Wednesday, July 20, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
7
Commentary...
August in Edinburgh
By Mac hay
Guest Columnist
You booked your flight and
accommodations; you made
the trip. You are in Edinburgh,
Scotland!
Now what? How to get
around? What to see and do?
You have either flown into
Edinburgh, or you took the
train from London; let’s get
going.
If you are in the Waverley
train station, or close to it,
look for a mobile (cell) phone
store and get either a sim card
for your phone or a dispos-
able British (Scottish) phone.
Look for a TRAVELSHOP or
bus ticket shop and purchase
a CITYSMART bus ticket
(www.lothianbuses.com),
a 10-trip ticket will get you
started; you can always top it
off on any bus if you need to.
After you are settled look
for the Hop On-Hop Off
bus tour of the city (www.
edinburghtour.com). Waverley
Bridge is the starting point,
the tour will provide a great
overview of the city.
The main three festivals
in August are the Edinburgh
International Book Festival,
August 13-29 (www.ed
bookfest.co.uk); the Royal
Edinburgh MilitaryTattoo,
August 5-27 (www.edintattoo.
co.uk); and the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival, August 5-29
(www.edfringe.com).
I am attending all three —
a total of 21 events in my 10
days in Edinburgh!
The Book Festival, the
largest in the world, hosts
800 authors and speak-
ers; the Fringe has 54,000
performances, dance,
comedy, theatre, speakers
— the works! The Tattoo, in
front of the famous Edinburgh
Castle, honors the Queen’s
90th birthday along with mili-
tary bands, pipers, drummers,
the whole lineup for your
musical enjoyment.
Here are a few popular
sights to consider:
Old Town Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s Old Town is
a labyrinth of cobbled streets,
narrow alleyways and hidden
courtyards, all well preserved
and steeped in the city’s his-
tory. At it’s center is the Royal
Mile, a remarkable street lead-
ing from the seat of Edinburgh
Castle on Castle Rock down
to the grandiose Palace of
Holyroodhouse.
St. Giles’ Cathedral boasts
a magnificent vaulted ceiling
and ornate tombs. Delving
below-ground, a tour of
Edinburgh’s vaults reveal a
subterranean world of forgot-
ten chambers that once housed
the city’s poor.
New Town Edinburgh
Inspired by the Scottish
Enlightenment, the neat and
ordered grid of the New Town
provides an elegant contrast to
the labyrinthine design of the
Old Town. Its broad streets
boast spectacular neoclassi-
cal and Georgian architecture,
with a wealth of beautiful
buildings perfectly preserved
since their construction in the
18th and 19th centuries.
The Royal Botanic
Garden
The Royal Botanic Garden
was founded in the 17th cen-
tury as a physic garden. It
contains over four gardens
boasting a rich living col-
lection of plants and is a
PRESCHOOL
APPRECIATION DAY
world-renowned center for
plant science and education.
The Scotch Whisky
Experience
The Amber Whisky Bar
continues the mission of the
must-see Edinburgh attrac-
tion to inform and impassion
people about Scotch Whisky.
Edinburgh Castle
The castle has domi-
nated the skyline for centu-
ries. See the Crown Jewels,
smell the gunpowder after
the One o’Clock Gun fires,
see the Great Hall display of
arms and armor, the Royal
Palace, St Margaret’s Chapel,
the Scottish National War
Memorial, the National War
Museum of Scotland – and
individual regimental muse-
ums and, most of all, pan-
oramic views across the
capital!
Scotland’s People Centre
The General Register
House, on Princes Street and
behind it on West Register
Street, the New Register
House, both have user-friendly
repositories of Scottish peo-
ple’s past. Check out your
Scottish ancestry; the free
two-hour session is a stimu-
lating introduction. You will
receive excellent instruction
and assistance from the staff.
The National Museum Of
Scotland
The National Museum is
one of Scotland’s most popu-
lar attractions. Collections
include national archaeologi-
cal and medieval artifacts, dis-
plays on natural history, geol-
ogy, art, science and technol-
ogy. This interactive museum
photo by mac hay
New town Edinburgh.
has plenty to keep everyone
occupied. The Scottish gal-
leries also document how the
lives of everyday Scots have
changed over the centuries.
The Scottish National
Gallery
The Scottish National
Gallery and the adjoining
Royal Scottish Academy
form a complex in the heart
of Edinburgh, just off Princes
Street. The Gallery houses
an impressive collection of
fine art, from the early renais-
sance to the end of the 19th
century, with works of the
Impressionists, and a collec-
tion from van Gogh, Cezanne
and Degas. The Academy
showcases artworks and
architecture from Scotland
and around the world.
Golf
You are in a region favored
by many golfers. There are
numerous local courses:
Muirfield, recognized as one
of the oldest golf clubs in the
world, dating back to 1744,
Dunbar, Craigielaw, Royal
Burgess and Bruntsfield Links
are just a few of the standouts
that lie within the confines of
the capital.
Eating in Edinburgh
The Scottish capital is
famous for its culinary tradi-
tions, such as kippers, haggis
and whisky; but there’s so
much more for food lovers
to enjoy on a visit to “Auld
Reekie.” Foodie walking
tours, Michelin-starred res-
taurants, markets and special-
ity shops showcase the rich
variety of artisan products the
city has to offer.
It’s my greatest wish that
you are now fully charged up
to make the trip to Edinburgh,
Scotland! August is my favor-
ite time, but, really, any time
you go will be a rewarding
visit to a city that prides itself
in giving her visitors — you
— the best time possible. To
quote an old, broadly used
Scottish saying: “wouldn’t
it be a grand thing now if
you were coming instead of
going.”
You will hear from me
in August when I’m in
Edinburgh. I’ll give you an
American/Scot’s eye view
of the City, the events, sights
and most importantly — it’s
people.
Slàinte!
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