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| Edinburgh, a beautiful Victorian city preserves the European culture |
Scotland, the land of medieval kings attracted me from
a long time, since I was a movie freak, and loved watching fiction based films
based on the early ages of Europe. From London we took a flight to Edinburgh
and then opted for a 3 day package tour to cover the delights of picturesque
Scotland. You may even travel by train
at quite affordable rates.
On reaching Edinburgh airport, we took a taxi to reach
our hotel near Edinburgh station. I must say that if you are planning your
tour, make sure you book your stay at the centre of the city, so that you spend
the minimum time commuting to and fro from the hotel to city junctions like
airport or train station. Finding hotels through internet and booking could be
easily done, while you check the past review and ratings of the hotel.
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| Hop on hop off bus touring the city |
Transporting
around the city: Best is to avail the hop on hop off tour which
operates throughout the year at vary affordable rates. You can buy tickets
online. You may take a private transport or avail city buses.
Edinburgh, the magical city:
Edinburgh, is a bustling city that houses
Universities, castles, restaurants and a rich history. Walking though the stony
streets of Edinburgh is no lesser than experiencing the history of a once
culturally rich Victorian city. Somewhere in my mind, I had a hallucination
that Madam JK Rowling, must be sitting in street side restaurant with a cup of
coffee, to pen down her next series of Harry Potter.
There are several tour agents, who will help you with
a tour guide to cover the main spots of the city within 2-3 hours. Some
adventure freaks prefer to go for a night tour with a story telling guide who
would narrate the spine chilling horror stories from the past that includes
witch rituals, pagan rituals, executions and some urban myths about local
monsters. Don’t be surprised to see some
awesome magical feat performed by some local witchcraft on the streets.
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| An English dinner with fish and salsa |
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| Mind boggling Scottish fabric on the plate |
St Gille’s Cathedral: Visit the St.
Gille’s cathedral, the first parish church in Edinburgh established in the year
854, which was re- conseracted in 1243. Observe the gothic style architecture
of the church and find the passionate stories attached to it.
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| St. Gille's Cathedral, a coveted place of worship |
You may avail the rooftop tour which is possible for a
group of at least 4 people or more. You will enjoy the spectacular view of the
city, as well as enjoy some beverage at the café.
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| Edinburgh castle, address of the once rulers of Scotland |
Edinburgh Castle: Visit the Edinburgh castle, said to be one of
the oldest castle that is situated over a great volcanic rock, which according
to the guides is 70 million year old extinct volcano. This is not only an
infrastructure, but the four walls have experienced history of wars, killing
and birth of royals.
Your guide will narrate the magical stories associated
with each and every wall, corners of the castle.
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| Walking past the Royal Mile is invirogating |
Royal Mile:
Have a walk on the royal mile, a succession of streets that join the palace
with its castle. You might be have seen this in various Hollywood movies like
’Edinburgh in the nineteenth century’, which was also published as a guide
book.
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| Magical feats at the street of Edinburgh- not a rare sight |
Well, since Scotland is a city of magic, I saw various
feats here that reminds of Harry Potter. Don’t be surprised to observe real
magic here on the streets.
Princess
street garden: This is
built in between two public parks situated at the centre of Edinburgh. They lie
in the shadow of the castle of Edinburgh. Spend some time around the Nor loch,
which is situated on the Northern side of the loch. Edinburgh being a medieval
town, you may see various structures quite off the time, but preserved with
great care.
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| National Museum of Scotland |
National
museum of Scotland:
National museum of Scotland is quite an interesting place. You would love to see the grand galleries,
art, design, fashion galleries and other archaeological collection of the
world. Don’t be surprised to discover the T. rex grinning with it’s 5000 years
old skeleton, posing to be your long lost brother ( just kidding). Your kid will definitely love the interactive
games and other wonders of science on display in the museum.
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| Archaeological sights of the Scotland museum |
Greyfriars
Crik: if you have time in hand, stroll the city to
explore Greyfriars crik, the meadows, Holyrood palace and Scottish Parliament
building and money.
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| Lot more interersting things at Edinburgh |
Well, this is
not the end. If you are a bit interested in paranormal activities, you have a
very interesting walking tour at night. This is a group tour led by a tour
guide who will narrate stories of treachery, murder and suicide. Well, you
might be so much indulged in his stories that you can come across a couple of
Victorian character while in hallucinated state. (I am kidding again). Everything depends on
your thoughts. But exploring a land of the unknown, a Victorian city which
races with modernity and a vibrant city is a matter of chance. A travel freak
like me never leaves behind an opportunity to see the unseen.
