Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh
We agree: Edinburgh It brings together so many attractions and interesting corners in its historic center that we can spend several days discovering each of its proposals.
Why bother to conquer other territories if in a few square kilometers we have everything we need? Well, the answer is very simple: because beyond the psychological and physical limits - of the Royal Mile, the most famous Scottish avenue of all, there are thousands of surprises waiting for us. Art, nature, history and lots and lots of fun.
So we start the day gaining strength, things are going to take a long time. That's why we're going to breakfast to the neighborhood of Bruntsfield, a residential area that, for a few years, has been taking on an increasingly cool color.
the park of Bruntsfield Links He is in charge of welcoming us. As a curiosity, this was precisely the first place in the world where golf was played – in fact, even today it has several holes for those who dare to practice the Scottish king sport. When the weather allows it, it is also a place ideal for picnics, jogging or, why not, walking the dog.
As we move towards our destination up a small hill, we come across multiple businesses dedicated to art and its variants: decoration shops, galleries, vintage objects or stationery stores are an almost involuntary stop along the way.
Bruntsfield neighborhood
Maybe opt for the cozy Project Coffee for brunch is not a bad idea. A good coffee with milk, fruit juice and some delicious Benedictine eggs They will be the perfect combination to boot. If you're more of a sweetie, try the scones – a typical UK scone with raisins and dried fruit – with cream and jam. Don't feel bad about excess calories: you are going to burn them for the rest of the day, we assure you.
If instead of in the morning you visit the neighborhood at the last minute, one option is to have dinner at Montpeliers , a restaurant that offers a most succulent menu with the added value that from 10 at night the music goes up and the cocktails and drinks They become the protagonists of the place.
Montpelliers restaurant
And once with a full stomach, we go to the southeast of the city. 11 kilometers from the center rises Rosslyn Chapel , the most literary -and cinematographic- church in all of Scotland. After becoming one of the main stages chosen by Dan Brown for his novel The Da Vinci Code, tourism began to flock to this corner of Edinburgh.
But it is not the only attraction that ends up enchanting everyone who visits it: this small religious temple is full of Myths and legends who try to give an explanation to its enigmatic history. It was built in the fifteenth century by William St. Clair, 3rd Earl of Orkney , and there are those who say that, controlled for a time by the Knights Templar, it has a secret crypt where treasures as surprising as the Holy Grail, the head of Saint John the Baptist or the very body of Christ may be kept.
Secrets that, at least for now and despite our curiosity, will remain within the walls of the church. It currently has a interpretation center and it is necessary to pay an entrance fee to visit it.
Leaving the mysteries aside, it's time to continue with our proposals: it's time to cultivate the soul through art. so next to Princess Street, at the Scottish National Gallery , we will have to take one of the free buses that will take us to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art : a museum dedicated to modern art that is an absolute delight.
Separated by a beautiful garden –full of the most extravagant sculptures, by the way-, are the two neoclassical buildings into which the museum is divided. In the Modern One , you can enjoy artists of the stature of Picasso, Mondrian or Matisse. In the Modern Two -also called Dean Gallery- , you will be surprised with works belonging to the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. Be sure to dedicate at least one morning to them.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
And, to simulate the overdose of art, nothing like giving a relaxed ride. Don't worry, you won't have to go too far. At the back of the Modern One you will find a path that will lead you between large trees and leafy vegetation, to the one known as the Water of Leith Walkway : a 35-kilometre walk along the River Leith. 15 of those kilometers are easily passable if you feel like walking, cycling or, as some Scots do, on horseback.
On its way, the walk runs into small villages and towns that could well be found in the deepest Switzerland. An example? Dean's Village , built in the 12th century in a valley by the monks of the Holyrood Abbey.
For more than 800 years it was a prosperous place: no less than eleven watermills were managed at that time by the Incorporation of Baxters, the bakers' guild. Although it fell into decline in the mid-20th century, today it has become one of the most desired residential areas by Edinburghers, They look at her with very good eyes.
If you go with time, it is worth taking advantage of the occasion to lose yourself in its streets dotted with tiny and colorful businesses and windows full of flowers. True neighborhood life is palpable here.
Water of Leith in Edinburgh
Very close to Dean's Village –in fact, it can be reached if you continue the walk along the Water of Leith- is the port district of Leith. Although in the past it was a depressed area, a transformation began in the 1980s that today has filled its streets with galleries and artist studios from different corners of Scotland. An example is that of the artist Richie Collins , which in addition to his own work, also exhibits that of other colleagues settled in the city.
It will not be a bad option to walk through what was the edinburgh seaport from the fourteenth century. Now converted into The Shore , is full of many businesses, among which we recommend Mimi's Bakehouse , a cafeteria where lovers of sweets -and whoever warns, is not a traitor-, are in serious danger of coming out with a few extra kilos. You can also take a look at Ocean Terminal , a mammoth commercial complex that includes the ** Britannia **, which was the floating residence of the British royal family until 97 and can be visited today.
Dean's Village
And we change the third. Outside the more urbanized areas, 10 kilometers from the city center, you reach the small coastal town of Cramond . Peace and harmony is what you can breathe in this little corner of Edinburgh: just walking along the promenade that leads to the beach and feeling the smell of saltpeter, you will know that it is a special place.
What we come to see here is pure magic : a couple of times a day the tide goes out and the sea that separates the island of Cramond, located off the coast 1.5 kilometers away, disappears. In its place is a narrow footbridge that connects the island with the mainland. Walking up to it and admiring the views from the top of its hill is something you should not miss . To get good information about the tides, it will not hurt to take a look at the web with all the details.
Cramond
And to finish our alternative route through Edinburgh, we decided to do it in style –and never better said-: in one of its viewpoints. But on this occasion, to finish off the trip, we propose an alternative to the essentials: neither Calton Hill, nor Arthur's Seat, They always get the glory. we go until Corstorphine Hill , one of the seven hills of Edinburgh populated by a beautiful and dense forest.
Once you reach the top, just 161 meters high, one last surprise: the Corstorphine tower, built in memory of Sir Walter Scott, from whose terrace you can admire the city and say goodbye, in the distance, to beautiful Edinburgh. Of course, it will be with a “see you later”. Because, rest assured, you will return.
Corstorphine Hill