Edinburgh/advent

[Kirstini]

Hi Martha - 
as an Edinburgh native, I'd like to poke my head into the debate and 
offer a few tips:
The ghost tour company to go on runs tours of Mary King's Close from 
outside St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile. The Witchery Ghost 
Tours are also worth checking out. Nicholsons (now Chinese Buffet 
King) is beside The Black Medicine coffe company, opposite the 
Festival Theatre. However, JKR's *other* favourite cafe is still very 
much intact and exactly as it would have been when she was writing 
the books - The Elephant House on George the Fourth Bridge. 
If you can, get yourself to Bruntsfield and Morningside, (esp 
Morningside Safeway) as you may bump into the lady herself. If you 
want to eat really good contemporary Scottish food (I don't mean 
haggis, or deep-fried Mars Bars), try The Dial (also on George the 
Fourth) or Stac Poly on Grindlay Street if feeling a bit more flush. 
Fun places to go out drinking/dancing (authentic Scottish experience, 
dontchaknow) are the Grassmarket and the Cowgate (go back to the 
Grassmarket during the day and visit Armstrongs, a fantastic vintage 
clothing shop, if you're that way inclined. There are also a lot of 
good restaurants on Victoria Street by the Grassmarket). Under no 
circumstances go to Lothian Road after dark (far too authentic a 
Scottish experience). If you are going to be here between Christmas 
and New Year, check out the winter festival in Princes Street 
Gardens. There may also be a bit of street theatre going on.
As well as the castle (which is really boring. Trust me), on the 
Royal Mile you'll find the Camera Obscura - a large black and white 
tower. Climb to the top and you'll be able to see the entire city - 
and they run a camera obscura where you can home in on people 
wallking along Princes Street.
If interested in art, good place to go are the City Art Gallery and 
the Fruitmarket Gallery down by Waverly Station. These are cheaper 
than the big galleries on Princes Street. Also near the station is a 
really excellent tapas restaurant - Barijoca on Jeffrey Street.

That's probably enough to keep you going for a few days...
Kirstini