Matt and Mum Do Scotland, Part 3

PART THREE: In The Burgh Of Ed

2016-04-01 to 2016-04-04

Edinburgh Airport.

To start off April, we had a nice long drive planned out. Our time in the Speyside was done, and we had one more stop in Scotland before heading back across to the Emerald Isle. A reverse sea-change took us from rolling hills and farmland back down to civilisation, to the “Inspiring Capital” of Edinburgh.

The drive down was fairly uneventful: mostly mixtures of green and brown fields; some sheep and cows scattered along the way. We made our first stop in the coastal town of Stonehaven to take a break and have a coffee. Snagging a free 30-min park in the town centre, we spied the cute little cafe called Maggie May’s. It appeared to be a house with the front living area and kitchen converted into a cafe. The service was great and the scones were very tasty!

Coffee and scones at Maggie May's in Stonehaven.

We took the Tay road bridge across the Firth of Tay at Dundee and followed the road around to St. Andrews. Now, I don’t play golf... I have tried and I find it rather frustrating! However, when you’re this close to where they invented the sport, it’d be silly to not at least get a photo with the sign. So that’s what we did! I have a feeling that we wouldn’t be able to afford even a bucket of balls at the driving range there, let alone a round of holes. And I wouldn’t want to disgrace the sport with my lack of skills in such a sacred location, anyway!

Fore!!!

Significant roadworks delayed our approach to Edinburgh, but we eventually got there in the early evening. We checked into Ardmillan Hotel: nicely fitted, and a pleasant room. The shared bathroom was a bit of a pain, and wifi didn’t really reach up to the third floor. Also, our TV signal was temperamental. But for the purpose of a place to sleep and relax, it was great! Just around the corner, we found The Caley Sample Room. A combined bar and restaurant, they offer a wide range of craft beers and some decent meals. For £12, we got a 2-course meal. I accompanied that with a pint of “Happy Chappy”, a slightly hoppy pale ale. And wouldn’t you know it? The waitress who served us was an Australian. We’re like a virus, us Aussies!

The next morning, we took to our feet and walked into the Old Town which is the area directly surrounding the unmissable Edinburgh Castle. The Castle stands ominously and proud at the top of a rocky outcrop, surrounded on all sides with steep cliffs. The most sensible approach is from the east, where the Royal Mile road slopes up to the front entrance. Coming from Princes Road to the north, it’s a bit of a killer walk with some steep side streets that join the Mile more than halfway up. We had to sit and take a breather once we got there (but I was also still sick at this stage, so that didn’t help!).

Edinburgh Castle overlooking the plebs below.

Inside, we arrived just in time to join a free guided tour around the Castle. The tours leave about every 20 minutes, and the guide we had was very informative and also quite amusing. This was a great way to learn about and see the Castle without having to stop and read every information board around the place. The entrance fee is almost a steep as the roads to get there, but if you have got your Explorer Pass sorted out, then you get in for free, so that’s definitely the way to go. A lot of the buildings throughout date originally from the 1500s; earlier original wooden structures were burned down by Robert the Bruce after he captured the Castle from the English but realised he didn't have enough men to defend it. There are plenty more fascinating stories, so definitely don’t skip a visit here.

Another example of the hammerbeam roof, using not a single nail to hold it up.

Main square inside Edinburgh Castle.

Canongate Kirk along the Royal Mile.

Scotland'd buskers are a little more authentic than school kids and pop-rock singers.

From the Castle, we walked down and then back up the Royal Mile, taking in the sites and the seemingly endless shops: cashmere and tartan galore, as well as countless Scottish souvenir shops. We had earmarked a place for lunch and found it with relative ease. The Haggis & Whisky House sits just around the corner on Cockburn Street. Inside, there is a very art-deco feel, including lampshades made of top hats; very cool! Of course, I like whisk(e)y and mum and I agreed that haggis was something we had to have more than once while in Scotland, so this seemed like an obvious choice when in the nation’s capital. I opted for the chicken breast, wrapped in bacon and stuffed with haggis – outstandingly delicious! The haggis was rich and flavourful; the chicken perfectly cooked; and the sauce accompanying it was creamy and marvellous. Washed down with a nip of Strathisla (thanks, Speyside!), it was a thoroughly enjoyable lunch.

Complimetary haggis balls to start.

One of the tastiest chicken dishes I've ever tasted.

In the evening, we located another bar just near our hotel: The Athletic Arms. Inside, the outfitting is like an old style pub, but the lighting is bright and lively. Plenty of people were packed in on this Saturday evening, including one guy who had his dog inside – so cool that that is allowed! We relaxed over a couple of pints, and then a bit of soup, while watching Ronaldo and his boys lose to Messi’s men!

Our second day based in Edinburgh was dedicated to a drive south into the northeast of England with the destination being Hadrian’s Wall and the Vindolanda RomanFort. Around the time of the first 100 years AD, the Roman Empire was a force to be reckoned with, but they had failed to tame the wild men of Scotland. After several battles with them, they’d set up multiple forts and camps in the north of modern-day England. One of these was Vindolanda, located near the town of Bardon Mill. Today, you can visit the museum and learn all about the fort’s history and use over time, and see the some of the thousands of artefacts recovered from archaeological excavations of the fort. Because of the beneficial soil conditions, items from all echelons of Roman life have been recovered in amazing condition and give us a great insight into the lives of people at Vindolanda; truly and interesting experience if you enjoy a bit of history and archaeology.

Inscribed stones from Roman times.

Vindolanda Roman Fort, as it stands today.

Not far from Vindolanda, along the B3028 (but not very well signposted when you’re travelling at speed), you can walk along the remains of Hadrian’s Wall - look for a random, seemingly unfinished stone wall in the middle of a field! After the Roman Emporer Hadrian visited Vindolanda in around 122AD, he commissioned that a wall should be built from coast to coast across England to keep the pesky Scots out of his territory. Not a lot of the wall still stands, but there are some small sections here that you can check out – again very interesting for the inner history nerd! To think that almost 2000 years ago the Romans were advanced enough in their masonry and engineering to build such a huge structure all the way across a country is quite incredible.

Temple to Mithras, near Hadrian's Wall.

Some of what remains of Hadrian's Wall today.

On the drive back to Edinburgh, we stopped off at the border; they’ve actually put some effort into marking the border here, not like in Northern / Republic of Ireland! Not much further on, we took a break in the town of Jedburgh and had a pleasant meal at The Carter’s Rest restaurant. They do a good curry!

This way to Scotland!

Or this way to go visit Lizzie!

My curry for lunch at The Carter's Rest.

On our last morning in Scotland, the dreary clouds had piled on over the city and drizzly rain was aplenty. We partook in a Full Scottish Breakfast at our hotel before checking out – it’s more or less the same as the Irish ones we have tried (black pudding is delicious!). We then walked into town to kill a few hours with a bit of shopping. The new town area on the north side of the castle is nothing special; a few monuments and old-style buildings around, but shopping-wise, it’s mostly fashion brand names and boring stuff like that. We walked up to the Royal Mile again and did a bit of souvenir shopping at a few places, stopped for a quick coffee and then walked back to the hotel.

Full Scottish Breakfast at Ardmillan Hotel.

One way up to the Royal Mile.

A final shot of the Castle.

Arriving to the airport around 1pm, we had a short wait for our flight back to Dublin. Thank you, Scotland – you were a beautiful and welcoming place! Now we must be getting back across to the Emerald Isle for the last few days of our epic trip.