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Any Edinburgh / Leith / Rosyth questions, let me know.


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Tartanexile81

Thanks for the info on the glasgow university. I have added it to our list of things to see when we are in Glasgow. We now have a very full agenda. I will be saturated with CRM by days end.

 

It's actually just the Hunterian Gallery at the university you want to go to. Sure you'll love it.

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We are just back from a Cunard cruise round Scotland and in South Queensferry not only were there a lot of people offering tours, but many taxis and a shuttle running every 15 minutes into Edinburgh for £10 return.

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There would probably be enough time, as Edinburgh is very walkable and compact and the journey takes around 2 hours (as well as a taxi to and from the station in Greenock. You will also have to change trains and possibly stations in Glasgow although it's not far. I've copied this for you:

Transferring between Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street

If you need to transfer between Glasgow’s two main railway stations (Central and Queen Street), allow at least 30 minutes to make your connection. You can do this: On foot. It's just a 15-minute walk between Central and Queen Street and the route is well signposted. By bus. This may be a better option if you are carrying heavy luggage or have difficulty with walking. ScotRail, in partnership with First Glasgow, provide a frequent shuttle bus link between the 2 stations, and use of this bus is FREE to holders of valid train tickets.

 

If you have a look at this website, www.nationalrail.co.uk you can get specific times for the day you'll be in Greenock. Make sure you get off the train at Edinburgh Waverley which is right in the City Centre. You won't have to book tickets in advance but best just to buy them on the day so you're not tied in to a specific train.

 

Having said all that, is your cruise line not offering a tour?

 

p.s. to GStewart - I've just seen you referred to me in a previous post asking if I could suggest a taxi company with vans in Edinburgh. Sorry I have just noticed it and sure it's now too late to respond, but anyway I couldn't really have helped. We only use black cabs if we're in town and if we've got luggage use a company closer to us. However I'm sure the hotel would be able to help and if the worst comes to the worst a couple of black cabs would do the job and they're available quickly and easily, 24/7.

Edited by tartanexile81
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We are a group of four who would like to see St Andrews and then the city of Edinburgh. Would you recommend getting a taxi right from the cruise port to take us to St Andrews and then back to the city afterward? The tour to St Andrews that the ship offers is in the middle of the afternoon which would waste a lot of our day. Any suggestions?

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We are a group of four who would like to see St Andrews and then the city of Edinburgh. Would you recommend getting a taxi right from the cruise port to take us to St Andrews and then back to the city afterward? The tour to St Andrews that the ship offers is in the middle of the afternoon which would waste a lot of our day. Any suggestions?

 

Berta, Do you know where you will dock? That could make a difference to the responses. Or at least which ship will you be on and how long will you have in port? It might be difficult to see both, unless you'd be happy with just a drive round St Andrews which will be about an hour each way from the port.

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Berta, Do you know where you will dock? That could make a difference to the responses. Or at least which ship will you be on and how long will you have in port? It might be difficult to see both, unless you'd be happy with just a drive round St Andrews which will be about an hour each way from the port.

 

Sorry, we are on the Ocean Princess. Not sure of the name of the dockyard but I know it's a half hour commute into Edinburgh. We have a long day, from about 9:00 AM to midnight. We would really love to see St Andrews and the at least the old castle and the Royal Mile and the newer castle. Do you think we can do it?

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Sorry, we are on the Ocean Princess. Not sure of the name of the dockyard but I know it's a half hour commute into Edinburgh. We have a long day, from about 9:00 AM to midnight. We would really love to see St Andrews and the at least the old castle and the Royal Mile and the newer castle. Do you think we can do it?

You will be docked at Rosyth. With so much time in port you should be able to do it, along as you leave as soon as possible in the morning and don't aim to be back for dinner time :)

 

Check out this website for a lot of information about getting about from the port. http://www.cruiseforth.com/ There is a section called "Find my ship" that will give travel information specific to where your docked.

 

For Edinburgh I would suggest getting the shuttle to Inverkeithing station and taking the train. You may also want to take the Hop On Hop Off Bus tours to see as much as possible in a short time. http://edinburghtour.com/

 

I hope this helps.

 

Eddie

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Sorry, we are on the Ocean Princess. Not sure of the name of the dockyard but I know it's a half hour commute into Edinburgh. We have a long day, from about 9:00 AM to midnight. We would really love to see St Andrews and the at least the old castle and the Royal Mile and the newer castle. Do you think we can do it?

 

Berta, Ocean Princess was actually in Rosyth today and with the long day Princess gives you, they were able to go to the tattoo tonight.

 

I definitely would recommend a taxi so you can maximise the time you have in Edinburgh and St Andrews. There will be taxis when you dock but if you wanted to book in advance, I think the Cruiseforth website recommended by supered has some contact details. It would be possible by train but St Andrews doesn't have it's own station so you would still need to get a taxi from Leuchars (the nearest station) to St Andrews and back, then again to and from the port to the station in Inverkeithing. It's all a bit messy!

 

St Andrews is a small town so you won't need too long there but obviously it has an iconic position in the golfing world. It's got lots of history and charm. There's only one castle in Edinburgh and it's very old so I think you mean the Palace of Holyrood as your other must-see. I'm sure your taxi driver would give you a drive round the main sights then give you time to explore. You could easily walk down the Royal Mile from the Castle to the Palace. Enjoy Edinburgh.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello, gstewart,

I have some Ulster Bank, Northern Ireland Bank pounds left from my last trip to Belfast. Can they be used in Scotland? Many years ago, I was told they were only good in Northern Ireland, but I have heard that that has changed.

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Hello, gstewart,

I have some Ulster Bank, Northern Ireland Bank pounds left from my last trip to Belfast. Can they be used in Scotland? Many years ago, I was told they were only good in Northern Ireland, but I have heard that that has changed.

 

You shouldnt have a problem using these. We are generally noy fussy about notes. Try using scottish notes in england though - thats another story.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Forums mobile app

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Try using scottish notes in England though - that's another story.

 

We've only been back home for a couple of years and in the many years we travelled up and down from Scotland to the various parts of England where we lived, we didn't have any problem at all with shops etc accepting Scottish notes- except when Scotland still had £1 bank notes and England had got rid of them.

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Thanks, and now that you mention it, I think I may have been told that I could use them in Scotland but not England. I'm sure I would get the same reaction trying to use N. Irish notes in England as you do for Scottish ones!

Thanks again,

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These recent posts about notes (currency) has me curious. Don't Scotland and England both use GBP as the currency? Does it matter where the notes originated? If I buy GBP's in Canada before going to Scotland and England will I have a problem? If I get notes in Scotland (change in stores), will I have a problem using them in London?

 

Sorry if the above seems naive; I assumed it was all the same.

 

Larry

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I'm sure the Scottish posters will give a better explanation than I can, but I will try to explain. In Northern Ireland, and I believe in Scotland as well, banks can issue their own notes. Since they are not issued by the British government, they may not be accepted at all places outside the country they were issued in. I was always told to use those notes first. I'm sure any money you receive in Canada will be official government issue GBP, accepted in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, as well as some places in Ireland.

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I'm sure the Scottish posters will give a better explanation than I can, but I will try to explain. In Northern Ireland, and I believe in Scotland as well, banks can issue their own notes. Since they are not issued by the British government, they may not be accepted at all places outside the country they were issued in. I was always told to use those notes first. I'm sure any money you receive in Canada will be official government issue GBP, accepted in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, as well as some places in Ireland.

 

That's about it Oonafitz. I never had any trouble getting Scottish notes accepted in England but it is true shops etc do tend to check them out a bit more as there are so many different notes. The three main banks in Scotland (Royal Bank, Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank) all issue their own notes. If any travellers buy GBP in their own country, they will definitely be Bank of England which are accepted universally and without question.

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Hi,

 

I have questions regarding Edinburgh.

 

I have been googling about the book festival that occurs in August. We will be in Edinburgh on August 12, during the festival, with our two daughters who love books

 

The website indicates there are activities geared toward children. Are you familiar with this event and able to share any information?

 

I've not found a lot of information yet - but I just read about it today, so haven't been searching too long yet. I was trying to find out if you buy tickets to attend the festival, and what kind of events they have for children, etc.

 

Thank you for any assistance you may be able to offer.

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deb63

 

We were at the Book festival only a fortnight ago so I can certainly help you with information about it this year.

 

It is always held in Charlotte Square Gardens, a beautiful Georgian square in the New Town. It consists of a number of marquees, some of which have book sales and others special events. You don't say how old your girls are but there was an activity tent specifically for children as well as children's authors interspersed throughout the festival and they obviously talk about their works and also do book signings. When I was there I saw 5 or 6 different school groups, from age about 10 up to 16 or so. There is lots to do in the area too and the main street that leads on from Charlotte Square is George Street and it is usually partly pedestrianized with lots of musical and comedy performances and cafes on the street.

 

it is part of a huge month long event in Edinburgh. The city does get busy with visitors to the main festival, the Fringe, Tattoo, TV and film festival....etc.

 

This link will take you to the Book festival website

https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/

 

Hope you enjoy your visit to Edinburgh

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deb63

 

We were at the Book festival only a fortnight ago so I can certainly help you with information about it this year.

 

It is always held in Charlotte Square Gardens, a beautiful Georgian square in the New Town. It consists of a number of marquees, some of which have book sales and others special events. You don't say how old your girls are but there was an activity tent specifically for children as well as children's authors interspersed throughout the festival and they obviously talk about their works and also do book signings. When I was there I saw 5 or 6 different school groups, from age about 10 up to 16 or so. There is lots to do in the area too and the main street that leads on from Charlotte Square is George Street and it is usually partly pedestrianized with lots of musical and comedy performances and cafes on the street.

 

it is part of a huge month long event in Edinburgh. The city does get busy with visitors to the main festival, the Fringe, Tattoo, TV and film festival....etc.

 

This link will take you to the Book festival website

https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/

 

Hope you enjoy your visit to Edinburgh

 

Thank you so much for the link. I signed up to receive notices about the event, as well as of the Fringe.

 

I was just reading about the Fringe. Even looking at youtube videos of some of the street performers. I had booked our cruise for August for the Military Tattoo unaware of all these other really fun looking events!

 

My daughters will be 10 by the time we are there.

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