How to spend a day in Edinburgh?

Inquisitor · 15 Mar 2011 at 11:57

I'm going up to Edinburgh tomorrow for an interview (well, the interview's on Thursday morning) and need some things to do on my own while I'm there.

What should I check out? Anywhere nice to chill out? Where's a good place to eat in the evening?

I'll be arriving at 14:30ish if all goes to plan and will be busy with interviews etc. the next day until I leave

shifty_uk · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:00

A day in Edinburgh consists of....walking and walking and walking!

George Street has some pretty nice places to eat if you're after something a bit more upmarket. Plenty of places to eat down most side streets on George st, too. Everything from Pizza Hut to Wetherspoons(which is pretty much the most horrendous Wetherspoons I've seen) to Gusto(amazing Italian place).

Maccy · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:05

Planning on spending some time in Edinburgh next month so would also be interested in recommendations too

LiamC · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:07

Depending what side of edinburgh your at visit :

Cameron Toll Shopping center
Gyle Shopping center
St. James shopping Center
Princess mall ( Pretty small tbh )

All have pretty much the same shops in them but are worth a walk around.

Gyle has Franky and bennys right outside it which is brilliant for a meal.

ColdAsIce · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:11

LiamC said:
Depending what side of edinburgh your at visit :

Cameron Toll Shopping center
Gyle Shopping center
St. James shopping Center
Princess mall ( Pretty small tbh )

All have pretty much the same shops in them but are worth a walk around.

Gyle has Franky and bennys right outside it which is brilliant for a meal.

Why would he want to visit one of the many soulless shopping centres that Edinburgh has to offer? O_o If he really, really, wants to do some shopping just go to Princes street, as the shops are pretty much identical and you at least get a nice view of the castle as you are walking about.

kefkef · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:15

Visit the Castle
Open top bus tour (quite good actually!)
Arts Museum (cant recall the actual name of it)
Stroll up/down the Royal Mile (some nice restaurants off there too)

Ahleckz · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:16

Edinburgh is a good city to walk around (hilly, but very nice). Quite a few nice pubs dotted around also, though I've continently forgotten the names of them but Rose Street iirc is pretty good for pubs.
The Castle is worth a visit, but it closes at 5pm so you probably don't have time for that. The gun goes off at 1pm everyday which is worth seeing. The zoo closes at 5 as well, so same issue.

blairw · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:17

the zoo!! I'm going on friday weather permitting, not been for ages!

shifty_uk · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:20

blairw said:
the zoo!! I'm going on friday weather permitting, not been for ages!

The zoo is awful, we went last year and forgetting the extortionate entrance fee it was thoroughly depressing. Never again.

Maccy said:
Planning on spending some time in Edinburgh next month so would also be interested in recommendations too

One place I can definitely recommend is Gusto. We make a point of eating there whenever we're through for a long weekend or whatnot. Bit pricey but first class food and in comparison to other more upmarket places you feel like the money is well spent.

shifty_uk · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:22

I've yet to visit any of the art galleries so that's something I'll be doing next time I'm through.

blairw · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:23

Edinburgh museum is very good actually, from what I can remember!

Theophany · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:26

Royal Mile (obv)
Shandwick Place (strip clubs)
George Street is very nice for pubs and bars
Princes Street Gardens are a lovely place to chill, weather permitting.

ColdAsIce · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:26

shifty_uk said:
The zoo is awful, we went last year and forgetting the extortionate entrance fee it was thoroughly depressing. Never again.

One place I can definitely recommend is Gusto. We make a point of eating there whenever we're through for a long weekend or whatnot. Bit pricey but first class food and in comparison to other more upmarket places you feel like the money is well spent.

My boss raves about how good Gusto is, I might book a table there for my girlfriends birthday thinking about it

Upgrade · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:27

Edinburgh Zoo for the win! Been there like 3 times lol.

shifty_uk · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:32

ColdAsIce said:
My boss raves about how good Gusto is, I might book a table there for my girlfriends birthday thinking about it

Yeah, it's good. You'd pay more for less at somewhere like the Hotel Du Vin in Glasgow West End and it's nowhere near on par, IMO. Far less stuck up clientele, too.

It's worth it purely for the fact that I get to order a few bottles of Modelo beer.

I can't seem to buy it anywhere else *RAGE*.

Ahleckz · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:39

shifty_uk said:
It's worth it purely for the fact that I get to order a few bottles of Modelo beer. I can't seem to buy it anywhere else *RAGE*.

Try The Cave on Great Western Road, they might have it. Always had a great selection of odd beers when I've popped in. Failing that, they may order it in for you (but you'll probably have to buy a case).

shifty_uk said:
The zoo is awful, we went last year and forgetting the extortionate entrance fee it was thoroughly depressing. Never again.

Really? I always thought it was a really good zoo. Bloody expensive, aye, but one of the better zoos I've been to though haven't been for a while.

sk3lph · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:44

This is worth a look -

http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/

ColdAsIce · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:46

Ahleckz said:
Try The Cave on Great Western Road, they might have it. Always had a great selection of odd beers when I've popped in. Failing that, they may order it in for you (but you'll probably have to buy a case).

Also try http://corneliusbeers.com/contact-us they are situated on Easter Road.

shifty_uk · 15 Mar 2011 at 12:54

Ahleckz said:
Try The Cave on Great Western Road, they might have it. Always had a great selection of odd beers when I've popped in. Failing that, they may order it in for you (but you'll probably have to buy a case).

Really? I always thought it was a really good zoo. Bloody expensive, aye, but one of the better zoos I've been to though haven't been for a while.

Might give that a try actually, I'm sure I know the place you mean!

As for the zoo, it might've just been a bad experience. The only monkeys we found in the enclosures were crude builders with JCBs. We even saw one peeing in a bush, quite close to children. Most of them were empty or with what appeared to be rather unhealthy and poorly kept animals.

We were desperate for food/drinks but the Cafe had closed early for no apparent reason and none of the vending machines around the sight worked and ended up swallowing our loose change. To make matters worse, it started raining and the remaining animals seemed to disappear. They had the cheek to pester us for a donation!

Funniest thing about the experience was my GF, wandering around a zoo with a fur coat on. The looks were epic!

edit: It was a fake fur coat, incase any of the animal rights brigade want to jump in for a go!

Dirk · 15 Mar 2011 at 13:31

Ahleckz said:
Edinburgh is a good city to walk around (hilly, but very nice). Quite a few nice pubs dotted around also, though I've continently forgotten the names of them but Rose Street iirc is pretty good for pubs.
The Castle is worth a visit, but it closes at 5pm so you probably don't have time for that. The gun goes off at 1pm everyday which is worth seeing. The zoo closes at 5 as well, so same issue.

Does that mean you are incontinent then?

*grabs coat...