great

A WEE GUIDE TO EDINBURGH

FOR LASSES AND LADS

I N T R O
I N T R O

Hey lasses and lads! So, you made it. Of all countries and cities, you decided to visit Edinburgh – good choice!
This guide will explain to you why it was a good idea to skip all the bog-standard beach vacations and risk a
view under the metaphorical kilt. The cliché of cold rainy Edinburgh may offer you more than you think. This
guide, made for young adults with high expectations and low budgets, will help you to transform your
Edinburgh trip into a full once-in-a-lifetime experience. Made for all of you with love.

The first days in a foreign city can be confusing. Where can I go? What do I need? What the hell is a Ceilidh?
Keep reading and find out. On the following pages you can find nine different categories like “coffee and
tea”,“museums” and “tours”. Every category has reviews to offer you an insight about places you should at
least take a peek at. Why don’t you start your day with a full traditional Scottish breakfast at Troy?
Stroll through The Meadows and enjoy the green site. Let the National Museum impress you with its fantastic
interactive display items. Take Instagram pictures in front of the Scott Monument and feast on a burger from
Bread Meats Bread or try the haggis at The Standing Order for some authentic Scottish food. Finish off the
day with a beer at The Fiddler’s Arms or let the night just begin at the Stramash club. You see you have a lot
to do to get the full Edinburgh experience.

The whole body of reviews may be overwhelming. To make it easier for you there are particular symbols
which you can look out for. You can check out a place for free Wifi or accessibility. Instagram addicts will
seek for the little camera which tells you that this place is an excellent spot to take pictures, while students
will be pleased by the discount sign.

Whether you are looking forward to a party holidy with your fellow students or have some historical interest
in the city. Whether you want to spend a great time with your friends while eating haggis or just want to see
a man wearing a kilt for real, Edinburgh is your place to be. So, what are you waiting for? Flick trough and
plan your very own Edinburgh vacation.

Faicibh thu! – See you!

Laura Haas

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CONTENT

Survival Guide 4

History 6

Sights & Culture 9

Green Sites 29

Seaside  36

Museums  40
 
Food & Drinks 49

Tea & Coffee  73

Pubs & Music  86

Tours 95

Everything Else 101

Team 112

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S U R V I V A L
G U I D E
SURVIVAL GUIDE Some Scottish vocabulary to get in touch
with the locals:

auld reekie [ɔld ɹiːki] : old smokey (The

Lost in Edinburgh? Don’t worry, you’re definitely not the first one to be. Maybe you’re old Scots pet name for Edinburgh)
confused about when to cross the street since no one really seems to pay attention to whether
aye [aɪ] : yes
or not the light has turned green. Maybe you’ve been to the drug store and were shocked
about some of the prices because they’re very different from the ones in your home country. bairn [beːrn] : child
Either way, this guide has you covered: here are some of the most important tips that will
help you survive your trip! bonnie [b ni] : beautiful, pretty

braw [br ː] : great, good, handsome

Before you even get on the airplane, make sure you brought an adapter for the electrical
outlets! Scotland, like the whole of Great Britain, uses 220 V type G plugs, so unless you coo [kuː] : cow
have a travel adapter that works for every kind of outlet, getting one of these is a necessity.
dreich [driːç] : dreary, bleak (esp.
However, should you realise that you forgot yours at home, don’t panic: many stores in
weather)
Edinburgh sell adapters for about £5 – £10 each.
lad [lad/l d] : boy, young man
Another thing to prepare is cash! While you can pay with card almost everywhere in
Edinburgh, there are still some places that only accept cash, namely pound sterling. Even if lass [læs] : girl, unmarried woman

you have some of those left from an earlier trip, you need to exchange some money before
wee [wiː] : small,  little
you go: new banknotes have been introduced in March 2018, and the old ones won’t be
accepted anymore, so make sure to double-check whether you have some usable cash on you.

As for accommodations, Airbnb, hostels and hotels are available all over Edinburgh, and not
as pricey as one might expect, even if they’re in the city centre. A lot of hostels can be pre- Key:
booked online on pages like booking.com or TripAdvisor.
Now that you’ve got all that down, the only other thing you need to pay attention to while
out and about in the city: beware of the traffic lights! Since they turn back to red really Photo spot
quickly and remain that way for quite some time, most people cross the street anyway.
Suffice to say, while it seems to be somewhat of a custom in Edinburgh, it is still dangerous
Student discount
and you need to be careful if you choose to do it.

Valerie Kiel & Jenica Messerschmidt Accessibility

WiFi

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H I S T O R Y
HISTORY

You can’t turn a corner in Edinburgh without stumbling upon the city’s colourful past. There are
funny anecdotes, impressive stories and gruesome tales waiting to be explored. The following is just
a brief overview of Edinburgh’s history – there’ll be much more to find out and learn once you’ve
arrived and started exploring.

The first proof that people were living on Edinburgh’s Castle Rock dates back to 900 BC. The
basalt rock that was formed by a volcano millions of years ago presented an ideal defensive location.
Fast forward about 1000 years. The Romans invaded Great Britain in the 1st century and the
Emperor Hadrian decided that the misty and cold Northern part of Great Britain wasn’t of any use
to the Roman Empire. So, to keep “barbarians” out of it he ordered that a wall was built – which is
known today as Hadrian’s Wall.

It was during the 7th century that Edinburgh got its name. An early Welsh poem describes the
people referred to as “Gododdin” who were living in a place called “Din Eidyn” which means “the
fort on the hill slope”. That must’ve been Castle Rock. The Angles from the Northeast of England
defeated the Gododdin in the 7th century and added their own Old English word for “fort” which
was “burgh” to “Eidyn”.

Scottish tribes united, eventually defeated the Angles in the 11th century and brought Edinburgh
back under Scottish control. The Scottish king Malcom III Canmore rebuilt the fortress on Castle
Rock and it became royal living quarters. St Margaret’s Chapel which is part of today’s castle and
Edinburgh’s oldest building was built in honour of Malcom’s wife Margaret. Their son David
founded the Abbey at Holyrood and along the road between the Castle and Holyrood Abbey which is
today’s Royal Mile grew the city of Edinburgh.

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 HISTORY

Constant battles were happening between the English and the Scottish, but Edinburgh thrived despite of
them and became Scotland’s capital in 1437. Lively trade helped the city prosper and the population
grew rapidly in the 15th and 16th century. So much so that today’s Old Town became overpopulated.
Illnesses, especially the plague spread like wildfire. Waste water was thrown out of windows after
shouting “Gardyloo!” to people who walked by. Edinburgh was one of Europe’s most unsanitary towns
which earned it the nickname “Auld Reekie.” That’s why the decision was made to create the New Town
in the 18th century.

During the 18th and 19th century Edinburgh was home to many intellectuals, like Philosopher David
Hume and Geologist James Hutton who is known as the founder of modern geology. Edinburgh
blossomed culturally during the 20th century. Monuments were built and museums opened. The city
became a top destination for tourists and was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

Sophia Seifert

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ISBN 978-0-244-07593-4