Sightseeing around Edinburgh.
Most of the best known sights in Edinburgh are found near the city centre, but there are also several spots well worth visiting just a short bus (or Taxi!) ride away.
One of the latest of these is the Brittania, the old Royal Yacht which is now permanently moored at Leith, with a purpose-built visitors centre and a brand new hotel right next to it. If you happen to be visiting Edinburgh as part of a cruise then you will find Brittania as your next door neighbour to the liner terminal.
Another famous sight around the area is the large piece of ironwork pictured at the top of this page - the Forth rail bridge. A short ride out of town to South Queensferry can afford you a spectacular view of this and its newer partner, the Road bridge - a more modern (but to me, less impressive) suspension bridge. I would recommend a visit to the Hawes Inn on the High Street, this old pub is situated right under the Rail Bridge opposite the quay from which the car ferry left before the Road Bridge was built and from which you can now take a cruise out to the islands in the Forth, sailing under the rail Bridge. As an added bonus, viewing the Rail Bridge from this angle means that you don't have to suffer the silly illuminated sign giving a countdown to the Millenium that now spoils the view of the Bridge from the Road Bridge.
While you are in South Queensferry it would be a good idea to pay a visit to Hopetoun House, a rather impressive stately house (actually it's bloody impressive!), you drive under the Road Bridge along the Hopetoun Road and pull through the front gates, go another quarter mile or so and top out on a rise to get your first view of the house itself in the distance! As front gardens go, this one is a beauty! Never mind croquet on the lawn you could just about fit an 9-hole golf course on this one. The house itself is no shack either, you could invite the in-laws over and lose them for a month or two quite easily.
While on the subject of Stately homes, just a few miles down the road between Edinburgh and South Queensferry is Dalmeny House, the home of the Earls of Rosebery. This building houses some extremely important works of art and is well worth a visit if it is open during your stay.
Back in Edinburgh itself, you will be certain to notice the rather large lump of scenery pictured right. This is Arthur's Seat, at 823 feet the highest of the seven hills that Edinburgh is built on. Why it is named Arthur's Seat is one of those mysteries that will probably never be satisfactorily explained but if you check some of the more fanciful guidebooks you'll find various odd stories! It forms the largest part of the Queen's park right next to Holyrood Palace and it is worth having a drive round the park for the views it offers, but don't try this on a Sunday as the road is closed to vehicles and the park is pedestrians only. Incidently if you ever watched the film "Chariots of Fire", then you will have already seen quite a few of these views.
If you do decide to have a trip round the park it would be a good idea to include a visit to Duddingstone Village which is just at the entrance to the park on the opposite side to the Palace. The Sheep's Heid inn in the village is said to be the oldest licensed premises in Scotland and were supposed to be frequented by King James VI who presented an embellished Ram's head to the landlord in 1580. Duddingston Kirk is the oldest building in the village and includes a watch tower in the churchyard to guard against body snatchers, and at the gate are some old Jougs (iron collar and chain, to punish sinners) and a Loupin-on Stone (to assist riders to mount their horses). Also in the village is a 17th-century building where Bonnie Prince Charlie is said to have slept before the Battle of Prestonpans.
