If your first introduction to the magic that is Scotland includes a stay in its capital, Edinburgh, you're in for a spectacular adventure. The city is also compact enough that in pleasant weather you can skip public transportation and see the majority of it on your own two feet.
We'll start at ground level with an overview of Edinburgh's main avenue, Princes Street. This broad expanse of hotels, bookstores, kilt-makers and gift shops is just a short distance from the Waverly train station and parallel to one of the country's most beautiful public parks. It is also the address where you'll the multi-story Jenners, an elegant department store reminiscent of the Victorian era. Jenners even has its own gourmet food section where you can grab a tasty snack to replenish your energy or purchase products of Scotland—including canned haggis— to take home or have shipped to friends.
Speaking of food, you may wonder where all of the restaurants are hidden on such a high traffic corridor. You'll find cuisine to tantalize every appetite on nearby George Street and Rose Street, as well as neighborhood pubs with colorfully quirky names and even more colorful origins.
Across the street is a towering Gothic spire that will easily help you to get your bearings. Visible from nearly everywhere in the city, this 200 foot tribute to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott contains a museum and a narrow flight of stairs that will take you to the top for an incredible view. Meanwhile, the journals, portraits and personal possessions of Scott's kinsmen, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns, can be found in a 17th century dwelling on Lawnmarket called The Writers Museum.
How do laws get passed in Scotland? The general public is invited to sit in on regular sessions of Parliament on High Street and watch the elected representatives in action. The debates get lively on the floor of the gallery, sometimes giving the impression of a comedy club in which members try to best the opposition with barbed, in-house humor. For visitors who know their history and politics, the Scottish Parliament adjourned under English pressure in 1707 and did not reconvene until the 1990's. Visitors are advised to dress respectfully, remove their hats upon entering, and to remain seated and quiet during the session.
High Street is also home to the oldest house on what is called the Royal Mile, the circuitous road of cobblestone that wends its way from Holyrood Palace up to Edinburgh Castle overlooking the city. The John Knox House dates from 1490 and is a prime example of Medieval architecture of the time. Knox' actual association with the building during the Reformation years may be marginal at best but there was enough of a nostalgic connection to save it from the wrecking ball. Nearby, the overstuffed and always noisy Museum of Childhood invites parents and kids alike to enjoy its collection of vintage toys, storybooks, dolls and youth-oriented advertising.
Children will also find enormous hilarity at Camera Obscura, one of Edinburgh's oldest popular attractions. Through the use of a periscope, an image of the city is projected onto a white outdoor table. Silly fun, but worth a look.
Both castles on the Royal Mile provide an intriguing step back in time, recalling the warring factions that divided the country amongst the various clans. At Edinburgh, you can sneak a peek at the Royal Jewels, squeeze inside the delicate St. Margaret’s Chapel, and see the room where Mary of Scotland gave birth to her son, James VI. Down the hill at Holyrood Palace, the turbulent times of the ill-fated Scottish queen are recounted by castle docents who wickedly point to the very spot where her confidante and secretary, Riccio, was viciously stabbed to death by henchmen of Mary's second husband, Lord Darnley. Mary herself would later be beheaded, courtesy of Elizabeth I. The current English queen, Elizabeth II, stays at Holyrood Palace whenever official visits bring her to Edinburgh.
If a tour of Scotland's whiskey distilleries isn't on this trip's agenda, your next best bet is Castlehill's Scotch Whiskey Heritage Centre. You'll come away an expert after the audio-visual tour and a visit to the establishment's impressive gift shop. Castlehill also has a number of kilt-makers who can custom tailor your clan tartan and also sell you the jackets, socks, shoes and accessories that go with it.
Do you like a good dog story? Greyfriar's Bobby, a scruffy Skye terrier, is not only the stuff of Scottish legend but also a children's book and movie. After the death of his elderly master, the homeless pooch sat vigil for 14 years at the grave. A statue honors the little dog's unswerving loyalty outside of Greyfriars Kirk.
Last but not least, art lovers will want to allocate an entire day for the enjoyment of the National Gallery of Scotland. Its series of octagonal rooms feature paintings from every period and movement in the world of art. Visitors can either join a docent-led tour or gravitate on their own to whichever collections most interest them.
