Edinburgh: 2 days in the Scottish Auld Reekie
What happens over two days in Edinburgh?
I had an opportunity in early November to visit a friend in Edinburgh, Scotland; the city was a place I’d been looking forward to visiting for some time.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone the weather was cool, wet, grey, and windy … except when it was cool, dry, clear, and windy. The weather summary might have appeared something like: “mostly cloudy with rainshowers, accompanied by fresh westerlies and occasional clear spells.”
But coming from Vancouver, Canada, I really should be made of sterner stuff. Besides, the Old and New Town areas in Edinburgh were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Whiski Rooms: haggis with neeps and tatties

Lower left: Whiski’s rolled & breaded haddock, crushed peas, triple-cooked chips, with tartar sauce. Lower right: Macsween’s Haggis, bashed neeps, mashed potato, crispy leeks, with whiskey sauce – 6 Nov 2012
A stop at Holyrood Park for …

Arthur’s Seat (top), Salisbury Crags (bottom) : Holyrood Park – 7 Nov 2012
… a walk below Salisbury Crags

City view from Salisbury Crags, in Holyrood Park: Edinburgh, Scotland – 7 Nov 2012
End-to-end on the Royal Mile

East end of Royal Mile, Abbey Strand at the Palace of Holyroodhouse – 7 Nov 2012

West end of Royal Mile, at Castle Hill – 8 Nov 2012
Getting to the heart of Midlothian

Heart of Midlothian, Parliament Square West, Royal Mile – 7 Nov 2012
Up to Calton Hill

Noon at the peak: uncompleted National Monument, Nelson Monument, City Observatory – 8 Nov 2012

Top: Parliamentary Cairn, Nelson Monument, uncompleted National Monument. Bottom: view south towards Holyrood’s Salisbury Crags & late-fall noontime sun. Calton Hill – 8 Nov 2012

In silhouette – 8 Nov 2012.
A kilted Scot on the bagpipes

The Mound, East Princes Street Gardens – 8 Nov 2012
Fish and chips, cold Guinness

£8.50 lunch special with a cold pint: The Fiddlers Arms, Grassmarket – 8 Nov 2012
Days must give way to nights

Candlemarker Row, Merchant Street, George IV Bridge, from Greyfriars Kirkyard – 8 Nov 2012

Evening rush in New Town : east on Princes St., between Hanover and South Saint David St. – 8 Nov 2012
Last one to leave, please turn out the lights …
I made the photos above with a 4th-generation iPod Touch and a Canon EOS450D during 7–8 November 2012. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.
11 Responses to “Edinburgh: 2 days in the Scottish Auld Reekie”
Great photos!! I’ve been debating on whether or not to visit Edinburgh (I’ve only been to Glasgow and the Highlands). Your post has made up my mind to add this city to my travel bucket list!!!
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Hi, Nikki! I’m glad my post and photos helped to convince you that Edinburgh is indeed worthy of your presence. 😉 Seriously, two days weren’t enough for Edinburgh, but the time was enough to get a good taste of the city and the area. I would love to go back to Edinburgh, and I’d like to see more of the country, especially the Highlands. Thanks for reading and for your comment!
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Great shots! The blue in the first pic is so vivid, it nearly jumped right off of my computer screen! Nicely done!
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Thank you, Anita! First, I wanted to capture the Scotland flag in full “wave” flapping in the wind; second, that I managed to photograph both blue sky and the blue flag was a great coincidence which fortunately worked out in the end. I really appreciate your reading and commenting! 🙂
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Edinburgh, a place I need to visit! Great shots. Fish, chips and Guinness, what could be better?
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Hi and thanks, Debbie! Yes, please visit Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland! As has been my m.o. for the last 12 months, I’ve mostly been visiting with friends around the world; Edinburgh was on the list, and I had promised my friend who lives there. The weather may be a constant (sore?) point of conversation throughout the year, but I think the city and weather work well together. I also agree about the great meal combination of fish & chips with Guinness: fish and chips served hot, Guinness served cold! 🙂 Thanks again for your comment, Debbie!
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[…] Up on the escarpment at Salisbury Crags, people in Edinburgh are hiking across Holyrood Park to go from one part of town to the other. Perhaps, there are faster or less strenuous options, but there’s a beautiful view with fresh breezes from the waters of the Firth. With the Firth of Forth in the background, you can see from Edinburgh Castle in the west, through the Old and New Town, a bonus rainbow, to Calton Hill in the east. To see more about the two days I spent in Edinburgh, click here. […]
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[…] I made this shot of the two flags in the quiet of The Mound in the heart of Edinburgh; more about my memorable visit here. […]
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[…] 2 days in Edinburgh enough time? The answer is a big no; I want a full week to explore more of the little side alleys, […]
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[…] From Calton Hill – 8 November 2012 […]
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[…] in Edinburgh, high up in Holyrood Park. From the rocky no-guardrail path hugging the edge of Salisbury Crags, […]
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