3 PERFECT DAYS IN EDINBURGH/ must-sees, things to do, guide, where to eat & hidden gems

[Applause] thank you hello and welcome back as you can see from the title of the video today we're going to be exploring Edinburgh we'll be here for a few days we're here at the best time of the year it's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in this period there's just Live Events food events there's a bit of everything and so we'll show you in the next few days of course the best way to start your day in any given city is by enjoying a hearty breakfast we headed to Cairn gone coffee in Melville place there are a number of delicious options on the menu including pastries Toasties hot drinks and takeaway snacks [Music] next up our first Port of cool when it came to tourist attractions for the day was the delightful Dean Village this should be the first place you visit in your Edinburgh itinerary as it can get incredibly busy later on in the day due to just how beautiful it is a small stream bubbles nearby and you can hear birds chirping in the surrounding trees the quaint area of Dean Village is far removed from the normal hustle and bustle of busy Edinburgh life and yet it lies just 10 minutes away from the end of the city's main shopping district Princess Street [Music] at one point there were 11 Mills along the river driven by the power of the surprisingly strong current housing for Mill workers sprung up around the Mills and the river however by the 20th century the majority of the flower mills at Dean Village were closed down nearby Mills at Leith were much larger and more powerful rendering the Mills at Dean Village expensive to run it wasn't until the 1970s that renovation Works were undertaken and the village became recognized as a place of calm in the middle of a capital city foreign foreign you can then follow the path of the river leaf for a casual stroll [Music] follow the path from Dean Village all the way into Stockbridge and you'll arrive at Stockbridge Market which is a cozy Farmers Market that's open every Sunday once there you can purchase fresh produce local goodies and even artisanal gifts such as candles [Music] and then we experienced what I can only describe as an Edinburgh downpour I don't think I've ever seen this guy's turn from Blue to thunderstorm so quickly and so we hopped on a bus and headed towards the city center [Music] almost as soon as we stepped off the bus we headed into the Makers Market to escape the rain this Boutique Craft Market features all sorts of artisanal Goods set against the backdrop of a former Church the market is actually along the Royal mile which is so called because it is roughly a mile long strip which connects Edinburgh Castle and reaches down through the city center towards holyrood Palace I.E the Scottish residents of the royal family and the personal favorite of Elizabeth II this is a really busy and Lively Street and there's always something going on there's often street performers though the number of Acts is greatly increased during The Fringe Festival period [Music] one of the main highlights of the royal mile is the free to visit Saint Giles Cathedral this Gothic Masterpiece dates all the way back to the 12th century founded in 1124 by King David the first the church began Life as a Romanesque church later editions meant that much of what you see today is neo-gothic in design [Music] as it was The Fringe Festival our afternoon was spent experiencing several different types of shows what you need to know about The Fringe is that anyone who wants to perform can perform hotel conference rooms cafes bars and every other indoor and Outdoors bees you can imagine is transformed into a performance space what this means is that you can end up with a pretty mixed bag in terms of quality on our first afternoon and evening we ended up watching an improv murder mystery followed by what I can only describe as a green screen experimental show that was probably the longest hour of my life [Music] the next morning we got up bright and early to discover leaf this green neighborhood of Edinburgh has previously been named as one of the top five coolest places to live in the world by time out and is an Eclectic mix of bars restaurants cafes and little Lanes [Music] thank you one of the coolest parts of Leith is a little area of Edinburgh which is known locally as the shore contrary towards its name suggests this is not actually on the seafront but is instead a harbor area of Leath [Music] uh we had breakfast at toast which is right on the waterfront meaning that you can have your breakfast outside admiring The View as long as it's warm enough it was then time to make our way back to the city center for another pack day of sightseeing [Music] [Music] topping and Company is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful bookshops in Edinburgh set across three levels in the shadow of Colton Hill this independent Bookstore boasts over 70 000 titles and one of my favorite aspects of this store is that you have to climb ladders to get a closer look at the books on the top shelves [Music] there are two major viewpoints close to Edinburgh and the closest of these is Carlton Hill with the other being Arthur's seat as we weren't sure if the weather was on our side and we didn't have a great deal of time to explore the city we opted simply to climb up Colton Hill which provides a good enough view as you can see thank you from the top you can enjoy bird's eye views of the city including the castle Hollywood Palace the Scottish Parliament and even far out into the distance to places like crammond Island and the sea this spot is not only popular among tourists but locals too and you'll often find groups of friends hanging out [Music] [Music] I actually saw Colton Hill described as edinburgh's Acropolis due to the presence of a number of various monuments and statues atop of the Hill once at the top you can see the Nelson Monument The Dugout Stewart monument and the burns Monument among others [Music] from the top it's a brief 10 minute walk or so in order to reach street level [Music] free to visit Princess Street Gardens lie in the shadow of the Scott Monument a Memorial dedicated to Sir Walter Scott that you can go up for a small fee and also houses a small Museum this is one of the most important parks in Edinburgh and you'll find that it's often quite busy with people enjoying picnics on The Lawns or simply resting after busily exploring Princess Street I.E the main shopping street in Edinburgh [Music] Princess Street Garden is located right next to one of the most important museums in Scotland the Scottish National Gallery smooth and ornate this intimate Gallery allows you to get close enough to see the paint flags on some of the most famous artworks in Scotland located on the mound in the very middle of the city here you can see artworks by painters such as jmw Turner and William McTaggart all for free [Music] foreign next up we visited a museum which is a must-see for the literary lovers out there the writers museum is set over three levels and is free to visit set within lady stair's house just off of the royal Mile in a faux medieval building this small cultural space showcases the literary history of the city and its residents [Music] thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] Victoria Street was built between 1829 and 1834 and is said to have inspired JK Rowling when she created Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series stroll along this street and you'll discover plenty of colorful shop facades and even a wizard shop when you're walking around Edinburgh you'll find that there's so many different little hidden eateries and so we stopped for a quick coffee and bite to eat [Music] just like in other cities all around Europe Edinburgh 2 has its own bronze statue only this time it's in the form of a dog which is fondly referred to as gray Friar's Bobby the terrier lived during the middle of the 19th century and is famous for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner up until his own death it's said that if you rub the Bronze Statues nose then you will be rewarded with good luck and maybe even a trip back to Edinburgh thank you gray price kirkyard is one of the most famous graveyards in the entire world and was established during the 16th century It's the final resting place for many of the city's most famous residents and is a tranquil space right in the Heart of the City it's often said that JK Rowling would wander through the cemetery and find inspiration for her character's names by looking at the names of the Tombstones within the graveyard the most famous of these is undoubtedly Thomas riddle who no doubt inspired Tom Riddle in the series I.E voldemorts foreign [Music] Market lies in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle and is one of the best places to head to if you want to sit outside enjoy a local pint of Edinburgh beer and watch the world go by [Music] just off of grass Market on a little known passageway you'll find the vanu now the venue is probably the most beautiful view of Edinburgh and offers unparalleled views of the castle you'll probably have to wait a little to take a photo without anyone in it but the view is well worth it foreign we then headed to try some particularly unique sour beers at Vault City now the Wii Vault Tap Room is pretty tiny with less than a dozen seats and so I recommend booking well in advance if you want to secure a spot especially at the weekend this independent Craft brewery in Scotland is Scotland's largest sour beer producer and you can find some pretty unique flavors such as raspberry roulade apricot birthday cake and lemonade some beers are even blue [Music] [Music] foreign is one of the most prestigious addresses in the city and is set right across from the Balmoral Hotel the restaurant is particularly famous for its oysters but you can alternatively pop into the bar area for a drink in some beautiful Victorian surroundings [Music] after sipping on our wine we headed to Bonnie and Wilde now Bonnie and wild is actually located in a shopping mall and is an upscale Food Hall where everyone can get their own dishes before gathering together to enjoy their meals it's a little on the pricey side but the food is just delicious and the Ambiance is sophisticated and cool [Music] thank you [Music] of course edinburgh's enviable position right next to the Sea meant that we just knew that we had to experience the water before leaving the city the closest seafront to get to from the city center is New Haven which isn't the most beautiful but is easily accessed by getting to the end of the tram line [Music] we finished our time in Edinburgh by sampling a traditional Scottish favorite for breakfast haggis now normally this is made with liver heart and lungs of a sheep but we had the vegetarian version which is made with oats thank you and finally a note on getting around Edinburgh truth be told for the most part the easiest way to get around the city is on your own two feet this is especially true of places such as the Royal Mail if you want to go places further afield then getting the tram is your best mode of transportation just be sure to make a purchase of a tram ticket at the machine before you board as otherwise you'll face a higher ticket price once aboard and if you've made it to the end of the video thank you so much for watching and I can't wait to see you next time bye

Channel: Sophie Nadeau

Views: 244,359

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Id: 6zZX6WPKgYE

Length: 19min 11sec (1151 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 29 2023