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contents 6-7 introduction 8-11 accomodation 12-13 public transport 14-19 food drink 20-29 history sights 30-35 museum art 36-51 literature film 52-59 shopping fashion 60-77 entertainment 78-81 surrounding areas 82-87 highlands 88-90 scottish vocabulary 91 about us 4[close]
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introduction text by raphaela schedel photos by sanna giovanoli sure you all want to know what`s underneath the kilt it was probably the reason why you opened this book but not so fast this is not a dirty magazine but a travel guide about edinburgh shame on you and your nasty thoughts nevertheless in this city it`s not unusual to see men in kilts they are not a cliché but a reality in edinburgh as well as in the whole of scotland as the capital of a stunning country edinburgh is like the moon among many stars the town has the perfect mixture between dark and mysterious on the one hand and modern and energetic on the other as a tourist we all know that it`s kind of a must to do some typical tourist things the first thing to do is to see all the famous sights of a town especially in edinburgh there are so many sights that it might be difficult for you to see all of them edinburgh castle arthurs seat calton hill the royal mile the grassmarket greyfrairs churchyard and so on 6[close]
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secondly there needs to be an entertaining programme here is where opinions differ for those of you who love the thrill edinburgh holds scary graveyards evil spirits and dark undergrounds for you to discover others again want to visit museums learn more about scottish history or just simply want to go shopping the rest just wants wild party nights out that`s probably the largest group be assured that all of your desires will be fulfilled most of the museums are for free there are plenty of shopping malls streets and little shops and as for the nightlife there are so many pubs and clubs that everyone will be taken care of if not you have the choice to come to edinburgh when a festival is running and lucky you there are lots of festivals during the whole year if you finally have enough of this varied city you can visit edinburgh`s beautiful surrounding areas a little too much right now don`t worry we made this guide for you to make your trip to edinburgh unique and unforgettable so go on discovering this guide it will be a help for you don`t you dare say something different keep this guide always by your side and enjoy your time in edinburgh city of endless opportunities your travel guide team p.s oh right what is underneath the kilt that`s up to you to explore 7[close]
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accomodation sweet dreams text photos by julia nickenig there are many hostels and hotels in edinburgh not overstretching young people s budget here is a selection with the most important information all prices as at march 2010 seasonal changes possible hostels budget backpackers 37 cowgate edinburgh eh1 1jr +44 0131 226 6351 located near grassmarket this friendly hostel is in the neighbourhood of many individual stores pubs and clubs it offers self-service kitchens a dining room and a chill-out room internet terminals and wi-fi are available the reception is open 24h a day dorms from £8.50 twins from £17.00 linen included breakfast £2 lockers in every room 8[close]
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public transport cruisin around text photos by sanna giavanoli going upstairs on a double-decker bus while the bus driver is showing off his skills can be a shaky adventure first you have to find the bus stop you need buses only stop at every other stop in the city centre arriving at the right stop you may see a queue join the end of the line otherwise you might get a disapproving glance when you get on the bus have the exact fare ready the bus driver won t give you any change after taking the ticket the really courageous person dares to go upstairs now but take care don t break your neck once safe on the second floor enjoy the view don`t forget to say thank you to the bus driver when you leave the bus even if you don`t know where he got his licence buses are the best way to move through the city its surrounding areas and even the whole country there are several bus companies specialising in different areas lothian regional transport is the main provider of bus services in the city and runs mainly double-decker buses most of the routes go via princes street lothian buses run the night buses too for travelling further afield scottish citylink goes to cities across the uk the flybus links the city centre to the airport in twenty minutes there are also diffrent open top double-decker buses for tourist sight seeing the tours start at waverly station in the city centre 12[close]
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cider imagine a wood panelled narrow pub a rugby game is shown on a television in a dark corner bulky guys sit at the counter drinking cider yes cider forget the smooth summer evening in a bistro in provence in france cider is a famous drink in the whole of uk and you can find it in nearly every pub in the burgh like beer cider here is drawn on a tap like ales and if you cannot quit with beer just order a snake bite and the bartender will mix you the cider with a shot of light beer cheers 19[close]
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history sights places to know places to go text photos by sylvia kasmann history is all around when walking through the streets of edinburgh you feel as if you have just travelled 600 years back in time the ancient castle which has dominated the city s skyline since the seventh century lets edi glow in the light of long gone kings the cobblestoned streets and winded alleys seem to be shaped by old stories from edinburgh s founding days to the modern times medieval houses guard those streets and not few of them were sites of murder theft and betrayal you simply cannot escape history while visiting edi we know that history is not everybody s thing but you do not have to listen to dull stories told by someone who looks as ancient as the things he talks about to learn something about the city instead you can stroll around the capital and have a look at its many sights which reflect edinburgh s history in an illustrative way edinburgh wears history on its sleeve you will learn about maggie dickinson who was hanged but lived another 40 years after that about the most faithful dog in the world bobby that did not leave his master even after the latter s death about the creepiest poltergeist haunting in edinburgh about a king on a donkey and many other things so just have a walk through edi you will see that it s worth your time 20[close]
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the royal mile the royal mile is a real ragbag of sights it leads from holyrood palace up to the castle and is one mile long the scots are not really the most creative people when it comes to naming things you can find a lot of history on it like at st giles high kirk or the castle as well as a lot of shops that lure you with cashmere tartan tweed and celtic jewellery holyrood palace you can find the holyrood palace at the east end of the royal mile it is the official residence of the queen when she stays in scotland so watch out for the british flag while visiting it if it is hoisted she is in town however holyrood has not always been a royal home originally it was an abbey build in the 12th century that was expanded throughout the years since the 15th century it has been serving as a residence for monarchs and accommodating famous people like mary queen of the scots 21[close]
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the parliament whilst in edi you have to see the new scottish parliament building finished in 2004 it is a spectacular example of modern architecture situated next to holyrood park the architect enric miralles wanted to design a building that would seem to grow out of nature therefore he threw some leaves on a piece of paper and decided that the newly established scottish parliament should look exactly like that if you look at it today it is easy to see the natural influences like the leaf shaped buildings and grass covered roofs go there it s worth a visit st giles high kirk this church is located in the middle of the royal mile and has been one of edinburgh s religious centres for 900 years it was named in honour of the patron of edi st giles the kirk was founded during the 1120s when the royal scottish family made efforts to spread christianity it played a decisive role during the reformation in scotland as one of its priests was john knox who was the founder of the presbytarian church he was buried in the graveyard of the cathedral which was turned into a car park a couple of hundred years later besides the historical importance st giles is an interesting piece of architecture as well its gothic style and colourful windows create an atmosphere of warmth and mystery 22[close]
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edinburgh castle the most popular attraction in edinburgh is of course the castle this mighty fortress is the city s symbol and together with the old and new town part of the unesco world heritage site its most prominent characteristic is that it is built on a huge rock which was created by volcanic activity approximately 340 million years ago there have been settlements on this rock since 900 bc the first historical reference to din eidyn a fortress on the rock stems from 600 ad the castle has often been in the centre of the never ending quarrels between the scots and the english it has been repeatedly invaded by the english and recaptured by the scots if you are planning to visit it you should have a lot of time on your back as it offers many different museums to illustrate its history grassmarket the grassmarket is a small area of central edinburgh southeast of the castle from the 15th to the early 20th century it used to be a market of horse and cattle as well as place of public executions the most famous story about grassmarket is that of half-hanged mary dickinson today you do not encounter any supposedly dead people dangling from the gallows but a lot of students lively pubs cool clubs individual second-hand shops and cheap hotels the young cannot miss grassmarket 23[close]
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museum art amuseument par excellence text photos by anna katharina laschke beside shopping malls and other touristy entertainment edinburgh`s cultural landscape offers various opportunities for all art lovers or `thirsty-for-knowledge-ones to spend their leisure meet famous modern art at the dean gallery dip into scottish history at the national museum or be consumed by visual illusions at camera obscura everyone to his own taste select your favourite and get amuseument started your journey of discovery starts here the national museum of scotland the royal museum housed in a magnificent victorian building of the 19th century on chambers street and the museum of scotland were merged into the national museum of scotland in 2007 various artefacts of past and present life are exhibited on the six levels in the modern part of the museum today starting on the ground floor with the beginning the first three billion years of scotland`s history with origins and evolution of the scottish landscape flora and fauna further on with the early people the kingdom of the scots scotland transformed industry and empire up to scotland a changing nation on the sixth floor the collections tell you the story of scotland its land people and culture supplemen ted by objects from around the world encompas30[close]
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sing archaeology geology natural history science technology and art which are presented in the royal museum walking through the exhibition may feel like exploring a maze your tour is not predetermined and the room layout offers various ways to discover the museum every single room holds its own surprises especially the so-called discoveryzones for children as well as enthusiastic grown-ups even if you may not be that interested in museums it is worth a visit the correlation of modern architecture and the historical samples of the exhibition creates a unique atmosphere and is definitely worth seeing and don`t forget to spend some time on the wonderful terrace on the seventh floor where you will have a splendid view over edi`s old town address contact website opening times admission chambers street edinburgh eh1 1jf tel 0131 225 7534 http www.nms.ac.uk/default.aspx daily 10am-5pm free additional offers shop café special exhibitions events and shows guided and themed tours touch or signed tours for visually impaired school visits etc 31[close]
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life is short art is long smartful edinburgh addicted to the arts then don`t miss experiencing edinburgh`s art scene not only official museums like the national galleries of scotland but also private galleries and ateliers as in stockbridge with their temporary exhibitions are a sight to see so enjoy drifting through a proper universe of past and present artworks and learn more about the artistic side of scotland`s capital city there`s more to da vinci than codes and more to warhol than cans situated right in the heart of edinburgh the national gallery complex is made up of three interconnected buildings the national gallery of scotland which is home to a major part of scotland`s sensational national collection of fine art the royal scottish academy building rsa which is one of europe`s premier venues for international exhibitions and the weston link which connects the two buildings and offers areas for learning shopping eating and drinking so spend a little while strolling around in these peaceful surroundings and discover masterpieces from raphael and rembrandt to rubens the scottish national portrait gallery the first purpose-built portrait gallery in the world is currently undergoing a major refurbishment and is actually closed following the planned reopening in 2011 more portraits will be shown within the context of various historical and thematic exhibitions and will reveal the fascinating stories behind the sitters and the artists the scottish national gallery of modern art and the nearby dean gallery will be your favourites if you cherish modern and contemporary art in all its various forms and even if you`re not that keen on visiting art-exhibitions enjoy the beautiful surrounding parkland with the sculpture works by important artists or rummage in the wonderful galleries shops for further information please check out website www.nationalgalleries.org www.museumonthemound.com www.nms.ac.uk www.edinburgh.gov.uk 35[close]
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literature film for book worms and film nerds where book lovers have to go text and photos by melanie schütte why edinburgh is the book-city edinburgh was the first unesco world city of literature this is not the only reason why you should have a look at the widespread history of literature in this city during your stay there are a lot of opportunities for literary interests discover the places where famous authors found inspiration for their stories on a literature tour learn more about them in the national library and finally go shopping in the unique antiquarian bookshops the writers museum start your literature adventure with a visit to the writers museum you can reach it easily from royal mile going down lady stair s close even the courtyard is just worth having a look at this place is called makars court and also known as the `walk of fame of literature the inscriptions carved into stones commemorate all famous scottish writers from the 14th century to the present the museum is quite small but a comfortable place because of its homely architecture built in 1622 it was home of one of the city s wealthiest families the permanent exhibition is dedicated to three famous scottish authors robert burns sir walter scott and robert louis stevenson a comfortable couch on the second floor invites you to sit down and have a look at the books of the three authors writers museum and makars court lady stair`s close edinburgh eh1 2pa monday saturday 10am 5pm sunday 12 5pm during august only admission free 36[close]
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robert burns the greatest scot let s start with the most celebrated scottish poet robert burns of course you don t have to know all poems of this worldwide celebrated author but at least the most popular one auld lang syne engl old long since is traditionally chanted at hogmanay and became one of the best known songs in the english speaking world a lot of burns works are in scottish dialect regarded as a pioneer of the romantic movement burns was even voted as the greatest scot in a public vote tv-show in 2009 and because the scots love him so much he has even got his own holiday called burns night or burns supper celebrated 25th of january this day is not just celebrated in scotland but also everywhere in the world where scottish migrants live the supper includes traditional haggis a toast to the author accompanied by whisky and one of his songs or poems if haggis turns your stomach try a war ming soup neeps and tatties a main course of scottish salmon or aberdeen angus beef and rounded off with a scotch trifle 37[close]
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where book lovers should go text photos by kerstin mahler having been on a literary journey through edinburgh you surely want to get yourself a book that you could take back home with you you of course could go to the big waterstones stores in princes street but for real book lovers the side streets are much more interesting here you can find second hand bookshops they are not only worth a visit because they often sell bestsellers cheaply but also because the atmosphere of some of these shops is quite unique one of the most impressive second hand bookshop is the old town bookshop in victoria street near grassmarket the narrow room is crammed full of books from the bottom to the top it gives you the impression that someone was set the following task fill a small space with as many books as possible so you stand in the shop in awe and secretly ask yourself how someone could ever reach those top shelves if you have the overview you could find exotic titles like birds in britain volume 41 portraits in oil and vinegar or games and sports in the army but also well known books like an ian rankin novel while being at grassmarket you should stroll down west port here are several second hand bookshops next to each other if you are a fan of fantasy or science fiction the transreal fiction bookshop in cowgatehead is just the right location for you you ll find everything from adams to tolkien also highly recommendable is the broughton street bookshop it is located in the new town and provides a wide range of quite cheap bestsellers additionally there is another very interesting life story to discover as brian rafferty who runs the shop suffers from the aspergers syndrome a form of autism if you just want to get yourself a cheap book though you should pop into one of the charity shops like oxfam or pdsa pets in need of vets in one of these you can buy donated books for a small amount of money and do something good at the same time 44[close]
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aaaaaaaaaaaand action following the footsteps of ewan mcgregor and tom hanks text and photos by friederike ebel imagine you are on a shopping tour on princes street looking in the windows chatting with your girls absolutely amazed by the city suddenly you hear some hectical steps behind you and just as you re turning around three thin pale boys nearly bring you to fall by running down the street as you follow them with your eyes you think was that really ewan mcgregor with a bit of imagination or the help of whisky and beer you could really feel like being a part of danny boyle s trainspotting which was shot in edinburgh and glasgow in 1996 it deals with heroin abuse and the problems of young people who grew up in leith an economically depressed area of edinburgh in the 80s you may recognise some houses or crossroads while walking down edinburgh s most famous shopping paradise princes street but there are a lot more places which are worth a visit for a trainspotting fan just stroll down leith walk the main street of leith irvine welsh the author of the novel was born in this quarter of the city which is known for its troubled past drug addicts unemployment and a high crime rate today leith is about to become the new fashionable quarter of edinburgh but you can still feel the special atmosphere which made the book and movie so authentic at the end of leith walk you ll arrive at the foot of the walk a pub where some drinking scenes with ewan mcgregor were filmed feel free to sit down grab yourself a beer and clink glasses to mark spud sick boy tommy and begbie but be careful not to copy the movie figures too much the barman might get angry when you start throwing beer glasses like begbie did in the movie 47[close]
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in addition some parts were filmed on the train tracks between edinburgh and glasgow so if you re on a one day visit to glasgow don t miss thinking of mark and sick boy lying in the grass watching trains go by and talking about sean connery films as a real trainspotting addict you can join the trainspotting tour which is offered all year around for further information check out the programme of the trainspotting tours on www.leithwalks.co.uk or call 0131 555 2500 prices about £4 all tours take around 2 hours mail@leithwalks.co.uk if you re not that interested in drugs alcohol sex and crime but in adventure and tension there is an old mystical place near edinburgh which played an important role in the 2005 blockbuster the da vinci code do you remember tom hanks and audrey ta tou alias professor langdon and sophie neveu entering a church placed in romantic surroundings just to find out the secret of the holy grail this scene full of magic was filmed in the 15th century rosslyn chapel which is not far away from the capital you can reach the chapel by bus it is seated near the little village of rosslyn and is only about 30 minutes away from the city centre there may be pictures of the movie popping into your head when you enter the romantic church and while you re walking around the nave you ll probably empathise with the excitement robert and sophie felt by discovering who sophie s ancestor was when you are climbing down the stairs to the chamber where langdon and sophie were expecting the holy grail to be arranged in you will feel a prickle in your belly and your feet may tremble so enjoy your visit and keep in mind to walk the little path down to the rosslyn castle an old hulk of masonry next to the church it is the perfect backdrop to take some nice pictures and to enjoy the beautiful 48[close]
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a sean connery view on edinburgh an elegant man is leaning against the bar his eyes are brown his hair black the suit he wears is of the best material all of the women in the room glance him with interest one of them will spend the night with the stranger the man smiles lifts his eyebrow and then very slowly turns to the barman i have it shaken and not stirred everybody knows that famous sentence from james bond who was first played by sean connery in 1962 after his james bond period sean connery developed into an actor with a strong character and appeared in a lot of famous movies such as the name of the rose the hunt for red october and finding forrester but this man known for being someone men want to be and women want to be with has not always been that high-flying he was born in the edinburgh of the 1930s not in one of the nice quarters but in fountainbridge the factories made the area dusty and dirty the connerys weren t very rich and lived in an old tenement at 176 fountainbridge with no hot water and no bathroom at age 13 the young connery left school to earn some money for his family by delivering milk around the city you will have a lot of problems seeking the connery s former home today it was knocked down in the 1960s to make way for a new bottling plant today fountainbridge is unrecognisable from the area that connery grew up in you ll need a lot of imagination to fancy the streets shops and houses of his childhood there is also mcewans brewery where sean connery s father worked the world renown edinburgh college of art sits at lauriston place in his young years the actor was also a bodybuilder and because of his athletic physique and of course good looks connery earned some ex50[close]
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tra money by posing nude for art students some naked pictures still survive of the man voted as the sexiest man alive in 1989 and the sexiest man of the century in 1999 take the time to visit the king s theatre at leven street it is one of the most important and historical theatres of scotland and the starting point of connery`s career as an actor in addition to his model jobs and the bodybuilding he picked up some extra money by helping out backstage at the king s this is where he got interested in acting even in the evening connery s footsteps echo around edinburgh when the actor who is now living in the caribbean comes to visit his city he likes to have dinner at the italian restaurant ciao italia which is close to the royal mile at 64 southbridge if you are really lucky the person at the table next to you may be connery himself ask him questions about scotland he is very passionate about scottish politics and its history so enjoy your trip to connery`s hometown maybe you can feel a bit of the passion he feels for his city yourself did you know there s a small thoroughfare that is named after sean connery it runs past the site of the tenement at 176 fountainbridge where sean connery was born when i took a taxi during a recent edinburgh film festival the cabbie was amazed that i could put a name to every street we passed `how come he asked `as a boy i used to deliver a milk round here i said `so what do you do know that was rather harder to answer sean connery in being a scot 51[close]
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shopping fashion shop till you drop shopping that suits everyone text photos by desi ilker the second most visited tourist destination in the united kingdom edinburgh offers a shopping experience like no other it s a place with a variety of shops and malls and whatever you re looking for the city has something to suit edinburgh s shops are not only best known for traditional scottish souvenirs but also for an increasing number of designer stores and funky boutiques providing a wide range of opportunities you ll be spoilt for choice the medieval buildings which elegantly dominate the city are already astonishing eye catchers what is also recognizable about edinburgh are its inhabitants wearing stylish clothes with screaming colours let s have a look which 52[close]
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