Secret Edinburgh - An Unusual Guide (Jonglez Secret Guides)

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The doorway that leads to the roof terrace is a little hard to find but if you do you will get to enjoy some of the best views of the city and even grab a bite to eat too. 5.) Edinburgh’s underground town

Calton Hill viewpoint was the first picture that came to my mind before visiting Edinburgh. All these pretty postcards with a lovely sunset and Edinburgh city centre views. The reality is that I was amazed by the views, but it wasn’t the same as the postcard picture because of the rain and strong wind. Gladstone’s Land is a unique 17th century six-storey high-rise tenement house on the Royal Mile that has escaped demolition. It has been restored and is currently maintained by the National Trust. I had always heard good things about Edinburgh and wanted to visit this city for more than five years, so I decided that I needed to visit it now. I still can’t believe that I’ve been living in the UK for a while and I didn’t visit it before, but it’s never too late, right? The Water of Leith is a wonderful place to go for a walk, and it’s popular among locals but not tourists. You’ll come across families and lots of cyclists. Jupiter Artland is a contemporary art and sculpture park and art gallery located on a large 100-acre piece of land outside of Edinburgh. The park is on the grounds ofBonnington House (private, not open to the public), a 19th century Jacobean style house with 17th century origins. The current owners are avid art collectors and started the art park in 1999.Walk or cycle along the canal starting at Lochrin Basin and Leamington Lift Bride close to Lothian Road. The New Town is a great place to wander around and compare the broad well-laid out streets and squares to the Old Town’s narrow cobbled streets and closes. The New Town contains shopping areas (including the busy Princes Street), bars, restaurants, museums, and residences. If you want to stay in a nice hotel that doesn’t break your bank account, consider looking for hotels outside the city centre. I stayed in Leonardo Royal Edinburgh Haymarket in Haymarket, located west of the city centre.

Craigmillar Castle is best known for its connections to royal visits and intrigues, particularly that of Mary, Queen of Scots who is believed to have stayed at the castle twice. The area near Craigmillar is still called Little France because of the large French entourage that arrived with Mary, Queen of Scots. If you want some fun, escape from the bad weather or do something a bit different, visit Camera Obscura. This is an interactive museum with five floors where you can find illusion mirrors, pictures that will test your brain and last but not least, a lovely view of Edinburgh Castle and the city centre on the rooftop. He is said to have arrived in San Diego as a stowaway pup and was adopted by Ah Wo Sue, a Chinese fisherman around 1886-1898.Our favorite parts of the house was the information about the religious and political differences between Queen Mary of Scots and John Knox, and seeing the beautiful Oak Room with its painted ceiling and wood panelling. If you enjoy chocolate (who doesn’t like chocolate?), you may want to take a chocolate tour at the Chocolatarium. This is one of the city’s newest attractions, opening to the public in September 2019. Just outside the museum you’ll find Makars’ Court which includes Scottish authors quotes inscribed on the flagstones. Literature lovers may also want to consider visiting the nearby Scottish Storytelling Centre, visiting Edinburgh during the Edinburgh International Book Festival, or joining one of several literary walking tours in the city. Today, you can visit the village church (Cramond Kirk), read about some of the history on signs posted around the village, stop in for a drink at the Cramond Inn, see the old traditional harling houses and boats along the wharf, play along the small sandy beach, go fishing in the River Almond (you’ll need a day permit), and walk across a narrow causeway to Cramond Island.

On this walk, you’ll pass through different interesting places, such as Colinton Village, the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, and the enchanting Dean Village.Seeking out Edinburgh’s hidden gems? If you’ve done the castle, hiked up Arthur’s Seat and spent a pretty penny drinking in the Grassmarket and feel it’s time to consider the unusual things to do in Edinburgh to kill boredom, impress friends or gift to a loved one, keep reading! It was particularly interesting for us to learn more about daily living conditions in Edinburgh in the past, typical trades (e.g., brewers, bookmakers, domestic servants), and the political reform movements in the city. The mausoleumis Craigentinny crescent is precariously perched in the most unusual place. Now surrounded by a housing estate, the 19th-century tomb is 30 foot high and was built in 1848, following the death ofWilliam Henry Miller, an MP and owner of Craigetinny House. The Royal College of Surgeons was first founded in the early 1500s, while the museum itself has been open to the public since 1832. #16 LauristonCastle

Even if you don’t go inside the museum, it’s still worth contemplating this stunning building and reading the quotes inscribed on the floor. The Scottish Parliament building is open to the public on most days and you can do self-guided visits or take the 1-hour guided Parliament Tour (free, advanced booking recommended). We did the self-guided visit and were able to visit the Debating Chamber, the Parliament exhibition which provides information on how the Scottish Parliament works, and see the current art exhibition. The Colonnades is a beautiful 19th century library lined with fluted Corinthian columns and is part of The Signet Library located just off the Royal Mile. The Signet Library is owned and run by the WS Society, which is composed of a special group of Scottish lawyers known as Writers to the Signet. Of course, everyone knows about the National Museum of Scotland, which is an absolute must-see on any trip to the Scottish Capital. Cramond is outside central Edinburgh but accessible via the public bus system (30-45 minute bus ride plus a short walk) or a ~ 20 minute drive or cab ride.But they’ve all given me a new appreciation for a city I didn’t think I could love more than I already do. For a start, the club was men's only (women have only recently been allowed in) and there was a hefty seven-year waiting list in place. Enjoyed reading about the best alternative, quirky and secret spots in Edinburgh? Pin it now, read it again later: Temporary exhibits feature both local students as well as international artists. The architecture of the building is also significant as the gallery is part of the Old College of the University of Edinburgh which was designed byRobert Adamand completed byWilliam Henry Playfair. Just a little way along the street from Cowgate, a small chapel is open during select days of the week. Free to enter, the pretty interior contains the only set of 16th-century stained to have survived the Reformation.