Edinburgh: Day One - Cameras, Cakes and Cathedrals.
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It’s kind of become a bit of a tradition to go somewhere
every year with just my mam and myself. Call it mother daughter bonding, that’s
what I do. This year I really fancied going to Edinburgh, so that’s exactly
what we did on Monday. We packed our minimalist cases with necessities and got
the train from Newcastle Central.
Every time we go somewhere I write an itinerary (yes I’m that
sad) but really its just because there’s so many things I want to see and I don’t
want to miss out on anything. I’ll even research foodie places and shops too.
Well, you might as well go in knowing what to expect in a way.
As soon as we got there and dropped our bags off we headed
to the Camera Obscura. Think floor upon floor of random kid-like fun. Lots of
optical illusions and interactive things to do. You also get to explore the
city views from rooftop telescopes. Plus obviously, the main attraction of the camera obscura itself. See it move around the Edinburgh streets below. It's quite a cool thing to behold. It’s £14.50 a ticket and open every day
9:30-19:00
After some sightseeing, we headed to The Dome for a spot of afternoon tea. I'm sorry, but I couldn't go all of the way to Edinburgh without indulging in a bit of afternoon delight. (Stop being dirty.)
It's quite a spectacle to behold. Very ornate pieces. Think gorgeous crystal chandeliers, high ceilings with intricate detailing. I particularly loved the black and white checked flooring, how well it worked with the rich tones of the walls. Basically if you were ever thinking of trying out afternoon tea it would be the most perfect spot.
The Tea was held in The Georgian Tea room. I mean come on, it has it's own special room just for afternoon tea and such. Very classy indeed.
Let's just take a minute to appreciate the gorgeous gold teapot and tea strainers. You know its a posh affair when all is gold. The tea was amazing quality and they have many specialty teas to choose from. Just pouring it through a little strainer made me feel all grown up and special.
You can check out the menu. The sandwiches were top notch, soft bread and tasty fillings. Hot, plain scones (just the way mother likes them) and delectable mini cakes. I'm a sucker for a good macaron and they did not disappoint. It was £16.50 per person (£23.50 with champagne) To be honest I would have paid that for the surroundings alone. All I'll say is if you go, check out the bathroom. Luxury doesn't even cut it.
St. Giles' Cathedral was next on the tour. We had spent so long chatting over tea, that it was just a quick stop before it closed.
It's such a gorgeous building situated on the Royal Mile right in the middle of everything. It's a very popular place. Every time we passed there were always hoards of people about and rightly so. It has such a calming effect on the soul. Just stepping through it's door and talking in the beauty of the stained glass windows, the organ and alter and you can see why.
Admission is free and it's open until 19:00 (On weekdays)
Just before calling it a night, we went on a free ghost tour of the city. There are plenty of tours about in Edinburgh and you only need walk a few minutes on the Royal Mile before bumping into one of them.
I will say it wasn't quite what I expected. It was a great way to see the city, and at night. The stories however were a bit more about murder and less ghostly I'll say. Our tour guide was a bit pushy and as we moved from place to place the group was getting smaller from all of the people deciding to leave. She didn't mind slagging off the English either. So yeah, enter at your own peril I guess...
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