We were in Edinburgh for almost a week so chose to stay in an apartment rather than hotel.
The Good
Location, location, location. Near public transport though we exclusively used Uber as it was cheap and efficient. Five minutes from a park with a playground and maybe ten minutes from a couple of major streets with lots of cafes, bars, and even theaters.
The apartment was a one bedroom of decent size with all the amenities. It was carpeted, which is not my favorite but helped keep the place warm against the late September chill. It even had a dishwasher!
The Bad
It was a fourth (third for Europeans) floor walk up, which is what it is. It had a very narrow kitchen and even narrower bathroom. The bathroom could be problematic for someone of girth or height and nearly impossible for someone of both. It also happened to be under renovation. The work didn’t really bother us. Much. The banging didn’t start until after ten. But there was a lack of both view due to the scaffolding and privacy due to the men outside our window that were working on said scaffolding.
The first night we ate at Jolly Italian, right on the main street. Okay toppings but the crust was a combination of everything I dislike in a pizza crust. The pastas looked good, though. Good service.
The next day we went to Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in the whole of Europe and home of the Honours of Scotland, the oldest Crown jewels in Britain. St Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, is also located on the premises. Over the centuries it has served as a royal residence, military garrison, prison and fortress, among other duties. It is also the most besieged place in Britain.
From its brooding perch on a rocky hilltop under grey skies and sleeting rain our first view of the castle was incredibly atmospheric. Unfortunately, the atmospheric weather made for a bloody miserable day. Despite it being a random and rainy weekday in September there were quite a few of our fellow tourists about. All trying to crush into the same warm and dry spaces. In our experience the castle was not great for young kids, though I can see it being more entertaining in better weather.
Personally, I most enjoyed touring the dungeon’s Prisons of War Exhibition. The vaults in which the prisoners were held have been recreated to look as they would have around 1800. It’s an interesting look into Scottish prison life of the late 18th, early 19th centuries. Prisoners came from all over, including the newly formed US and its war of independence.
The Royal Mile is well worth the roam. We ended up eating on the Royal Mile a couple of times. Once at the No.1 High Street Pub. It is only licensed for kids five and up which was a thing we’d never heard of until we were kicked out of the first pub we tried. The food was decent, not particularly impressive. Nice ambience. SM had the Cullen skink and I’m pretty sure I had the fish and chips. What? The second was the Mitre Pub where we encountered mediocre food and okay service.
We also visited the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Originally a monastery since the 1920s it has been the official residence of the Royal Family in Scotland. Legend has it that the king, David I, had a vision of a cross, the Holy Rood, glowing between the antlers of a stag in 1128 and decreed a monastery be built on the site. When Edinburgh became the capital of Scotland in 1437, the kings and queens found themselves spending far more time at the more comfortable guest chambers of the monastery rather than the stone chambers of Edinburgh Castle. Over the centuries the rooms gradually became the palace of today.
Holyroodhouse consist of the palace, the gardens, and the remains of the old abbey. The ticket price includes an audio tour. There is a special audio, interactive, choice for families and/or children of at least five. Our 4yo quickly lost interest. There is also a family activity trail. But by far LB’s favorite place was the family room. The gardens came in at a distant second. For me, the ruins of the abbey were a highlight while SM enjoyed the history of the place and the wonderful views.
So, why is it Edinburgh Castle but Hollyrood Palace? Castles are fortified residences. Popular in Europe during the Middle Ages due to the large amount of infighting within and between European countries during the era they can be found in other parts of the world as well. They can consist of one or more buildings but all castles are surrounded by walls and designed with protection from attack in mind. Anyone of with enough wealth and paranoia can build a castle.
Palaces, on the other hand, are generally inhabited by people of both great wealth and high ranking political power: royalty and other heads of state, or religious leadership. Palaces may have walls but they aren’t fortified. Instead palaces are all about comfort, elegance, even decadence. As such they tend to be bigger, more ornate and luxurious, and are often surrounded by spacious grounds and gardens.
After the palace we ate at some random Thai Asian fusion place that was less than memorable. What we wanted to eat was a pulled pork sandwich from the nearby OINK on Victoria Street. Unfortunately, once the pig is gone, it’s gone until the next day.😢