What to do (and don�t) in Edinburgh, Scotland

Published: Sunday, 4/5/2015 - Updated: 1 week ago

TRAVEL

BY MACKENZIE CARPENTER

BLOCK NEWS ALLIANCE

EDINBURGH -- If you are fortunate enough to travel to the British Isles for a week, do as I say, notas I did.

Scotland for a week in late December -- with a quick trip down to London -- was a revelation:sparkly, festive, not that cold, endlessly interesting.

It was also punctuated by more than a few dumb decisions, which, in the interest of consumerreporting, I thought I'd share with you.

So many travel stories are written by experts who did everything right -- which is why they are travelwriters. This article is written out of ignorance, which was bliss until the flight home, when I hadtime to reflect on what I did wrong and what I'll do differently next time.

For there will be a next time: There's much more to explore in Edinburgh's "seven hills," a city witha history as deeply layered as the rocks it sits upon.

? DO stay at the Caledonian (or as it is officially called, the Waldorf Astoria Caledonian), if yourbudget permits it, on your first trip to Edinburgh. It is a five-star hotel at the center of everything,with killer views of Edinburgh Castle. I booked a few months in advance and scored a deluxe roomwith that glorious view for $250 a night, which is a great deal. Next time, you can be moreadventurous -- there's the Hotel Missoni, owned by the Italian fashion house, or any number of goodbed and breakfast places -- but it's smart to plant yourself in central Edinburgh on an initial visit.

? DON'T decide at the last minute to book a room at the Caledonian for the night BEFORE youarrive. It's always nice to go from the airport straight to the hotel if you arrive at breakfast time --when many overseas flights do arrive -- but there's a 3 p.m. check in. Some (many?) brave souls killtime walking around museums or park benches, but not me.

I had known early on that my United Airlines flight from Pittsburgh -- with a layover in Newark --arrived at 7:30 a.m. But it didn't occur to me until the day before I left that I would really need to getin the room early to sleep. That one night cost me $575.84. I hesitated ... maybe I could camp out inthe lobby of the airport Hilton instead? I decided to spring for it, but honestly, dumb, dumb, dumb.

? DO go to Scotland in the winter. There are few tourists, no crowds, and while it was cold in thenorth and in the Orkneys, it was in the 40s in Edinburgh when I was there. The weather was sochangeable and romantic, full of the mists, watery skies, and windswept, sunlit clouds, right out of aJ.M.W.Turner painting. It is windy there, so much so that umbrellas are somewhat useless. If you getreally cold, buy one of those Harris Tweed "cowl" scarfs that you wrap around your neck and buttonat the ends. It really keeps out the wind. Everything, it seems, is made from Harris Tweed there:

iPad cases, coasters, pencil cases, sleep masks.

? DON'T buy a kilt, which are priced at 400 pounds ($700) or more in some stores on the Royal Mile,in Edinburgh's Old Town, in the shadow of Edinburgh castle. Don't be tempted to buy the cheapones in the souvenir shops, either, which are essentially polyester printed with tartan. I found awonderful vintage wool kilt/skirt that fit perfectly for $39 at a second-hand store called the RaggedHem. Or go to a "kilt hire" shop where you can rent them.

? DO have dinner at the Witchery. It's something of a tourist trap, a deliberately theatricalrestaurant, all old oak paneling (salvaged from a cathedral), tapestries, silver candelabras, andtartans -- think Macbeth crossed with Walter Scott -- but the building dates back to the 1500s andthere is a plaque out front that claims Dr. Samuel Johnson, the 18th-century essayist, and his faithfulbiographer James Boswell supped there. My daughter and I had dinner there on Christmas Eve. Thefood was somewhat retro -- I had to explain to my daughter that yes, steak tartare is raw, but reallydelicious -- and suitably opulent although not outrageously expensive. Then we walked back to thehotel through the cobblestoned streets, under Edinburgh Castle which was flooded with a lurid redlight. The color red was for the poppies that were everywhere, marking the 100th anniversary ofWorld War I and the sacrifices made by British -- and Scottish -- soldiers.

? DON'T bother to have lunch at the Elephant Room on George IV Bridge Street unless you are ahuge Harry Potter fan. For yes, this is the pub wherehttps://www.goodreads.com/user_status/show/64351479 J.K. Rowling came every day, a pennilesssingle mother, to write her book. The food isn't particularly good, but it's a bright, cheerful spaceand it's just around the corner from the National Museum of Scotland, which includes among itsartifacts the stuffed body of Dolly the sheep, the first successful clone of a mammal from an adultcell.

? DO stop in at the National Gallery of Scotland on Edinburgh's The Mound, which must be one ofthe most charming museums anywhere. It's a squat, neo-classical building that doesn't chargeadmission, although it gladly takes donations. Inside, there is an surprisingly impressive collection ofpaintings -- Van Dyck, El Greco, Cezanne, Monet, Sargent, Constable -- in charming red rooms thatbelong in a painting themselves.

? DON'T plan to travel the day after Christmas, which is Boxing Day in the U.K., when virtually notrains are running. It's a tradition, because Boxing Day -- the day when, in days past, servants andtradespeople received gifts in "Christmas boxes" -- is supposed to be a holiday. Actually, it hasmorphed into something closer to a Black Friday. When I arrived in London by air the area aroundTrafalgar Square was jammed with bargain-hunters, who must have driven into town because noteven the London Underground was running.

? DO go to church, even if you don't go to church. Or as they say in the Scots language, "Kirk." Wewent, on Christmas Day, to St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, originally founded in the 12th century,considered the cradle of Presbyterianism. The great Protestant reformer John Knox is buried under aparking lot (Space 23) that was once a cemetery. Seems disrespectful at best, but there's a statue ofhim inside the cathedral. (A statue of Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations, stands justoutside.)

? DO go to or from London by express train, if you have time. It's four hours and 45 minutes, and theviews are beautiful, especially in the Scottish border country outside Edinburgh. Once you arrive inLondon, have a martini at the bar at Dukes Hotel on St. James Place. Ian Fleming, author of theJames Bond spy novels, reportedly concocted the famous "shaken, not stirred" Vespers martini there.It is very strong and very dry, so if you want something more girly, try the whiskey sour, which isoutstanding.

? DON'T buy a bottle of whisky on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at least if you're planning to travelby plane to London. An eight-year-old bottle of Old Pulteney was $75.03, and when yourcorrespondent discovered no trains running on Boxing Day, she flew instead -- for less money thanthe train -- but had to pay an extra $60 to put the bottle of scotch in checked luggage. That bottle ofscotch is going to last a long, long time.

The Block News Alliance consists of The Blade and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. MackenzieCarpenter is a writer for the Post-Gazette.