[Closed] 3 Days in Edinburgh - what should I do?

Go round to TJ's place and see the astonishing collection of trolls.

Restaurant: La Favorita on Leith Walk (italian food)

Pub: They're all a bit much of a muchness to be honest...but if you like cocktails then you could do worse than pay a visit to The Villager.

Culture/things to do etc: Walk up Arthurs Seat (free), Visit the Castle, Go on a Mary's King Close walk (highly reccomended but book in advance).

Hope that helps.

roadie

Italian my favorite!
Cocktails - love them
Guided walks - always enjoy these on the first day of a trip

thanks

I'd be tempted to jump on one of the bus tours too. I know they can be a bit cheesy, but its a good way of seeing the main tourist bits at the start of a trip.

Oh and don't forget to visit STW's (unofficial) Favourite Bike Shop.

http://www.thebikechain.co.uk/contact-us/

Pubs all of a muchness WTF?

Plenty good real ale pubs, and a "cycling" one down Leith way - the Tourmalet.

Modern and Dean art galleries are great (vg photography exhib in latter just now, Jeff Koons in former if that's your thing) nice walk alkong water of Leith from here to Stockbridge for nice pubs (Hectors etc).

Castle is way over-rated IMO and not cheap. Queens' Art Gallery is meant to be good, by the Parliament, which is also meant to be good - both free ane by Arthur's Seat.

Jump on a no. 26 bus for Portobello - a nice 2 mile beach and a couple of good pubs one of which does great food (the Esplanade). I'll see you down there for a pint if you like, I live there.

Leith (by TJ) has loads of nice bars too (Sofis and the Roseleaf are particularly good).

Seadogs, Dogs and Dogs Amore are great independant reasonable restuarants in town too.

I think there is a castle... If you go up there you can point and laugh at the tram debacle.

Botanic Gardens
Mercat Tours on teh ROyal Mile, then The Scotsman pub... Cockburn St
Harvy Nichols / Jennners for shopping
Galleries are great

culture?

Its gotta be the Western bar?

Pub: They're all a bit much of a muchness to be honest...

Come say Hi if you are passing. We might buy you lunch.

I would second the bus tour, even though I am from Edinburgh I went on a bus tour for the first time last year with the family and had a really good day out, you can buy a pass which allows you to jump on/off any of the tour companies buses.

When is your trip ?

Don't forget here:

http://www.nms.ac.uk/

Oh yeah, Jenners.. go there just to check out the building with the galleries - it's lovely.

I went to the Camera Obsscura next to the Castle. The camera obscura itself was reasonably interesting, but some of the rest of it was excellent, especially the maze and the rolling tunnel. One of the top attractions on Tripadvisor.
Youll be tempted to do the castle, but it's way overhyped, although the views are good. Go if it's a free day, otherwise don't. Views from calton Hill are as good, Arthur's Seat is better.
Molgrips has a point with Jenners - well worth sticking your head in for a look.
Think about a cruise - google forth cruises to get the drift, the Firth of Forth is pretty spectacular and South Queensferry is pretty little place

Go to Glasgow

Not been on for a few days so just wanted to say thanks for all the replies guys:)

We're not going until 2nd June but......

@thebikechain - Yep I think it would be rude not to come in and see you (wallet in hand) - me to wife 'Oh look a bike shop, I had no idea that was here, lets nip in'

@CynicAl - Some great advice, I like the look of Modern & Dean (i'll check out when the tog exhib is on till as thats def my sort of thing

@Geoff,Surfbus,Rickmeister - Bus tour sounds good - we do quite a few city breaks and we always enjoy a good bus walking tour on the first day to get our bearings, learn a bit about the city and give us inspiration for what we'd like to see more of for the rest of the time there

@Hels, Molgrips and BBSB - I'm now off to google Jenners and Camera Obscura.......

I'll resurrect this thread a few days before we head off - cheers all

Camera Obscura looks Awesome!!

THe Photo exhibition will still be on:)

Thread resurrection:

We head off to Edinburgh tomorrow and the weather looks promising 🙂

So 2 questions - can you recommend any good art shops/galleries, we're hoping to pick up something nice for the kitchen, pref fairly modern.

and, more bar/club recommendations please - I've been told about the Grassmarket and George Street/Rose Street but no specific places
thanks

Art Galleries where one buys original art with one's trust fund checks are on Dundas St and are fairly s****y.

If you want a print for the kitchen there are a few shops on the bridges, I think there is one near the Festival Theatre from memory.

The Dean Gallery at Stockbridge has a good selection of modern prints, the Gallery and RSA on Princes St not so modern.

Looks like a scorcher over the next few days, enjoy!

For galleries take a walk down Dundas Street, that's where I buy all my art.

Modern art gallery down at Dean Bridge sells prints if that's more what you're after.

EDIT: Too slow, what hels said ^. That'll teach me to go and make a cuppa mid post.

+1 for Mercat Tours - did one on Monday, excellent

yoshimi - Member
can you recommend any good art shops/galleries, we're hoping to pick up something nice for the kitchen, pref fairly modern.

and, more bar/club recommendations please - I've been told about the Grassmarket and George Street/Rose Street but no specific places
thanks

GOMA and Dean by the West end (see my first post!)

Grassmarket is busy youth/stags etc, Rose St a quieter/older version, George St is a flashy/pricey 30-50 meat market.

"Cool" pubs (places) IMO: Villager, Dragonfly, (both near Grassmarket) Hectors (Stockbridge - nice), Guilty Lily, The Shore (an area of pubs etc in Leith), Roseleaf, The Port, Tourmalet, Victoria, Pond, (all Leith-ish, a bit grunger)

Great, thanks for that

Al - all those bars are now stored in my phone, seems to be quite a bit going on in Leith up near the Brittania

As we're there for 3 nights once were showered and fed we'll spend a nbight each round Leith, Grassmarket and George Street

During the day ~I think we'll be doing a bus tour, a mercat walking tour, Camera Obscura, GOMA, Dean Gallery, Brittania, bit of shopping checking out the likes of Jenners etc. - castle is still up for discussion

Yoshimi If the weather Is going to be good as It looks to be , you could do a lot worse than head down the coast to the great East Lothian beaches. If you have a car head for Seacliff by North Berwick or Scoughall by Tyningham and have lunch In North Berwick. Take a wee stroll up the Pentlands and have lunch at The Steading or Flotterston In or if you want a good curry then The Verandah on Dalry road is good but looks like a dump.

Cool. George St and Grassmarket may be your thing, I (40+) prefer grungy/low key/real ale.

Ha ha - I'm in the nearly mid-30 grunge / band / trainer wearing bracket

talking of which, whats the dress code in general? can I wear trainers? they are very cool 8)

I think you'll be fine in trainers where you're going, but I never go to the fanciest places.

I like your style Al

Pub, check out a place called Under the Stairs, good food, very relaxed atmosphere, superb cocktails. If there's a big Irish fella behind the bar tell him Andy from Castlerock says hello, it'll give him a laugh.

Aye it's quite relaxed in there, a bit yuppie for me though.

Pubs:

basement:
http://www.thebasement.org.uk/

villager: (nice robots on the wall done by yours truly).
http://www.villager-e.com

art:

red door gallery:
http://www.edinburghart.com/index_content.html

Analogue books:
http://www.analoguebooks.co.uk/

things to do:

http://www.list.co.uk/
http://www.theskinny.co.uk/

enjoy.

The Mussel and steak place at the grassmarket is yummy.

A short walk away is The Brauhaus which we loved (great staff and loads of german beers) but some ropey reviews on sites (mainly about the toilets).

Just up from the Grassmarket (on a high up bit that comes out near the castle entrance) is a really good Kurdish/middle eastern place, think it was Hamans, and comes out on Johnston Terrace, also a good Thai place a few doors down.

Come to think of it, I think we also ate in Maxies which had some nice beer and game on the menu.

Last time we were there, we did the Literary pub tour, starts in a pub called the beehive iirc in the grassmarket, well recommended!. Takes you round 4 or 5 good pubs, and up some of the vennels and wee hidden squares off the canongate, for some stories and history.

Ends up in the cafe royale, one of my fave pubs in the city.

Oh aye Cafe Royal is good if a bit "rugby".

City Cafe is youth-cool, near-ish Villager/grassmarket.

oh and yup the Botanic gardens are lovely. Good cake too IIRC.

Also the whisky tour next to the castle and the dungeons tour is supposed to be good.

Holy crap, it's clear 3 days just won't be long enough!!! I'm loving all the bar recommendations, getting all excited about this now:))

For buying art most of the dealer / galleries are in Dundas St, but [url=http://]Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop[/url] is also worth a look

For looking at art, aside from the big National Galleries/ Museums (note the Portrait Gallery is close for refurb just now), the smaller contemporary galleries are clustered around the edge of Waverley Station (Fruitmarket, City Art Centre) and Cockburn St (Stills, Collective). Nip through the station and find your way out onto Carlton Road and the very lovely, and often overlooked, Ingleby Gallery is also worth a look

I used to LOVE going into the Guildford Arms, set back off Priness street opposite the North British Hotel. Only pub I've ever been into with a revolving door!

A revolving door? I'd never manage to leave, you wouldn't even be able to throw me out 🙂

Yoshimi... dont do so much in the day that the little lady is "spent" for the evening.....

[url= http://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/detail-139 ]Get yourself pummeled[/url]

[url= http://www.scotsmanspa.com/ ]she will adore you ![/url]

Also, lots of yoof-type pubs on Broughton Street (top of Leith Walk) and a couple of oldman boozers too but a good mix of folk in all.

I (40+) prefer grungy/low key/real ale.

you're never 40+.....

All good stuff as I see it. Brauhaus - still need to go there sometime for ein Bier or zwei

Aww shucks Jimmy, 'fraid it's true!

Anyway should you not be out riding?

Well, had a great time in Edinburgh and heres my thought based on recommendations from you all:

Pubs:
Candy Bar (on George Street) - I thought the best of the pubs on George Street, a lot of the bars on this road a bit pretentious, lacking soul, one for the show offs but this one narrowly doesn't fall into that trap. (Manchester version would be one of the better bars on Deansgate Locks)

Basement - (just off Leith Walk)- this was on our way from the B&B to the 'centre' area - loved it in here, as the name suggests, underground with a good atmosphere, grungy but cool (Manchester version would be Corbierres / something in Northern Quarter)

Villager (near Grassmarket and Bridge) - without doubt the best bar Edinburgh had to offer, great crowd, great drinks, great decor, great atmosphere and awesome music, LUSH! I really loved it in here! plus you get to see Studioderms robots on the wall (a few pics of them in the link below) (Manchester version would be Bluu in the Northern Quarter)

Food:
Guillianos (The Shore) - avoid like the plague!

McKirdys Steak House (Morrison St.) - expensive but well worth it - a steak house run by former butchers, they know their stuff.

Attractions (that we enjoyed):
Modern & Dean Gallery
Camera Obscura
Royal Yacht Britannia

Things we didn't enjoy:
Bus tour - very hot and stuck in traffic
Bars not allowing you to drink outside after 10pm

[url= http://gallery.me.com/daniel_ward#100033&bgcolor=black&view=grid ]a few pics.....[/url]