at times, brutal and murderous. This haunting past has resulted in ghostly sightings through the year.
Comments