FREE IN EDINBURGH
Linda Macdonald offers a guide to the city’s top attractions that cost not a penny
FROM the medieval tenements and secret wynds of the Old Town to the glorious Georgian sweep of the New Town, Edinburgh is a city of great beauty, infinite variety and any number of world-class attractions. Here are 10 of the best.
ARTHUR’S SEAT
No one knows how this extinct volcano in Holyrood Park got its name, but die-hard romantics think it was the location of Camelot. It’s 250m high but, if you have enough puff and the right footwear, it is a relatively easy climb. I like to start opposite the Palace of Holyroodhouse car park and follow the Radical Road path — paved in 1820 by unemployed weavers — past Salisbury Crags. Take in the ruins of St Anthony’s Chapel before the steep climb to the rocky summit with its incredible views. Follow marked routes (maps available at the Holyrood Park Information Centre in Horse Wynd) and pay attention to the signs telling you where not to walk — it might be crowded with walkers of every description, but can still be dangerous.
Always open.
DUNBAR’S CLOSE
It is easy to miss the entrance to this peaceful hidden garden, a few steps off the Royal Mile just past Canongate Kirk. Created by the visionary Sir Patrick Geddes as one of a network of Old Town gardens, it was immaculately restored in the late ’70s. A beautifully kept recreation of a 17th-century garden, it is a series of small, delightfully private rooms. If it’s fine, cross the street, walk up the close opposite, and turn right on Holyrood Road. A few steps along you will find Foodies at Holyrood ( foodiesatholyrood.com ), where you can hire a picnic basket to fill with good things, and a rug to spread on one of the tiny lawns at the end of the garden.
Open daily, dawn to dusk.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY
Cultural indigestion isn’t an issue at this manageably-sized gallery housing the national collection of fine art. Old Masters, a good selection of Impressionists and PostImpressionists and a proudly comprehensive collection of Scottish art — including Scotland’s favourite painting, The
Reverend Robert Walker Skating on
Duddingston Loch — are on show, as well as world-class temporary exhibitions. Originally two buildings, the galleries are now connected by the sleek Gardens Entrance overlooking Princes Street Gardens. You can shop, eat and attend free 45-minute lunchtime lectures. A useful free Gallery Bus runs between the Scottish National Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.
See nationalgalleries.org.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART
Scotland’s national collection of modern art occupies two buildings unimaginatively renamed Modern One and Modern Two. They are set in beautiful grounds containing Charles Jencks’ extraordinary Landform and sculptures by Henry Moore. Cubist, Expressionist, post-war and contemporary art are well represented, although I could easily spend all my time looking at the fascinatingly chaotic recreation of Scottish artist Eduardo Paolozzi’s studio in Modern Two. You may wish to linger in the Café Modern One’s garden terrace, or the more formal Café Modern Two, which serves a particularly good afternoon tea under the steely gaze of a 7m-tall sculpture of Vulcan. A useful free gallery bus runs between the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Scottish National Gallery.
Open daily. See nationalgalleries.org.
WATER OF LEITH WALKWAY
There are always six naked men standing in the Water of Leith — they are cast-iron sculptures by artist Antony Gormley. This designated urban wildlife site has woods and wildflowers, herons, kingfishers and roe deer. Recently, a pair of otters has been spotted on the hidden 20km walkway from Balerno to the docks at Leith. There are plenty of access points, but the section I walk most often starts at the Water of Leith Visitor Centre in Slateford. From there, head towards Leith, passing through charming Dean Village with its converted mills and a dramatic Thomas Telford bridge, then past elegant St Bernard’s Well to Stockbridge or Canonmills, where you can catch buses back to Princes Street. You can buy useful downloadable maps and a new audio trail on the Water of Leith Conservation Trust website.
The visitor centre is open daily, 10am4pm. See waterofleith.org.uk.
ST GILES’S CATHEDRAL
The crown spire of this great church marks the historic heart of the Royal Mile. Despite the ponderous piers supporting the tower of the much-altered but essentially Gothic High Kirk of Edinburgh, the soaring interior of this ancient church is flooded with light. Stained glass came to this “Cradle of Presbyterianism” only in the late 19th century — the Reformation leader John Knox would have been very unhappy to see the colourful window in the south wall dedicated to him. Everyone loves the carved angel playing the bagpipes in the exquisitely detailed Thistle Chapel, still used by the 16 Knights of the Most Noble Order of the Thistle. Look out for the volunteer guides who will answer your questions and tell you some fascinating stories.
See stgilescathedral.org.uk.
ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL
It is often overlooked, but this triple-spired West End cathedral in Palmerston Place — Scotland’s largest — was designed by George Gilbert Scott, the renowned English architect. A celebration of Victorian Gothic Revival, it has unashamedly modern stained glass by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, one of the founders of British Pop Art. Highly recommended, especially for the heavenly Phoebe Anna Traquair murals in the Song School, which have recently been restored. There are free guided tours of the Song School and the murals in August; at other times they can be seen by appointment.
Visitors are welcome throughout the day, every day, but no walking around or photography during services.
See cathedral.net.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND
Recently refurbished, this eccentric palace of wonder on Chambers Street is a mad dash through the history of the world and everything in it. More than 800 objects make up the mind-boggling Window on the World in the Grand Gallery, but I always first visit the utterly charming, completely barmy Lewis Chessmen. There are interactive galleries to keep children happy, free tours and Family Footprint Trails to make exploration more exciting.
Open daily, 10am-5pm. See nms.ac.uk.
THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
Whether you consider it an over-priced blot on the landscape or an architectural triumph, Catalonian architect Enric Miralles’s award-winning building at the bottom of The Royal Mile will always start a debate. You can buy shortbread in the gift shop or have a coffee while playing spot the politician in the Parliament Café. There is a permanent exhibition about the Scottish Parliament, free guided tours (booking recommended) and, if you are keen to see politics in action, you can book tickets to attend committee meetings or debates. Possibilities are complicated by whether or not Parliament is sitting, so it is best to check the website if you are planning a visit.
Check scottish.parliament.uk for opening times.
GREYFRIARS
Almost everyone knows the story of Bobby, the faithful little dog who remained by his master’s grave for 14 years. His statue is at the top of Candlemaker’s Row, opposite the gates of Greyfriars, the first reformed church in Scotland. The kirk, museum and shop are open from April to October, with volunteer guides to show visitors around, but be sure to check the website calendar as sometimes they are closed for special events. Next to the church is (apparently) the most haunted graveyard in Edinburgh, complete with bad-tempered poltergeist — visitors report fainting or being scratched, bruised or bitten. Most people visit on ghost tours, but during the day I find Greyfriars’ churchyard a lovely place just to sit, gazing at the remains of the medieval Flodden Wall and wondering if I know anyone who would look good in a wimple.
The churchyard is always open. For the opening times of the church and museum, see greyfriarskirk.com.
CALTON HILL
Rising abruptly at the east end of Princes Street, this monumental mason’s dream of a hill is a magnet to photographers and festival fireworks-watchers. The most immediately recognisable building is the National Monument, intended as a tribute to the Scottish soldiers who fell in the Napoleonic Wars. This unfinished miniParthenon was nicknamed “the Scottish Disgrace” (the project ran out of money), but reinforces Edinburgh’s claim to be the Athens of the North. The views from the top of the Nelson Monument are astonishing — don’t forget your camera and try to time your 143-step climb for when the white ball drops down the mast, signalling the 1pm gun at the castle.
The hill is free and always open. Nelson Monument is open Apr-Sep, Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun noon-5pm; Oct-Mar, MonSat, 10am-3pm. Entry is £4.
SCOTLANDSPEOPLE CENTRE
A cosy new name for two very grand buildings — Register House and New Register House — that are the user-friendly repository of Scottish people’s past. If you are curious about your Scottish ancestry, the free two-hour taster sessions are a compelling introduction. You will receive assistance, but be warned, it’s an addictive pastime. Further searches can be carried out for a daily fee, and you can pay for assisted searches. Take a break in the smart café or better still, a wander in the lovely Archivists’ Garden, cleverly designed in apparently random patterns to represent the way the brain looks and memory works. Even if you think you have little interest in genealogy, you will find yourself curiously moved by the experience.
Address: 2 Princes Street. Open Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm. The free two-hour taster sessions run from 10am and 2pm. See scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk.
LEITH
Leith is an independent place. It officially merged with Edinburgh only in 1920, with most locals very much against the idea. Still a working port, it has always had a Jekyll and Hyde character — imposing merchants’ houses mixed with Dickensian tenements, warehouses and sailors’ dives. Notorious for crime and infamous for its red-light district, Leith has moved up in the world since its Trainspotting days. Now it is home to Michelin-starred restaurants, boutique hotels, smart bars and new galleries. But despite the respectability conferred by the recent addition of the Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal and the Scottish Government at Victoria Quay, it is still rough enough round the edges to make things interesting. Visit the Trinity House Maritime Museum at the foot of Leith Walk, before continuing along Constitution Street to the Shore, where you are sure to find the perfect bar or café.
STOCKBRIDGE
Only a 20-minute walk from Princes Street and almost entirely sufficient unto itself, Stockbridge is the kind of neighbourhood we all wish we lived in. Cosier and more domestic than the New Town, it nevertheless has some deliciously pretty streets and squares. There is a great choice of fantastic (and unusual) shops, galleries, cafés, bars and restaurants; lovely Inverleith Park with the west gate of the Royal Botanic Gardens just across the road; the Water of Leith to walk by; and more hairdressers than I have ever seen in one place. Spend an hour or two having a wander, then settle in for a drink and a meal, or shop and eat your way around the Sunday market ( stockbridgemarket.com) — and remember to bring a bag or two for all the good things you’ll find to take home. — © The Telegraph, London