Old Reekie, The Modern City of Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh, Capital city of Scotland, what on earth could a family do when visiting such a place?
Edinburgh's history can be traced back to AD79. Although it is known to be a historical place with a fascinating history, it is also a modern vibrant city that buzzes by day and pulsates by night. You only need to browse the publicity brochures to see how emphasis is placed on the historic aspects of it. There are a few brochures that mention the modernisation of Edinburgh, but few seem to promote both sides equally. Edinburgh certainly does give you the idea that it is very old when you walk around the city. The majority of the buildings date back hundreds of years and although they are well maintained, the old age of them is apparent.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing areas of Edinburgh is The Royal Mile. This is a road that stretches from the bottom of the hill at The Palace Of Holyrood House all the way up to the city's most famous attraction, Edinburgh Castle. Occasionally it is also referred to as The Road Of Kings. This road alone has many attractions for you to visit. Exploring The Royal Mile will take at least a full day by the time you have visited all the attractions and many of them are free to enter. For the lazy traveller, it is advisable to start at the top end at the Edinburgh Castle and proceed down the hill. When you have finished at the bottom, catch a taxi back up. The Royal Mile is an example of how modern Edinburgh works perfectly well alongside historical Edinburgh. On your walk along this road, you will see for yourself modern enterprises trading modern goods from very old premises. You will also witness how the infiltration of modern buildings is becoming more and more evident. Edinburgh city has two parts to it which are called The Old Town and The New Town. The Old Town is packed with history and you will most definitely not become bored walking from one attraction to the other. The Old Town can perhaps be considered to be the very beginning of Edinburgh when it was called Old Reekie because of all the smoke that hung in the air. An observation made by the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson. Eventually the Old Town became unbearably overcrowded and plans were made to extend the city away from this area and the New Town was born.
The New Town is noticeably more modern. You need to remember that although we say modern, there are still many buildings that are considerably older than us in this area. A walk around the New Town will quickly show just how modern the city Of Edinburgh is. All the modern corporations like Burger King, MacDonald's and Starbucks have a major presence in this area. There are also many clothing shops with the latest fashions displayed in their windows. You need to take a walk along Rose Street and see how many bars, restaurants and clubs there are. If you had a beer in each one you would not make it to the end! The Tourist Information Office is located above the Waverly Train Station. The station is next to Princess Street Gardens.
The main shopping street is called Princes Street. Usually this is called The High Street in Britain but this is not the case here. The Royal Mile is considered to be The High Street. Have a seat on one of the many benches provided along Princes Street and look around. On one side of you are the beautiful Princes Street Gardens that provide solace to the harassed office workers on their lunch breaks and on the other side is the New Town with all its modernisation. Princes Street will lead you to a historic area called Calton Hill.
Calton Hill consists of a number of historical buildings. They are the Dugald Stewart Monument, The Royal Observatory, Nelsons Column and what is sometimes referred to as Edinburghs Shame, the unfinished Parthenon or National Monument. For a modest fee you can climb up the 120 steps of Nelsons Column and gain a spectacular view of Edinburgh City and its surrounding areas. As a matter of interest, Nelsons column is built to look like an inverted telescope.
Just below Calton Hill is The New Town. A casual stroll into this immediate area will reveal an area that not only has modern shops and cinemas but theatres as well. Anybody who wants to see a play will be catered for.
Edinburgh City certainly has it all for the visitor. Historic attractions, modern shops, cinemas, peaceful parks, theatres and friendly people. Should you visit it? Certainly. Will you know where to go and what to see? Visit http://www.photoguideproductions.co.uk and check out the DVD guides. Is one week enough? That's doubtful.
Copyright © J Reunert 2007. Please ask to use this article.
Related Tags: guide, travel, new, attraction, castle, scotland, tourist, historic, old, edinburgh, scottish, scotish, reekie
Quietly living in a small rural village outside Edinburgh Scotland, I have for many years been a keen photographer with bias towards the subjects of Travel, history and nature. I am currently doing an article writing course to compliment my photographic endeavours. My contact details are info@photoguideproductions.co.uk or through my website at http://www.photoguideproductions.co.uk
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