Edinburgh is easily one of Europe's most enchanting and picturesque cities. However, since I am somewhat biased, I have to remind you that Cambridge is definitely better :) Built across a series of hill sand overlooking the sea, this is a town that has many a story to tell. I unfortunately didn't actually get a chance to meet up with any of the Caltech students studying at University of Edinburgh since I was there for such a short period of time. But I think that Pradeep and I did a pretty good job covering the entire city.
Edinburgh has been the Capital of Scotland since the 15th century and stands proudly on seven hills, creating the dramatic skyline of this lively cosmopolitan city. You'll get an idea of the hills of the city through all the amazing views of pictures I took from a variety of different locations.
With the endless rolling hills, Edinburgh is not a city to be explored on foot, unless you want a serious workout. Pradeep and I booked the hop on hop off tours which worked out really well for us. See if you can spot me on the bus! It was really nice since the weather treated us well, and there was an open roof to the second story, which allowed for a very refreshing ride whenever we were on it.
The views, even from the area right in the center of the city, are absolutely stunning and breathtaking. I couldn't choose between all of these pictures so I've just included them all. I love how the city feels so united in its architecture, which is a stark contrast to London with its mix of old and new.
Who knew there were this many different types of whiskey? I guess it is to be expected in Scotland...
No one should leave the city without wandering around lofty Edinburgh Castle. Its kind of hard to miss since this edifice can be seen from all over town. You'll see it popping up in many of my pictures. This is a fortress that is positioned atom the volcanic Castle Rock. Humans have actually lived here since the 9th century BC. Although little is known about the nature of its early settlement, there has been a royal castle here since the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. This castle was involved in many historical conflicts, whose details I can't recall right now. It is also Edinburgh's most visited tourist attraction. Take a close look at the rocky cliffs, preventing access from almost all sides for security reasons.
I thought this was an absolutely amazing view, but as you see later in the post, I was definitely wrong. I am actually sitting on top of one of the cannons that point out of the castle in this picture. Can you see the sea in the background?
The castle itself was definitely overplayed, and the museums were designed for the sole purpose of satisfying tourists, all of which was somewhat disappointing. A good portion had been remodeled, unlike Windsor Castle, and I wish they had left it alone in its natural beauty.
In order to continue Arjun and Pradeep's tradition (from their trip earlier this summer to eastern Europe), we had a drink at the highest point of the city and of course I had cream tea again! Even the green teas are beginning to grow on me, as today I had some jasmine tea which was surprisingly good.
Another picture of the view. The center of the city where there are no tall buildings near the Scott Monument is where we started the tour. In the distance on top of another hill, you'll see some of those monuments that will be documented further down...
Here is the new Scottish Parliament Building. It looks quite strange from the outside with its attempts at being modern, but the inside is renovated and much more impressive. Unfortunately we were unable to sit in on a hearing since the parliament is currently in recess. Apparently, the Scottish Government handles more or less everything about their country other than foreign policy, which is taken care of in London.
You may recall seeing some of these monuments on the streets in the skyline views from above. I absolutely love the streets here! There is such a quiet and peaceful feel to this ancient city. I think we also visited when the city wasn't swamped with tourists, which definitely made it a much more enjoyable experience. I would have loved to come in August though because the very famous Edinburgh Festival takes place then and apparently draws more tourists in than the population of the city!
In the back left of this picture you can see the St. Gile's Cathedral which is the historic City Church of Edinburgh. It is famous for its crown spire that is seen in many skyline views of the city.
Pradeep was trying to teach me how to take an artistic shot where a landmark falls as a shadow on another building, or something along those lines. I don't know how well it actually worked...
Here is the amazing architecture of the inside of St. Gile's Cathedral. The stained glass and majestic arches are absolutely gorgeous...
While Pradeep was busy looking at stuff, I was distracted by taking pictures of myself in a mirror. Typical Nikita, you might say :P
Pradeep initially joked about climbing up this hill, and I straight up refused. I do enjoy hiking, but it's definitely not my thing. He managed to drag me up there somehow and was very patient even though we were going at a very slow pace. These cliffs, located in the highlands of Scotland, are actually known as Salisbury Crags. The cliff face looks down on Edinburgh like a grand fortress.
The climb was absolutely worth since the view from the top was absolutely stunning. My camera simply does not do justice in capturing it, as hard as I tried to.
See the Edinburgh Castle and Scott's Monument in the background?
For those of you with weaker eyes...
This is the path we took to get up the the top of the cliffs. It wasn't too strenuous, although it had recently rained so it was a bit muddy and slippery making the way down a bit scary. But with Pradeep yelling at me, I made it down, somehow.
Not only is the view of the city itself amazing, but the fact that it is also overlooks the North Sea makes it even better.
This view looks inland towards Scotland. Take a look at those daunting cliffs! Apparently people actually climb that face for fun....
Just another picture of the view from a slightly different angle....
This is the old Scottish parliament. The stark contrast between the old and the new is quite shocking.
The weather was surprisingly good, although a bit chilly, even though the clouds suggest otherwise/
And now our final stop of the day. Here is the Nelson Monument in honor of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson. It has an observation tower at the top which you have to pay a whole two pounds for and you still won't get nearly as amazing of a view as we got from that hill.... I guess that also made the exercise worth it :P
I like to think that this is Radka's kinda place with its observatories and all...
Here is a big monument and little me. Climbing up there was an absolute pain since there's an initial jump that is a little taller than I am. It was really nice sitting up there though.
After the sun went down, Pradeep and I got some dinner at a Mexican restaurant, which was my first time having Mexican food after a long time. We also ran into a guy who claimed to be a member of the Knights Templar in Scotland and even wore the ring with its insignia! He told us quite a bit about the random highlights of Scottish history, most of which I can't remember right now. We then just hung around the city and took a bus back to London at night. It felt amazing to come back to my room after such an exhausting trip, now that I have to call this place "home". I'm definitely ready for a few days off now.
I am so glad that Pradeep came to visit or I definitely would not have had the chance to visit such a gorgeous and historic city! I would have otherwise missed out on an amazing experience and a very interesting country!
Also, there is another post on the next page that many of you may not have read yet, so I encourage you to take a look at that as well :)
No comments:
Post a Comment