Friday 26 September 2008

Edinburgh bound

The schools here break up in a week's time for the two week tattie holidays. I am just about getting Scottish enough to be able to say that sentence without sounding ridiculous (though Small Girl likes to call them the 'potato holidays' in a very English voice...just to be different!). Do they have tattie holidays all over Scotland...or is just round here where the fields really are filled with the vegetable in question? I have no idea. I'm still not that Scottish, obviously.

Anyway...my point...during that fortnight we are going to Edinburgh for a few days - mainly family stuff, 'Mary Poppins' and all that...but I'm interested to get any tips for places in the city that I might not know (I have been quite a few times but I've never lived in Edinburgh so my knowledge is limited). Any good places to eat or drink, any interesting parks, museums, streets, shops...especially ones I might not have across so far...I'd be interested in any and all information - the stranger the better. Think of yourselves as the rough guide compilation team. Or something.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll send you my run-down in an email... remind me if it doesn't arrive soon!

But what I really want to say is: tattie holidays!! They used to have one (probably still do?) in Yetholm, the little village I grew up in in the Scottish Borders. We'd all get a 'tattieday' off school... which I'd totally forgotten about until you mentioned it!

Looking forward to seeing you while you're down here x

Rachel Fox said...

They get 2 weeks here in Angus...not that any of them do any tattie picking these days!
x

Dominic Rivron said...

You probably know these already: a brisk walk over Arthur's Seat and a ride up and down the chairlift at the Hillend Ski Slope (it's not just for skiing - it gets you to a very pleasant vantage point up the Pentlands, as I remember). Great fun.

Rachel Fox said...

I may well do the Seat this time...I've walked a bit over that way but not enough. As for ski lifts...not my favourite things...might send the others up on that!

Laura Scott said...

You should venture down to the Scottish Borders, much to see and do. Don't know much about the tattie picking holidays but our little darlings aren't on holiday until Friday 10th October to Sunday 19th October inclusive so eg Abbotsford House, Traquair House etc should be fairly quiet.

Rachel Fox said...

Hello new comment person Laura!

A Borders holiday is something we really must get round to doing! We tend to rush through on our way to family further south and that is very poor show (sorry - the Brideshead effect...still goshing, and boshing and all that kind of thing). Sometimes we overnight somewhere around the Borders but we never look round much because we are usually rushing to get down to do all the family visits in the allotted time or just rushing to get home (because we're worn out by family visits!).

This trip is only 3 nights in Edinburgh and because I don't get to a city very often it will be city pleasures, city pleasures, city pleasures all the way. Montrose is so tiny that it always takes me a day or so to adjust to the sheer numbers of people.

Marion McCready said...

Nop, never heard of a tattie holiday - and east coast thing perhaps? I'm a Glasgow girl which means I know very little about the Capital, think I've only been there about three times!

hope said...

I'd be glad to help harvest potatoes if I could have a couple of weeks off. :)

This has been a fun website to visit...perhaps you can go there and wave at us.

http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/belushisbar_streaming.php3

Rachel Fox said...

Well, Sorlil, I shall come to you for Glasgow tips next time we're heading down that way. I love the Celtic Connections music festival they have there in January. We went in 2007 and I would love to again next year.

Marion McCready said...

Apparently the best guide to Edinburgh is to read a few Ian Rankin's Rebus' books!

Rachel Fox said...

Do you know I have never read one...though I did watch a Rankin profile thing on TV the other day and it was interesting (about him) but whenever he talked about the actual Rebus books...well...it didn't make me want to rush to the library or anything. If anyone is a fan...which book should I read first?

Janet and Lenore said...

Hi Racheal,
Depends on the age of your children, but one place that mine love is Camera Obscura - just down from the castle.
The playground in Princes St gardens was recently revamped and is great. For older children, ghost walks are entertaining and not too expensive.

have fun!

Marion McCready said...

I love watching Rebus, I've got one of the books which I bought for going into hospital to give birth - how I ever thought I would have time to read lol, I did start it and enjoyed what I did read but it sits unfinished on my shelf. I'll get round to it at some point - so many books, so little time...

Rachel Fox said...

Thanks for the tips J & L. Small Girl will appreciate them too!

See you here again I hope.
x

swiss said...

a fat ass pizza from marios at the beach in portobello always takes me down memory lane

but if i was bailing out for an afternoon i'd go along the coast to seacliff

what size of child? i always liked the museum of childhood and you can use it as a bargaining chip to go to the poetry library

my favourite park is cammo park out at barnton. it's precious little visited and, on the right day is ideal for the picnic. once upon a time i did environmental art classes there. supermellow. good for the head!

swiss said...

and now that i;ve read the last post. photo albums you say?

there's a philately shop down the back of the botanics that, from time to time, has old photo albums (or at least they used to). last time i was in they had had one from the first guy to establish an airmail service in east (i think) africa. his family wanted it valued. it was worth nothing so they binned it. i could've cried....

Rachel Fox said...

Thanks for Swiss tips. I will add all these to our what-can-we-fit-in list...

Now where is that Dunbar globetrotter? I was relying on him for some top traveller's tips too..