Edinburgh, Scotland planning resources

[mamkmm2]

Just thought I would share some of the resources I have been using for planning our port of call in Edinburgh. This is by no means an all inclusive list. Mostly it is a broad starter list of resources. As I get a grouping for specific attractions or points of interest I'll add them.

 

Edinburgh

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/scotland/edinburgh

https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/edinburgh-lothians/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=B_Top%20Performers%20%5BE%26BMM%5D&utm_term=edinburgh%20tourism&utm_content=Edinburgh%20Tourism%20-%20Exact

https://www.expedia.com/things-to-do/?location=Edinburgh&regionId=7814&semcid=US.MULTILOB.BING.SEARCH.TSHOP&categories=Attractions%7C&kword=+edinburgh_+attractions!b.ZzZz.4280000040987.0.10583940701.edinburgh%20tourism.+edinburgh_+attractions&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=USA%3AENG%3AGBR%3ADT%3A%5D&utm_term=%2Bedinburgh%20%2Battractions&utm_content=USA%3AGBR%3ADT%3A%5D%3AXX%3AScotland%3A11219%3AEdinburgh%3A7814%3AX%3Aattractions

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g186525-Edinburgh_Scotland-Vacations.html

https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/edinburgh/see-do/

http://wikitravel.org/en/Edinburgh

http://edinburghguide.com/venues/visitor-attractions

http://www.edinburghtourist.co.uk/attractions/

http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/edinburgh-sco-loth-edin.htm

 

Bus Tours of the city:

http://edinburghtour.com/compare-tours

 

Walking Tours (some guided, some not, some free, some pay):

http://www.newedinburghtours.com/daily-tours/new-edinburgh-free-tour.html

http://www.viator.com/Edinburgh-tours/Walking-Tours/d739-g16-c56

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/edinburgh/747066

http://eatwalkedinburgh.co.uk/

http://edinburghwalks.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186525-Activities-c42-t183-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

 

Some recommended reading (non-fiction/fiction/movies/etc.):

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/scotland/books-movies

 

Video links:

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/edinburgh

 

Maps:

http://podcasts.ricksteves.com/pdfs/edinburgh-royal-mile-map.pdf

http://www.tripomatic.com/lp/Edinburgh-Printable-Tourist-Map/

http://www.tripomatic.com/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/

http://www.mappery.com/Edinburgh-Scotland-Tourist-Map

http://www.visitacity.com/en/edinburgh/attractions-map

 

Videos:

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[YOUTUBE]LX2nq-tthxs[/YOUTUBE]

 

[YOUTUBE]8vYdq7WXSK4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[YOUTUBE]mA9KsQrRixU[/YOUTUBE]

 

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[tartanexile81]

How long are you staying in Edinburgh for mamkmm2? You have accrued an amazing amount of information. I would also point you in the direction of the website operated by the cruise volunteers for Edinburgh which gives you very local information. They also have a page on that huge the social media site.

http://www.cruiseforth.com

 

 

Can I just say that the video on Scottish food and drink shows the sort of thing tourists think Scots eat or drink. It's the only one I've had time to look at so far. I can honestly say I have never ever seen any chip shop where they do deep fried mars bars etc. Haggis Spring Rolls - never had one. Haggis with gravy?? Not cooked like that except in a tourist restaurant. Haggis crisps? Only made by one company and not widely available. Honestly Scots eat a lot more than haggis and fish and chips and there are excellent restaurants in Edinburgh which I hope people will try. I'm not saying people shouldn't try haggis, needs and tatties if they want as that is traditional food and as the presenters found out it's so much better than expectations! The video like a parody of Scotland and it's a pity if people get the wrong impression.

Edited April 9, 2016 by tartanexile81

[mamkmm2]

We will be there a day with the cruise line but our plans are to return in the not too distant future.

 

As for the "food" video, yes it is a bit of tourist silliness but it is the sort of thing people are likely to run into in the tourist areas to excite the "foodies". To really experience true Scottish cooking ... or any true national cooking from any country ... I'd follow the locals. One, the price is probably better than in the tourist areas and two, the food is probably more traditional. But when you area stuck on foot for a single day in a small area that is intensely tourism-driven you generally have to deal with the way things are. It is nice when you can get off the beaten path but that isn't always possible.

 

We have places in Tampa, FL, USA that serve great ethnic/cultural/local dishes but rarely does a tourist find them unless a friend takes them there.

[Alaskanb]

I am a research-a-holic also and already have a long list of websites book marked for our British Isles cruise in 2017. We have been to Edinburgh many times, in sun and rain, so are looking for new places to see when we dock at Queensferry. Currently we are thinking about going to Rosslyn chapel. http://www.rosslynchapel.com/

[tartanexile81]

 

As for the "food" video, yes it is a bit of tourist silliness but it is the sort of thing people are likely to run into in the tourist areas to excite the "foodies".

 

Well I hope "foodies" don't eat that kind of food! I promise you in all my years of living in / around Edinburgh I have never come across any restaurant where they cook deep-fried chocolate bars and I think they give a very bad impression of Scotland and its culture.

 

In the main tourist area in Edinburgh (and by that I mean the Royal Mile and New Town), there are NUMEROUS pubs, cafes and restaurants which don't serve the type of food in that video and which locals like me use. I hope you find the links below helpful and they give you a better idea of where you can go to find decent food when you are visiting.

 

http://www.royal-mile.com/royalmile-restaurants.html

 

or these:

 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/RestaurantsNear-g186525-d188788-Royal_Mile-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

 

or these:

 

http://www.edinburgh-places.co.uk/drinkin/

 

We've just come back from New Orleans, Key West, Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale / Miami and Charleston on a cruise and we never resorted to junk food or gator on a stick or anything like that but easily found a few places in the areas we were visiting where good quality, local food was available.

[Alaskanb]

When I visit anywhere I also look for locally sourced foods.

As a New Mexican the thought of going into Pancho Villa's in Edinburgh makes me cringe.....

This place calls to me http://www.michaelneave.co.uk/menus/fixed-price-lunch-menu/

Edited April 9, 2016 by Alaskanb

[tartanexile81]

When I visit anywhere I also look for locally sourced foods.

As a New Mexican the thought of going into Pancho Villa's in Edinburgh makes me cringe.....

This place calls to me http://www.michaelneave.co.uk/menus/fixed-price-lunch-menu/

 

Never been there alaskanb but it looks a very good choice. It is in an excellent location and menu suggests they serve modern Scottish food, at a very reasonable price. One for me to try too!

[mamkmm2]

When I visit anywhere I also look for locally sourced foods.

As a New Mexican the thought of going into Pancho Villa's in Edinburgh makes me cringe.....

This place calls to me http://www.michaelneave.co.uk/menus/fixed-price-lunch-menu/

 

LOL! I definitely understand. I can just see it if I tried to find Yellow Rice and Black Beans any place else but here in Florida. It just wouldn't be the same. And definitely what I think of as a "crab roll" and a "stuffed potato" would not match up with the food of other nationalities and ethnicities. ROFL! By the way, if anyone of you reading this is ever in Tampa, FL, USA I can highly recommend a little hole in the wall called Brocatto's. It's been owned and managed by the same family for over 50 years and the size of the sandwiches (from Italian to Cuban) and the portions of their other foods is very much worth the price you pay. And if their doors are open they are busy.

 

I think those two kids ... well they seem like kids to me anyway ... have a thing for spring rolls. I've watched some of their other travel videos and they've likely tried spring rolls in just about every flavor and location imaginable.

[mamkmm2]

When I visit anywhere I also look for locally sourced foods.

As a New Mexican the thought of going into Pancho Villa's in Edinburgh makes me cringe.....

This place calls to me http://www.michaelneave.co.uk/menus/fixed-price-lunch-menu/

 

I think I saw them mentioned on Frommer's online website.

[Host Bonjour]

Just wanted to post that I'd not ever felt that neither the Royal Mile nor Princes Street (or Rose Street, or anywhere in the vicinity) ever felt "touristy" to me save for places perhaps where there were signs indicating one might be able to sign up for a tour, which one can find ANYWHERE. I felt perfectly charmed and enchanted being in Edinburgh and whether or not that is because great care and love is taken to preserve the charm and character of the city's history (understandable) or because it is a fairly compact city (makes sense) it is indeed so much LESS a touristy feeling city than many others one might visit in Europe. It's completely wonderful and unforgettable, decidedly un-tourist and cosy...friendly, easy to get around, fun and with great many dining options at all price ranges - nothing stereotypical about the food - just exactly what I hoped for and expected...indicative of where I was (I always want that) as well as offering some diverse options in the event I had a taste for something "other" that day or evening. Edinburgh is world class.

 

I always use Frommers (no Pancho Villa recco in Edinburgh), Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and Eyewitness for my land based trips and haven't ever been let down. Of course that's in lieu of any local recommendations I may be lucky enough to have discovered :) Thus, minus a first hand recco, I go with my best guides which have sometimes correlated local publications I discovered on arrival.

 

Enjoy Edinburgh - I know you will :)

 

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/edinburgh/747018

 

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/scotland/edinburgh

 

http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/europe/scotland/edinburgh-lothians/

 

(DK Eywitness Guides are not online to peruse, apologies - quite glorious guides - perhaps a bit much for one day port stops but highly recommended for longer trips or just to peruse in the book store - just beautiful & great help!)

 

*If* you're staying extra days in Edinburgh do plan a Loch Lomond tour - there are intimate little van tours that are cosy...we got to places I'd never have attempted driving myself...tiny roads with gut-wrenching hair pin turns clinging to high hills (it's the Highlands) and so...highly recommend. More people were heading to Loch Ness...I'm not sure why - she's gone to Ibiza ;)

 

Cheers

[tartanexile81]

Just wanted to post that I'd not ever felt that neither the Royal Mile nor Princes Street (or Rose Street, or anywhere in the vicinity) ever felt "touristy" to me save for places perhaps where there were signs indicating one might be able to sign up for a tour, which one can find ANYWHERE. I felt perfectly charmed and enchanted being in Edinburgh and whether or not that is because great care and love is taken to preserve the charm and character of the city's history (understandable) or because it is a fairly compact city (makes sense) it is indeed so much LESS a touristy feeling city than many others one might visit in Europe. It's completely wonderful and unforgettable, decidedly un-tourist and cosy...friendly, easy to get around, fun and with great many dining options at all price ranges - nothing stereotypical about the food - just exactly what I hoped for and expected...indicative of where I was (I always want that) as well as offering some diverse options in the event I had a taste for something "other" that day or evening. Edinburgh is world class.

 

I always use Frommers (no Pancho Villa recco in Edinburgh), Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and Eyewitness for my land based trips and haven't ever been let down. Of course that's in lieu of any local recommendations I may be lucky enough to have discovered :) Thus, minus a first hand recco, I go with my best guides which have sometimes correlated local publications I discovered on arrival.

 

Enjoy Edinburgh - I know you will :)

 

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/edinburgh/747018

 

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/scotland/edinburgh

 

http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/europe/scotland/edinburgh-lothians/

 

(DK Eywitness Guides are not online to peruse, apologies - quite glorious guides - perhaps a bit much for one day port stops but highly recommended for longer trips or just to peruse in the book store - just beautiful & great help!)

 

*If* you're staying extra days in Edinburgh do plan a Loch Lomond tour - there are intimate little van tours that are cosy...we got to places I'd never have attempted driving myself...tiny roads with gut-wrenching hair pin turns clinging to high hills (it's the Highlands) and so...highly recommend. More people were heading to Loch Ness...I'm not sure why - she's gone to Ibiza ;)

 

Cheers

 

Thank you for that Host Bonjour. I'm passionate about Edinburgh and want cruisers to enjoy their all too short visit so that's why I volunteer at the port. I agree about Loch Ness but perhaps also a word for those staying longe, that The Trossachs, about 90 minutes from Edinburgh offers the same scenery as Loch Lomond and is part of the same National Park, but with less traffic and IMO at least as beautiful

Edited April 9, 2016 by tartanexile81

[need2cruisesoon]

Love this town:

 

[tartanexile81]

Love this town:

 

 

I need a like button :). So do I!

Edited April 9, 2016 by tartanexile81

[BM64]

Well I hope "foodies" don't eat that kind of food! I promise you in all my years of living in / around Edinburgh I have never come across any restaurant where they cook deep-fried chocolate bars and I think they give a very bad impression of Scotland and its culture.

 

In the main tourist area in Edinburgh (and by that I mean the Royal Mile and New Town), there are NUMEROUS pubs, cafes and restaurants which don't serve the type of food in that video and which locals like me use. I hope you find the links below helpful and they give you a better idea of where you can go to find decent food when you are visiting.

 

http://www.royal-mile.com/royalmile-restaurants.html

 

or these:

 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/RestaurantsNear-g186525-d188788-Royal_Mile-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

 

or these:

 

http://www.edinburgh-places.co.uk/drinkin/

 

We've just come back from New Orleans, Key West, Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale / Miami and Charleston on a cruise and we never resorted to junk food or gator on a stick or anything like that but easily found a few places in the areas we were visiting where good quality, local food was available.

 

Do you have a favorite one or two?