Well, our all-too-brief stoppover in Edinburgh comes to its inevitable conclusion, and we must repack the bags, locate the car and navigate the way to our final Scottish destination of Granton-on-Spey. Should be about three hours we reckon, plus the extra time required to swing past St Andrews and glance covetously at the home of golf, secure in the knowledge that a game is out of the question.
Some quick observations. I don’t recall ever being in a place where the people – residents and visitors alike – have been so consistently friendly and cheerful. Have had numerous interactions with people from formal customer service ones to casual asides about being lost and needing directions, and almost every one of them has been individually noteworthy for their politeness, genuineness and friendliness. Has been really noticeable, and I am hoping that is going to be the case for all of Scotland now!
It’s also, here in the very centre of Edinburgh anyway, very clean and well kept. Compared to most other cities I’ve been in, at home and abroad, there is very little graffiti or anti-social damage, and you feel like you get to see the place mostly as intended.
In fact, I have really liked the feel of the place. Five years ago, we spent a similar amount of time in Dublin, and I had a totally different reaction. Admittedly it was just after the Irish economy had been hammered by the GFC, but the whole place gave me the feeling of being a theme park based on Dublin’s past. Everything was about where something once happened and the range of overpriced souvenirs you could buy to prove you were there. By contrast, Edinburgh feels very much comfortable in its own present.
The only odd thing about the place is that nothing opens before 8am. Both mornings we have been up early and wandering around, but the ONLY place you can get a coffee is one of the many Starbucks scattered around the place. Made Aidan happy, who was keen to try a brand he hears a lot about in teen culture, and to be honest the coffee wasn’t too bad – a quality that the only coffee you can get your hands on often acquires!
Above: (L) Lauren walks the Royal Mile into the early morning Sun; (R) The clock tower above the Balmoral Hotel.
Everything in one place 