Great Scots
Undiscovered Edinburgh sights
By Rick Steves
In Edinburgh I learned "Scotch tape" is called "Sellotape," and when someone stops breathing, rather than "mouth to mouth resuscitation," you give them "the kiss of life." I was also reminded that Edinburgh is one of the most dynamic cities in Europe — packed with history and fun, and always changing. During a recent trip, I enjoyed several lesser-known museums and experiences worth working into your next visit.
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| Visitors marvel at the sights of Edinburgh. Or maybe it's just a man in a kilt on a balcony. |
Everyone visits the imposing Edinburgh Castle which pummels you with history and old stuff. But tucked away on the far side of the hill-capping fortress is the excellent (and generally overlooked) National War Museum of Scotland, which thoughtfully covers four centuries of Scottish military history. Instead of the usual musty, dusty displays of endless armor, this museum offers an interesting mix of short films, uniforms, weapons, medals, mementos, and eloquent excerpts from soldiers' letters. A pleasant — or exhausting — surprise just when you thought your castle visit was over, this rivals any military museum you'll see in Europe (and it's included in your castle admission). Don't miss it.
Just below the castle, the huge National Museum of Scotland has amassed more historic artifacts than everything I've seen in Scotland combined. It's free and wonderfully displayed with fine descriptions offering a best-anywhere hike through the history of Scotland. Start in the basement and work your way through the story: prehistoric, Roman, Viking, the "birth of Scotland," Edinburgh's witch-burning craze, clan massacres, all the way to life in the 20th century. Free audioguides offer a pleasant descriptions of various rooms and exhibits, and even provide mood music for your wanderings (free, daily 10:00–17:00, free 30-min intro tours generally at 10:30, 12:30, and 15:30; 2 long blocks south of Royal Mile from St. Giles Cathedral, Chambers Street, off George IV Bridge, tel. 0131/247-4422).
What's new about Scotland's National Gallery? My take on the place. For years I considered it second rate compared to its awesome cousin in London. But this elegant neoclassical building has a delightfully small but impressive collection of European masterpieces, from Raphael, Titian, and Peter Paul Rubens to Thomas Gainsborough, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh. And it offers the best look you'll get at Scottish paintings (daily 10:00–17:00, Thu until 19:00, tel. 0131/624-6200). The skippable Royal Scottish Academy, next door, hosts temporary art exhibits and is connected to the National Gallery at the garden level (underneath the gallery) by the Weston Link building (same hours as the gallery, fine café and restaurant).. After your National Gallery visit, if the sun's out, enjoy a wander through Princes Street Gardens.
Scotland's Parliament originated in 1293, was dissolved by England in 1707, and returned in 2000. Their extravagant, and therefore controversial, new digs opened in 2004. The Catalan architect Enric Miralles mixed wild angles, lots of light, eyesore windows, and local stone into a startling complex that would, as he envisioned, "arise from the sloping base of Arthur's Seat and arrive into the city almost surging out of the rock." For a conversation starter, ask a local what he or she thinks about the place. For a peek at the new building and a lesson in how the Scottish Parliament works, drop in and find the visitors' desk (free, April-Oct Mon and Fri 10:00-18:00, Tue-Thu 9:00-19:00 — or 10:00-18:00 if Parliament is in recess, Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00; Nov-March Mon and Fri-Sun 10:00-16:00, Tue-Thu 9:00-19:00 — or 10:00-18:00 if Parliament is in recess; last entry 45 min before closing, ). You can also sign up to witness the Scottish Parliament's debates (usually Wed 14:30–17:30, Thu 9:30–12:30 & 14:30–17:30, tel. 0131/348-5200).
The immense Dynamic Earth is located about a five-minute walk from the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Filling several underground floors, this immense exhibit tells the story of our planet, filling several underground floors under a vast Gore-Tex tent. It's pitched, appropriately, at the base of the Salisbury Crags. The exhibit is designed for younger kids and does the same thing an American science exhibit would do — but with a charming Scottish accent. Standing in a time tunnel, you watch time rewind from Churchill to dinosaurs to the Big Bang. After several short films on stars, tectonic plates, and ice caps, you're free to wander past salty pools, a re-created rain forest, and various TV screens. End your visit with a 12-minute video finale (£9, family deals, April-Oct daily 10:00–17:00, July-Aug until 18:00, Nov-March Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00, closed Mon-Tue, last ticket sold 70 min before closing, on Holyrood Road, between the palace and mountain).
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| Britain's royal yacht, the Brittania, is permanently moored and open to the public. |
The much-revered royal yacht Britannia, which carted around Britain's royal family for more than 40 years and 900 voyages before being retired in 1997, is permanently moored at the Ocean Terminal Shopping Mall in Edinburgh's Port of Leith. It's open to the public and worth the 15-minute bus or taxi ride from the center. Explore the museum, filled with engrossing royal-family-afloat history. Then, armed with your included audioguide, you're welcome aboard. You'll tour the bridge, dining room, and living quarters, and follow in the historic footsteps of such notables as Churchill, Gandhi, and Reagan. It's easy to see how the royals must have loved the privacy this floating retreat offered (£9.50, daily April–Oct 9:30–16:30, Nov–March 10:00–15:30, these are last entry times, tel. 0131/555-5566). To get here from Edinburgh, catch LRT bus #22, #34, or #35 at Waverley Bridge (£2 round-trip). If you're doing a city bus tour, consider the Majestic Tour, which includes transportation to the Britannia.
Edinburgh's Literary Pub Tour — interesting even if you think Sir Walter Scott was an arctic explorer — is a great evening out. You'll follow the witty dialogue of two actors as they debate whether the great literature of Scotland was high art or the creative recreation of fun-loving louts fueled by a love of whisky. You'll wander from the Grassmarket, over the Old Town to the New Town, with stops in three pubs as your guides share their takes on Scotland's literary greats. The tour meets at the Beehive Pub on Grassmarket (£10, book online and save £1, May–Sept nightly at 19:30, March-April and Oct Thu–Sun, Nov–Feb Fri only, call 0131/226-6665 to confirm, ).
Updated for 2008. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Great Britain guidebook — or join us on one of our free-spirited Britain or Scotland tours!