Scotland | Backpackingmatt.com

backpackingmatt January 14, 2010

A Local’s Perspective: Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland 5 Replies

Today’s guest post is written by Nicole Graham. Nicole recently graduated from Edinburgh’s Napier University and studied Tourism Management. Nicole’s travel experience includes mainland Europe, the US, Nepal, Australia, Peru, Kenya, Thailand, and New Zealand. She also happens to be my girlfriend and enjoys planning our next trip, reading, and exploring New Zealand in our campervan, Max.

Edinburgh is arguably one of the most vibrant, cultural, and beautiful cities in the world. Full of friendly people and fascinating history, Edinburgh is one of those places you just have to visit. If it isn’t clear already, I’m a bit biased – a proud Edinburgger and very glad to call Edinburgh home.

If you find yourself in this wonderful city for a day (spare more if you can!), you can’t miss Edinburgh’s historic castle, a wander down the famous Royal Mile, and a pint and a dram in one of our many pubs. After getting these ‘must see’ sights out of the way, here are some other activities you can’t miss. Perhaps, a couple things only locals know …

First of all, I recommend getting to know the Edinburgh public transport system as it’s by far the easiest and cheapest way to get around the city. Lothian Buses run an excellent service all over the city centre and beyond. For just £3, you can grab yourself a day ticket and hop on and off all of their services. You can easily pick up a leaflet on where to catch the bus you need from one of their three stores in the city centre or online.

Lothian bus with Edinburgh Castel in the background

After you’ve gotten to know the double decker maroon buses, and you cant miss them they are all over, it’s time to hop on the Lothian Bus 41 and head to a wee place called Cramond. An old Roman settlement, Cramond is a historic and picturesque seaside village in the North part of Edinburgh. It takes about 25 minutes to get there by bus and you could easily stay half a day exploring its nooks and crannies. Take a walk along the river Almond and see the fishing boats and yachts bobbing in the water. If the tide is low, take a stroll over to Cramond Island and see some Roman ruins.

A visit to the Cramond Inn is well worth a pint. A cozy little pub, this place serves up very cheap pints and decent pub food. After a couple bevies, head up the road towards Cramond Church and stroll around the gardens there.

If you like pretty, wee, boutique shops, a visit to the Bruntsfield / Morningside area of Edinburgh is worth your time. To get there you can either walk through the Meadows from Forrest Road or hop on the Lothian Bus service number 16, 11, 17, 15, 23 or 45. This is where a majority of Edinburgh’s students live, but feels very much the real Edinburgh. With its original New Town tenement buildings, pubs, bars, and cafes galore, this is a terrific place to get lost wandering around on a sunny day.

For some stunning views of the city, try heading up one of Edinburgh’s seven hills. One of my favourites, Arthur’s Seat, is found just on the edge of Old Town Edinburgh. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile, this 823 feet volcanic hill provides brilliant views of Edinburgh, the surrounding countryside, and the Firth of Forth. Arthur’s Seat is the centrepiece of Holyrood Park – a public park filled with steep cliff faces, small lochs, and the ruins of a chapel dating back to the 15th century.

After your walk to the summit of Arthur’s Seat, continue on down the other side and finish your day in Duddingston. This wee suburb is home to the oldest public house in Scotland. Finish your day with a pint at the Sheep Heid Inn – with its origins dating back to 1360.

With such a diverse range of cultures, architecture, festivals and the like, Edinburgh really does have it all, a wonderful place to experience as a visitor and an even better place to live.

backpackingmatt January 2, 2010

Three Edinburgh Pubs You Can’t Miss

Scotland 12 Replies

After spending nearly a year in Edinburgh, I came to realize a number of things about the Scottish – namely, the fact that they love to drink. Needless to say, I fit in well. One of the many things I miss about Scotland is the pub culture that exists within the Scottish society. The pub is a place to gather, to meet with friends, family, and coworkers.

I spent many an afternoon in dim, Scottish pubs reading the Scotsman and enjoying a pint or two of real ale. After work, I would unwind with my coworkers at various drinking holes chatting away about work, life, and whatever came to our minds. The pub was a place to celebrate birthdays, graduations, and promotions. The pub was where I began courting my now Scottish girlfriend. The pub was a place to meet old friends and make new ones. And often, the pub was a place to warm up and escape Edinburgh’s rain.

If you find yourself in Edinburgh – and you should, it’s a marvelous city – here are three Edinburgh pubs you can’t miss.

Decon Brodies on the Royal Mile — Deacon Brodies on the Royal Mile

1. Deacon Brodies (435 Lawnmarket, The Royal Mile) is one of Edinburgh’s oldest and most famous pubs. Located only minutes away from the stunning Edinburgh Castle, Deacons serves up some decent beer, okay pub food, and has an impressive selection of Scottish single malt whiskies. Located minutes away from the castle, it is often filled with a number of tourists and locals alike.

The pub is named after William ‘Deacon’ Brodie who lived two lives: by day, he was a respected Edinburgh council member and deacon of the cabinet makers guild – by night, he was a robber who stole to support his drinking and gambling habits. He was eventually caught and ultimately hung on the gallows he built himself – only minutes away from where the pub named after him now stands.

As you walk into Deacon’s, be sure to look up and notice the beautifully decorated ceiling. Found and renovated only 20 years ago, the ceiling features the flowers of the four nations of the United Kingdon: England’s rose, Wales’ daffodil, Ireland’s clover, and Scotland’s Thistle.

2. The Halfway House (24 Fleshmarket Close) is Edinburgh’s smallest pub and located just up the steps from Edinburgh’s Waverly Station. No bigger than the common kitchen, this great wee pub is a wonderful place to relax, chat with locals, and sample some of Scotland’s finest real cask ales. They feature regularly changing cask beers throughout the year. Stop by often, as the beers change daily. The Halfway House also serves up some of Edinburgh’s best haggis, neeps, and tatties. Call in yourself and find out why it was named Edinburgh’s Pub of the Year in 2009.

3. The Royal Oak (1 Infirmary Street) is one of the best places in Edinburgh to get a real taste for traditional, Scottish, folk music – featuring fiddles, wooden flutes, drums, and the odd pipe. A well lit pub, The Royal Oak features live music throughout the week.

Show up early on the weekends, or you’ll end up having to royal oak squeeze your way to the bar. Get yourself a pint of whatever real ale they have on offer, a packet of bacon fries, and get ready for a music filled evening. My guess is you’ll stay later than you imagined.

Edinburgh offers literally hundreds of pubs to choose from – all unique in their own way. Take a wander around the cobbled streets of the Old or New Town and you’re bound to find a pub that suites you well.

Do you have a favorite Edinburgh public house? Leave it in the comments section below! Cheers!

backpackingmatt October 18, 2008

goodbyes

Scotland, Travel Advice Comments Off

Oh my, a new post on Matt’s blog! Shocking, I know.

As I sit down to write, I’m on a train leaving Scotland and heading to Newcastle. From Newcastle, I’m catching an overnight ferry to Amsterdam to meet up with my mate Lyndon from Ireland. We’ll spend a couple nights in Amsterdam before Brian and I leave for a month long trip around mainland Europe. We have InterRail passes and will be traveling via train throughout the continent.

To say I have mixed emotions right now would be a complete and total understatement. I’m excited for what the next month or more may bring. It should be unbelievable. Yet I’ve just had to say goodbye to Nicole, my girlfriend of seven months -a goodbye that we both knew was going to come sooner or later. A difficult goodbye, to say the least. I’m so lucky to have met her and spent the time with her I did. Who knows what the future will bring? Being seperated will undoubtedly be difficult, but this I suppose is the story and definition of life. I spent nine months and 18 days living in Scotland. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone by. I’ll miss Scotland. A brilliant country with so much history, pride, and beauty.

My summer flew by. I use the term summer quite liberally as there wasn’t much for a ‘summer’ in Edinburgh. You could probably count on one hand the number of sunny days we saw. Towards the end of June I went away on holiday with Nicole to Prague. I quickly fell in love with Prague – a beautiful city with much to offer by way of arts, culture, and architecture (and really good lager!). Prague feels very much like an Eastern European city that isn’t yet ready for the massive influx of tourists its seen in the past couple years. When I arrived back to Edinburgh, I found work in a small, city centre, real ale pub. It was a welcome change to the high street, brewery owned pub where I spent my first six months working. One of the smallest pubs in Edinburgh, we served quality cask ales and had a solid group of regulars.

I chuckled as I was reading my last post as I ended with the talk of not knowning what I’m doing with my life. I still don’t, I suppose. I do know that without soon finding a source of income, my days of traveling Europe will soon come to an end. And, without any work visas lined up, finding a source of income may prove to be difficult. But, for now, I have what I imagine will be an unbelivable month ahead of me. cheers, mk

backpackingmatt June 12, 2008

scotland with mom and dad

Scotland, Travel Photos 2 Replies

Somehow, it’s always a connection to Iowa that drives me to sit down and post to my blog. I send my apologies to those of you who continue to check back regularly – only to find I still haven’t updated you with a new post. Much has happened since I last sat down to write. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure where to start.

First, my connection to Iowa. I was at one of the local pubs after finishing at Deacons last night. As I was waiting to order at the bar, I heard a group of people with American accents order – “Captain and Cokes.” Their accents were enough to at least let me know they were form the US, but so was the way in which they ordered their drinks. Most Scottish folk would order a ‘Morgans and Coke.” A small difference, but considering many of my waking hours are spent working in a pub, this was enough to clue me in to their nationality. Curious as to where they were from, I asked them.

One of the guys in the group said, “We’re from Iowa. Do you even know where that is?” I chuckled and pulled up the leg of my jeans to show my Tigerhawk tattoo. “I’m actually from Iowa myself,” I told them. They were quite shocked and said, “What? But you have an accent!” I don’t think I’ve quite picked up a Scottish accent – but, I think it depends who you ask.

Since sitting down last, I’ve said hello and goodbye to my folks. They were here just about one month ago for two weeks. We had a terrific time and spent some of our time here in Edinburgh and some of our time traveling the Highlands of Scotland. It was fascinating to get out of the city and see other parts of this country which has been my home for the past five or so months. The Highlands provide breathtaking scenery at every turn – lochs (lakes), glens (valleys), and bens (mountains) are everywhere. We hired a car and were out of Edinburgh for just over one week. It was great to again see and spend time with my parents – it was hard to believe it was six months since I had last seen them last in Ireland.

I was glad they were able to spend some time in the city with me and see where I’d spent my time for the last five months. My home, if you will. They were able to stay in the flat with Brian and I – we branded it the M & B B & B (Matt and Brian Bed and Breakfast!). They spent some time with me in Deacons and were able to see me work one evening. I took them to many of my favorite pubs. And, they got to meet Nicole – a girl who I’ve been seeing for the past two months or so.

If you follow the below link, you will be able to see some photos from the week.

I’m still not certain what I’m doing with my life. I’m taking it day by day. I’ll have to leave Deacons at the end of this month as my visa expires. I’ll most likely head to mainland Europe for a week or so before coming back into Scotland on a temporary visa. Ideally, I’ll find some sort of employment and work through the end of August so I can stay in the city for the Edinburgh International Festival. But then again, who knows?

backpackingmatt April 9, 2008

out of edinburgh.

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On Monday, for the first time since I arrived in Edinburgh (barring my trip back to Ireland), I made it out of the city. Without a car, its difficult to go on daytrips – considering this, my day to day life consists mostly of well … working.

During the rare day off, I often explore this town of Edinburgh which has been my home for the last four months. A beautiful town at that – on one side of town – Old Town – you have winding streets based on a medieval plan, Reformation era buildings, and of course the ominous Edinburgh Castle situated on Castle Rock. This Castle, with its commanding location overlooking Edinburgh, sits on a site which has been inhabited since the 850BC. The other side of town – New Town (where I currently stay) – is renowned as a masterpiece in city planning. Originally built to provide overflow from the populated Old Town, New Town was built in stages between 1765 and 1850. Since 1995, both sides of town have been named UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Essentially, the entire city of Edinburgh is deemed a site of, “outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.”

Not a bad place to live.

Nonetheless, it was great to leave the hustle and bustle of city life on Monday. My friend Nicole and I made our way south out of town the the Rosslyn Chapel. This beautifully decorated chapel built in the mid 15th Century is home to many myths, legends, and fine decorative stone carving. The chapel was made internationally popular after the publishing of The Da Vinci Code. Prior to the publication of the book – and later the movie – The Rosslyn Chapel would see around 20,000 visitors each year. Since then, they have averaged 120,000 visitors each year. Thanks Dan Brown. The Chapel sits atop a sealed crypt which is rumored to hold the mummified head of Jesus Christ, the Holy Grail, and/or the original crown Jewels of Scotland. Also interesting, among the many fine carvings in the stones of the Chapel, you can find carvings of maize – or American Corn. This is interesting considering the crop was thought to be unknown to Europe at the time of the construction of the Chapel. Some authors use this evidence to argue the fact that a team of Scotsmen actually discovered the Americas before Columbus.

We continued south to the area of Scotland known as the Scottish borders. It was shocking to see how the landscape could change in 50 – 75 miles. Shortly after leaving Edinburgh city centre, we were driving through snow covered hills and mountains. I unfortunately managed to forget my camera … I’ll do my best to get some pictures to share with you all.

In other news, my flat sold. So, come the end of the month, I need to find a new place to stay. A plethora of other decisions are lying at my feet – namely, what the hell am I going to do come the end of my UK Work Visa. Time will tell. And I’ll keep you posted.

best, mk

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Hello! I’m Matt. Thanks for checking out my blog. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for loads more New Zealand travel inspiration. Comment on one of my photos so I know you came from here!