Edinburgh/advent

[bluesqueak]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Kirstini" <kirst_inn at y...> 
wrote:
> The ghost tour company to go on runs tours of Mary King's Close 
> from outside St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile. 

Ooh, yes! Been on those. The Mary King's Close one is really good.

> 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. 

Which is a very nice cafe, too. The type where you can relax and 
hang out for hours. I suspect other authors are busily composing 
their latest epics there (and probably praying that some God of 
Incredibly High Book Sales hangs about the place).



> As well as the castle (which is really boring. Trust me), 

Not if you're a history buff. I did history as a minor in my degree, 
and I was practically pulled out of Edinburgh Castle whimpering at 
closing time ('what do you *mean*, I can't stay overnight?').


If you are a history buff, or do renaissance fairs, or SCA, or 
anything like that, get one of the audio tour tapes they hire out 
and allow a day. If you aren't, a couple of hours will probably do 
you [grin].


> 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 walking along Princes Street.

Also good.

My personal 'must' is one of the ghost tours. Especially one of the 
ones that go to the underground parts of Edinburgh (like most 
European cities, Old Edinburgh is basically built on top of even 
older Edinburgh. It's unusual in that some of the lower, older bits 
are still safe to walk through.)

Pip!Squeak