Capital Edinburgh

Quote: Around this time of year, Mrs P and myself have been known to visit one of the Christmas markets in Germany. So, it's nice that a German Christmas market has gone to the trouble of paying us a return visit.
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Well, to be fair, they haven't gone to all that effort solely on our behalf, that would just be ridiculous. But the fact of the matter is, Edinburgh plays host to its very own, authentic GCM thereby saving us the expense of a flight to the continent. It could be said that we are also spared the time-consuming journey, but not by anyone who has ever tried to drive into, and park in, central Edinburgh - it's only marginally quicker than making your way to Frankfurt!
Of course, you could always let the train take the strain, and arrive in the city in what is probably the best way, climbing up to Princes St from the subterranean, Waverley Station.
Imagine if you will, climbing the steps from a cold and draughty railway terminus and making your way through the glitter and sparkle of the Princes Mall to emerge, bleary-eyed on the thoroughfare called Waverley bridge.

To your left rise the medieval skyscrapers of the Old Town winding their rickety way up towards the High Street; to your right lies Princes St. - a wide boulevard housing most, if not all, of the major chain stores. It's impossible to miss the gothic facade of Jenners, the world's oldest independent department store, but you might, because your eye could be distracted by another imposing gothic building - The Scott Monument - the huge tower dedicated to the author which dominates the south side of Princes St.
Straight ahead, there's nothing much to report - save the neo-classical grandeur of the buildings housing the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy of Fine Arts - because the area between Princes St and the Old Town is given over to parkland.
That's right, slap bang in the middle of Edinburgh is a park - East, and West, Princes St Gardens.
Oh, nearly forgot, towering above this elegant shopping boulevard, the maze of narrow closes, railway station and formal gardens and monuments, is a bloody great, sheer-faced, volcanic rock with a castle perched precariously atop.

Granted, it's not quite as dramatic as approaching New York on a cruise-liner, but we like to think it's not too shabby.
Of course, that's what it normally looks like. But add a gi-normous Christmas tree (which is annually gifted by the people of Hordaland, Norway), the festive lights along Princes St and in the Gardens, the largest ferris Wheel in the UK spinning merrily next to the Scott Monument, fairgrounds and various other brightly-lit attractions, and it lends a certain magic to an otherwise 'drab' vista.


Almost everyone is familiar with Edinburgh's Hogmanay, a 4-day-long extravaganza of celebration, events, and general, all-round partying, but the Capital Christmas might not be quite so well-known. I'm here to change all that.
The season begins with a blaze of colour when the Festive Lights are switched on. The Lights, Edinburgh Wheel, Winter Wonderland and the Traditional German Christmas Market all opened simultaneously.
Also for first time this year, West Princes Street Gardens will be the scene of some festive frivolity. Santa and his reindeer will re-locate from the slightly warmer North Pole and squat in the Gardens from 12 to 21 December. As well a circus, just in case there's not enough to keep the kids amused.

It's a nice alternative to the hustle and bustle of the shops on Princes St., and a welcome diversion to take a wander through the Gardens at any time of the year, but with the attractions which make their home there at this time of year, it can be even better.
Next to the Wheel, and around the base of the Scott Monument, is where you'll find the market. It isn't as large as the ones you'll find in Germany, but then it's not in Germany so that's besides the point. The stall-holders ARE German though, but any I spoke with had a good command of the English language - which is more than can be said for many of the locals!

There are stalls selling all sorts of traditional wooden toys- spinning tops, dolls, puzzles, animal and human figures etc.; crystals, hanging spirals, mobiles; jewellery, those crazy jester hats; model buildings made from clay - many of which are candle-holders; knick-knacks and bric-a-brac and bits-n-bobs, confectionery and cakes - especially traditional German Christmas fare such as gingerbread etc.; all sorts of Christmas decorations and in fact everything that you would expect to find at a German Christmas market. Prices, as far as I could tell, are comparable to being in Germany and not much different to UK prices. (Although not overly expensive, this is not a market for bargain-hunting. Prices aren't all that different to High St. prices.)
Food's not a problem either (as long as you like sausages!) with lots of different stalls offering a variety of traditional German fare (most of which I can hardly pronounce, let alone spell), including a plethora of outlets for that most German of German Christmas traditions, Glühwein. A warm mug of mulled wine is just the ticket on a miserably chilly December morning/evening...especially wi' a tottie wee dod o' shortbreid tae dunk.
I thought some of the food prices were a little on the high side as a bread roll with a couple of dinky Nuremburg sausages was three quid.

Not to be outdone, part of the market is occupied by stalls selling merchandise with a more Scottish orientation - knitwear, crafts, and local foodstuffs, for example.

Where else can you buy organic haggis and sauerkraut at the same time?

The market is situated at street level in the upper gardens while down below, lies Winter Wonderland.
This consists of the UK's largest outdoor ice-rink and a fairground which is for the younger members of the family - no white-knuckle rides here. There's a bar/restaurant and stalls selling hot-dogs, crepes and goodness knows what else.

For me, an excursion to the Gardens is hardly a day-out. I'm not interested in the fairground, the ice-rink, or sitting on Santa's knee, but I do like German Christmas Markets, and it's a nice place just to stand around, sipping a Glühwein, munching a bratwürst, soaking up the atmosphere, and wondering where I can get my hands on a beer-stein suitably filled.


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Quote: What better way to celebrate Halloween than with a tour in the spookiest, ghostliest, most haunted city on the planet - Edinburgh.
...Read More >Edinburgh pioneered 'Ghost Tours' and there are a multitude of companies plying their trade in the Capital but this review concerns the City of the Dead tour from Blackhart.

The tour starts at Old Fishmarket Close, near St. Giles Cathedral, on the Royal Mile and proceeds through some of the narrow closes of the Old Town to GREYFRIARS Kirkyard. On the way, the guide regales the party with tales of Edinburgh's darker side.
In the graveyard of Greyfriars the guide tells of the infamous BURKE & HARE, the notorious resurrectionists who began by digging up bodies to sell to the School of Anatomy for dissection, but when digging seemed like too much hard work, they took the simpler option and began murdering people.

Apparently, there are so many bodies stacked on top of each other in the cemetery that in extremely wet weather, bones can rise to the surface.
Also visited on the tour is the COVENENTER'S PRISON. King Charles tried to align the Scottish Kirk with the English system of worship and the Scottish Presbyterians rejected this and signed a 'National Covenent'.
Many were held here awaiting trial for treason and were in due course sentenced to death by Black MacKenzie, who is buried nearby.

The prison is lined with tombs and vaults and one of these, the BLACK MAUSOLEUM has been associated with an unprecedented amount of paranormal activity.
This is Edinburgh's most haunted site and indeed, it is home to the most well-documented poltergeist activities anywhere in the world.
There have been reports of all kind of strange phenomenae recorded here. In a span of three years, over 70 people undertaking this tour have collapsed and more than 200 have claimed to be affected by all sorts of creepiness. People have reported feeling chilled to the marrow and then hot to the point of passing out; nausea, dizzy spells, numbness, hearing strange noises and weird smells have all been mentioned. Some have even complained of finding unexplained scratches and bruises on leaving.

Nobody complained of anything when I was there but it is very uncomfortable as it's a tiny, cramped, extremely dark, claustrophobic room. It's cold, damp and airless...who needs anything paranormal.
The tour ends at Greyfriars Bobby's statue. You know the story of the wee dug, don't you? No?
In 1858, a man named....oh, just go to the website:
http://www.greyfriarsbobby.co.uk

If after your tour you feel the need for some refreshment, the statue stands outside GREYFRIARS BOBBY'S BAR.
Or, in keeping with the spooky theme of the evening, take a walk just a few yards along the road to the aptly named FRANKENSTEINS Pub where you will most likely get a fright, their prices are shocking!

Personally, I would nash doon the brae for a pint at THE LAST DROP (site of the last public executions in the Grassmarket).
Imagine stepping up to the bar and they had no beer....now THAT really would be scary!!!!! Read Less

Quote: Edinburgh used to be well provided for in the department store department, but these days they are a little thinner on the ground. You would never guess to look at me, but I'm old enough to remember the days when stores such as Binns, PT's, RW Forsyth and Goldberg's, to name just a few, were still doing a roaring trade. One store that is still going strong however, is JENNERS, an Edinburgh institution.
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With it's neo-Gothic facade and it's location, directly opposite the Scott Monument, you just can't miss it. Luckily, for those who've had difficulty in spotting it, there's an optician in-house!
JENNERS is the oldest independent department store in the world, having occupied its original location on Princes Street, Edinburgh, since 1838. It is home to well over 100 different departments, which sell everything from international designer fashion to locally produced Scottish crafts.


* A SHORT HISTORY * Charles Jenner and Charles Kennington were sacked after they skipped work to attend Musselburgh Races, so they decided to set up their own drapery store. On 1st May 1838, 'Kennington & Jenner' open their doors for business. By 1890, Charles Jenner & Co. expanded on Princes St and also occupied nos 2-16 South St. David’s Street. The store was by then the largest retail shop in Scotland.
On 26th November 1892, a fire destroyed the store. The building and all its contents were destroyed but the Jenners factory on neighbouring Rose Street was adapted into a temporary store.
The new store was formally re-opened on 8th March 1895 and was well ahead of its time with electrical lighting, hydraulic lifts and air conditioning.
Throughout the 20th century, Jenners continued to be the prime department store in Edinburgh with continual modernisation and enlargements helping it to maintain this position.
In 2002, Jenners opened a new store at Loch Lomond Shores, the gateway to Scotland's first National Park. They also operate an outlet at Edinburgh Airport.

Jenners is a veritable Aladdin's cave with a basement, lower ground floor, ground floor and mezzanine level and a further 6 floors of shopping opportunities.
Because of it's lay-out, it can be easy to lose your way around the different departments but every turn unfolds new delights.

From the basement - where you will find one of the best toy departments anywhere - up through the levels of everyday items, designer wear, exclusive beauty products, luxury goods, gifts and home furnishings etc., to the food hall - where they stock some of the finest gourmet lines, from the most expensive caviar to bread freshly baked on site, you can find just about anything your heart (or palate) desires. Christmas is probably the best time to visit as their displays are second to none. In the main hall, which is in the style of an open courtyard with 4 floors of balconies surrounding the glass-roofed emporium, stands a huge Christmas tree with all the attendant decorations adding up to a truly seasonal scene.

Of course, it's not a cheap shop, so don't go there expecting any cut-price bargains. Having said that, I don't think you'll find other shops selling equivalent merchandise to be any less expensive. They don't overcharge, it's more of a case that they tend to stock items from the higher end of the market. Jenners has been called the Harrods of Scotland. I wouldn't know about that, but I do know that, unlike Al Fayed's little concern, or as I like to call it, the Jenners of England, I've never heard of anybody being refused entry because of the way they are dressed.
You don't have to be rich to shop here, and they've even been known to let a scruffy nonentity such as myself breeze through and give Mr Visa a severe workout.

A frightening thing occurred to me in Jenners just a few weeks ago. I was perusing the department where they stock collectables and crystal and such, hoping something tasteful (and yet affordable) would catch my eye - a bauble or two for the most beautiful woman on Earth (and maybe something for Mrs P as well!) As you can imagine, there are some expensive goodies on display, you know the sort of thing, ashtrays that cost a weeks wages; arty, sculpture thingys; jewel encrusted whatnots and lots of stuff without price-tags....if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it.
I was calmly going about my business when a woman stepped backwards and dug her heel into my foot causing me to momentarily lose my balance and dive headlong, grabbing fresh air. For what seemed an eternity, but was in fact no more than a split-second, my whole financial future passed before me.
Luckily no damage was done but believe me, the crystal and fine china dept. of Jenners is NOT the place to wildly thrash around in.

That finished me off as far as shopping was concerned and I was in need of an immediate frothy brew to steady my nerves.
As luck would have it, leaving the rear entrance of Jenners and just a very short walk along Rose St. brings you to the Rose St. Brewery. They brew their own beer on the premises and serve a very nice 80/- called Auld Reekie which.....but that's another story..... Read Less

Quote: If you're flying anywhere from Scotland, the chances are that you'll have to use Glasgow or Prestwick Airport - the latter particularly when using Ryanair. This can be a pain if you live in the East of the country as I do. It's particularly galling when planes are constantly flying directly overhead to and from EDINBURGH AIRPORT which is only 6-7 miles from my house.
...Read More >So, when I saw an offer for scheduled flights to Barcelona for less than £100 return, I booked up quicker than a greyhound passing a Korean restaurant.

• THE PAST •
The present Edinburgh Airport was opened by Queen Elizabeth I/II, in 1977. The airfield that was to become Edinburgh Airport was the site of a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome. In 1915, the aerodrome was placed adjacent to the main East Coast railway line so that aircraft could be transported in crates by rail, assembled on-site, and sent straight into action from the grass strip. It later became known as RAF Turnhouse and for many years was run by the Ministry of Defence before the Ministry of Aviation assumed control in 1960.
The first shuttle service linking Edinburgh with London 'took off' in 1947. It was operated by British European Airways.
Edinburgh Airport was taken over by BAA plc in 1971. BAA also own Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, and Aberdeen airports.

• THE PRESENT •
Edinburgh is Scotland's fastest growing airport with around 6.5 million passengers using the airport in the last year, flying to 55 destinations.
The airport recently underwent a £100 million investment program to extend and upgrade terminal facilities. The airport has a modern terminal building, two main runways and a large cargo operation.


• HOW TO GET THERE •
Edinburgh Airport lies on the western fringe of Scotland's capital, about 7 miles from the city centre, and within a mile of the Newbridge junction where the M8 to Glasgow and the M9 to Stirling and the Forth Road Bridge meet with the A8 trunk road.

* By Road -- From Edinburgh take the A8 past the Gyle roundabout and follow signs to the airport. From Glasgow take the M8 to Junction 2, then take the M9 north to Junction 1 (the Newbridge roundabout), then follow the A8.
Short and long term car parks are available and there are numerous car hire options in the terminal. * By Rail -- The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley and trains run to and from Waverley to the rest of the UK. Buses run from Waverley Bridge (next to the train station) to the terminal building. There are plans to build a spur link right to the main terminal but work hasn't started yet.
The new Edinburgh Tramway will also run directly past the terminal...eventually.

* By Bus -- There is an express bus service to/from Waverley Bridge in the city centre (number 100) which operates 24/7 at 10 minute intervals during the day, and half-hourly at night. You can also fly there...


• SHOPPING •
Nowadays, airports are not just places to hop onboard a plane, oh no. They're also great places to offload some of that surplus cash you may be carrying around with you. These days airports are more like a shopping mall than a transport hub. Edinburgh is no exception but don't go there expecting Schipol's array of consumer-related opportunities - it's not quite the Mall of America.
Among others, there are branches of Boots, Tie Rack, Thorntons and Dixons as well as a small outlet for Jenners - Scotland's premier department store.

• EATING & DRINKING • Ubiquitous coffee shops abound, in particular Costa, and there is the Granada Food village, which features: La Brioche Doree, Burger King, Franklins of Boston and Village Grill.
There's also a JD Wetherspoons.

After security, there's another couple of Costas and two Wetherspoons outlets.

• HOTELS •
The Edinburgh airport Hilton Hotel is a few hundred metres from the terminal. It has 134 rooms, restaurant, conference facilities and a full leisure centre. The Quality Hotel is a little further away at around 800m distant and there's a Travelodge just a little further.

• DESTINATIONS •
It's possible to fly to most, if not all of the UK's major airports from Edinburgh, as well as:
Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Billund, Brussels, Cologne, Copenhagen. Cork, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Faro, Frankfurt, Fuerteventura, Lyon, Madrid, Malaga, Milan, Munich, Nice, Palma, Paris, Prague, Rome, Shannon, Tenerife, Toulouse and Venice.
There are rumours that, as Edinburgh is growing faster than Glasgow, that soon it will become Scotland's transatlantic gateway, but we'll have to wait and see.


• MY EXPERIENCE •

Edinburgh Airport is very convenient for me so when I get the chance to fly from it, I don't hesitate. It's possible for me to get a taxi directly from my house, which means no exorbitant parking fees - although it does mean exorbitant taxi fares (around £20 each way).
We arrived at the airport in plenty of time to check in and place our luggage in the safe and competent hands of those wonderfully gentle, baggage handlers. This left us an hour or so to wander around and grab a bite to eat. Inside the terminal building is pretty much the same as any airport - anywhere, although having recently undergone a substantial refurbishment, Edinburgh is quite clean and fresh-looking. It's not a big airport so it's pretty hard to get lost - not matter how hard you try.

One thing I like here is the view from the upper concourse (where most of the shopping and eating facilities are) - there's a lovely panorama taking in almost all of the Pentland Hills - it makes you wonder why you'd want to leave.
But we did leave, and we spent a fun-filled fortnight in sunny Spain before returning from the melee of Barcelona to the restrained efficiency of Edinburgh.
It's an easy airport to arrive in as well as it isn't too crowded (at least anytime I've used it) and you can grab a taxi and be on your way fairly quickly.
For me, that means being back in my house within about 30 minutes of touchdown...if they don't lose my luggage....and HM Customs don't decide that I look suspiciously like a smuggler/terrorist/harassed British citizen....and my car starts....and the traffic's not too bad....and I don't stop off for some 'fast' food....and I haven't lost my house-key....


So, would I recommend Edinburgh Airport? - The answer is a resounding YES. But only, and I must stress ONLY, if you're planning on flying!


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Quote: Don't you just love the build-up to Christmas? Don't you just love to go Christmas shopping? Carols playing softly in the background, twinkling lights and festive decor, excited children waiting their turn for Santa's Grotto and gazing in wonderment at the toys they hope he'll remember to bring them. Those seasonal displays with the little all-singing, all-dancing, animatronics in a sea of cotton wool liberally strewn with coins intended for the less fortunate. The hustle and bustle, the pushing and shoving, the arguing and barging, the rudeness, the stress, the blatant commercialism that verges on extortion, the knowledge that everyone's piling on more debt than they can possibly afford, and the realization that whatever you buy, come January it'll be half the price you paid - not to mention the hordes of shop-lifters, pick-pockets, fraudsters, muggers and all-round baddies that home in for the easy pickings.
...Read More >And the worse thing is, this all starts around early November.

Reading between the lines, you might just detect the fact that my nick-name is not 'The Happy Shopper'.
So why do I do it?
Have you ever seen Mrs P looking disappointed and ever-so-slightly homicidal amongst a litter of 'not-what-I wanted gifts?' Neither have I, and I don't ever intend to. This is why I found myself, one day last week, wandering aimlessly around a shopping mall. The mall in question was, OCEAN TERMINAL in Leith.


Edinburgh has almost always been a prosperous city, but with the opening of the Scottish Parliament, it has become something of a boom-town with several areas undergoing major development. Leith is just one of those. The old port of Leith has seen a remarkable transformation in recent years from a crime-ridden, drug-infested, slum of urban decay and industrial degradation into one of the most cosmopolitan, chic, and desirable areas of Edinburgh. There are exclusive new luxury housing developments, disused warehouses have been renovated into stylish apartments, art galleries and exclusive shopping all sit comfortably amongst the quay-sides and cobbled streets which somehow manage to co-exist alongside the harsher, gritty landscape that still pertains in much of Leith. This is especially true on the Waterfront.
Over the next few years, there are plans to further develop the Waterfront quite substantially with over 10,000 new homes, millions of square feet of office, retail and leisure space, and around 1,000 new hotel rooms.


OCEAN TERMINAL is a fairly new (2001) shopping and entertainment complex in the heart of the rejuvenated western dockland area of Leith.
Developed at a cost £120 million, it comprises department stores and other retail outlets, bars, restaurants and cafés, a 12-screen cinema and a cruise-ship terminal.

The whole shebang is centred around the Britannia Visitor Centre, where you can access the former Royal Yacht, which is permanently berthed here. The complex is designed like a sleek, titanic ocean liner encompassing nearly half-a-million square feet on three floors, and with multi-storey parking for 1600 cars at the 'bow and stern'.
The building is extensively glazed and affords spectacular views over the surrounding waterfront, across the Firth of Forth, and into Fife.


What's inside? There are around eighty retail units spread over the three floors and around the central gallery. Some of the cafés and bars are distributed in various locations, but the main food court in in the centre of the building and covers two floors. This area is completely glazed from floor to ceiling - in fact so is the ceiling - so it's almost impossible to not find a table with a sweeping view over the Forth.

DEPARTMENT STORES - BHS and Debenhams.
FASHION - Adams * Allsports * Burtons * Dorothy Perkins * French Connection* GAP * La Senza * Logo * Prego Leather * S3 * Schuh * Top Shop * Trespass * Wallis.

BOOKS, GIFTS, CARDS, MUSIC & PHONES - Art * Athena * Bear Factory * Boredom Free Zone * Baxter's * Britannia Gift Shop * Clinton Cards * Earth Squared * Gadget Shop * HMV * Special Occasions * Thomas Kinkade * Waterstones's * Fonehouse * Orange * Phones 4 U.
HEALTH & BEAUTY - Aquaspace * Boots * Herbal Inn * The Body Shop * The Perfume Shop.

HOMES & INTERIORS - Athena * Au Naturalle * Viva Sofa.
JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES - Chisholm Hunter * Claire's Accessories * Goldsmiths * H.Samuel * Sunglass Hut.

EATING & DRINKING - Baxters * Britannia View Restaurant * Cafe Expresso * Costa Coffee * M & S Simply Food * Ma Potters * O'Briens * Ocean Bar * Ocean Kitchen * Palace Chine * Starbucks * Zinc Bar & Grill * Zizzi. On the top floor there is a 12 screen cinema.


It's very bright and airy inside which is due partly to the light-coloured walls, but mainly because of the huge amount of natural light emanating from the glass panels.
I parked in one of the multi-levels and it was quite awkward trying to enter the main mall. As far as I could tell, the only way in was by having to walk all the way through Debenhams. Not a major problem, but I hate being forced to negotiate my way through a department store whether I want to or not. I suppose I could use one of the other entrances the next time.

The complex has that brand-new feel about it even though it's been open a couple of years now. It's very roomy and very airy, but that may be because I was there on a Tuesday morning - Saturday afternoon is probably a whole different crowd-jostling experience.

ROYAL YACHT BRITTANIA

Close on a million people have visited the Britannia since it first opened to the public in October 1998. In February this year it was awarded a Five Star World Class Visitor Attraction grading (impressive, eh?). It was also voted the Best New Attraction in the UK and is now one of the top visitor attractions in Scotland. The Britannia was launched at John Brown's on 16th April, 1953. Not the John Brown whose body lies a'mouldering, I hasten to add, but the shipyard in Clydebank where it was built, as was the Queen Mary, The Queen Elizabeth and the QEII (I think it's fairly safe to assume that they knew a little bit about boat-building).

No longer in service, The Britannia is open to all visitors - even those who didn't pay for its upkeep through excessive tax duties. It's supposed to be pretty amazing, but I'm afraid I'm really not interested in having my face rubbed in the inequity of having a monarchy, so I didn't visit.
They also have a gift-shop in the mall.

Fair enough, but how do you get there?

By car:
Much of Fife, the Central Belt and the Borders are within a 45 minute drive. Follow signs for Leith / North Edinburgh and the brown tourist signs for Britannia.

By Rail: Nearest train station is Waverley in Edinburgh city centre, then catch the bus and it's 10 minutes away. Leith will be serviced by the new tram system...whenever that's built!

By bus:
There are buses every 5 minutes from Princes St. and surrounding areas - numbers 1, 11, 22 ,34, 35 & 36 will all bring you directly to the terminal. MacTours buses also stop outside the main entrance.

By air: Ocean Terminal is approximately 20 minutes drive by car or taxi from Edinburgh airport.

By cruise-liner: Around 60 cruise liners are expected to dock at the terminal annually and plans are afoot for ferry services to mainland Europe.

By heliochopper:
Nah, I'm kidding...


Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri 10am - 8pm
Sat 10am - 7pm
Sun 11am - 6pm

The bars, restaurants and cinema are open until midnight.

FOOTNOTE:
The big question that's on everybody's mind is, did I manage to get something suitable and worthy for Mrs P's stocking....something she'll appreciate and thank me for with showers of wet, sloppy kisses?
I very much doubt it. But I did manage to severely dent my bank balance, so no-one's a loser....apart from me. Read Less