Absolutely. So many butcher it. Edinboro has me wanting to heave my laptop through the window! I love Edinburgh. From a weegie. Salt 'n' vinegar though. Not salt 'n' sauce!
@@stephenkelly1887 hahaha yeah I"m the exact same with the 'edinboro!', it's like almost every American I've seen reacting to Edinburgh have said it. Hurts the soul hearing it
@alfiekelly5914 Stranraer, Kirkcaldy, buchlyvie, drymen. Yeah a fair few they could butcher that pop into my head haha. I now need to Google Kirkudbright, sorry bout that bit ashamed calling myself Scottish and never heard of it
It’s such a shame the video editor makes the video jump around so fast, you just can’t appreciate what your seeing, there’s much better videos out there that will let you appreciate Edinburgh far better
One of the nice things about this channel compared to the others is you guys actually take the effort to actually remember the stuff you learn. So many other channels that are in a similar vein go into each video with zero recollection of the information they've already watched. The fact alone that you guys have clearly learnt how to pronounce Edinburgh correctly shows how much respect you have for our culture.
@@wallythewondercorncake8657 Certainly the most egregious example. You know he actually has a whole bunch of channels for different countries? (Tyler Rumple for the UK, Tyler Bucket for Canada, Tyler Walker for Norway, Tyler Burger for Japan etc)
As a Scot I’m lovin’ your reaction to our beautiful capital. Edinburgh truly is one of the most special cities with fabulous buildings and a rich and fascinating history. Get yourself there and I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it too.
I live just 12 miles outside Edinburgh. I must say it is so pleasant to watch your reaction to all the city offers by way of beautiful buildings and history. We Scots that live here tend to take it all for granted at times. We do appreciate how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful country. ❤xx
I worked in the Edinburgh and Glasgow area for a while and as an outsider I would like to confirm everything you said, I thoroughly enjoyed working in your fine country. If my company said you can go work in Scotland for a year or London for a week, It would be Scotland every time, no question.
I went to Edinburgh for a week in July many years ago, and they broke record high temperatures (88F) for the week. What I like about July is the long days, it was still like an afternoon sun at 11 PM. Wonderful city, wonderful people!
I'm a Glasgow lad and love it here..but Edinburgh hits hard as a beautiful city and rightly is oor capital... The history is unrivaled..take the amazing buildings out..and it's still one of the most geologically stunning areas on earth... It truly is a jewel of Scotland.
Edinburgh black cab driver here, welcome to Edinburgh, ive taken a bunch of Americans around Edinburgh in my time, it always pleases me at how much they like the City, hope to see you here sometimes
The video editing was giving me a migraine. There are plenty of nooks and crannies in Edinburgh and most of our overseas towns for Steve to explore. Love Lindseys smile. ❤
Opposite to the American tourist who _complained bitterly_ that the Windsor Castle had been built so close to the airport, that the skies over the castle was full of noisy planes everyday,..!! Blame King William I of Normandy for that, when he started building Windsor Castle in 1084... (approx?!) He surely didn't plan ahead, did he?!
similar to the urban myth about an American lady admiring Windsor Castle and saying 'its great but whoever thought of building it so near to Heathrow Airport.' lol.
There’s a Disney movie of greyfriars Bobby that you might like to watch as a family. Make sure you watch the older version as the breed of dog they used was accurate. He was a Skye terrier
Oh that's quite a difficult video to watch - the fast cuts are very trying. There are definitely better Edinburgh videos out there - Check out Broonford Clan & Kakibot. Steve Marsh did a good one on the stairs of Edinburgh, there are a lot of them. There are also plenty of videos on Edinburgh's Closes (as in close to) the prettiest nooks & crannies. Top tourist tip - do NOT rub Greyfriars Bobby's nose - it's is NOT good luck and it's wearing the statue away...I did enjoy how they claimed to 'do' the Highlands is one day though.😀 The train tracks you see by the Castle are the main lines towards Glasgow, they enter a tunnel upon exiting the station. Wynd is pronounced as in 'wind a clock'.
Welcome to my home town. I'm biased I know, but there are few cities can compare with Edinburgh. Now retired, I was fortunate enough to be a police officer here and for a good many years, the Royal Mile was my beat. Because of its volcanic geography, the architecture of the old town is quite original. Enter many of the buildings at street level on the High Street, and you'll find you are actually on the 7th or 8th floor. Most of these old buildings were built hard against the many bridges and arches. Yo must come visit sometime. If you want to know anything about the city, give me a shout.
@@TimeyWimeyLimey The LUAS in dublin is from the early 2000s it works well and due to be expanded however there was a tram system in dublin from the early 19th century to the 1950s and then they got rid of it until the early 2000s
I can confirm that the acoustics in these old churches are incredible Lindsay! There is a non-profit organisation in my area of the country which organises classical concerts and sells tickets at-cost, and they are very often hosted in churches! Listening to a cello reverberate up through the high ceiling above the altar area is stunning!
The Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels) are the oldest in the UK because they were hidden during the time of the UK being a republic, so managed to evade Cromwell’s attempts to either melt them down or sell them as he had with their English counterparts. When Elizabeth II (in reality she was Elizabeth I of Scotland) died, she was staying at Balmoral and as a result she was taken to St Giles Cathedral (which isn’t really a cathedral because they were done away with during the Scottish reformation, as there is no hierarchy in the Church of Scotland, so there aren’t actually any cathedrals…but St Giles’s had been a cathedral pre reformation, so some of them are still known as cathedrals even though they are technically churches), where she Lay in State and there was a service held in her honour before she carried on down to London. But during the service the Scottish Crown sat atop her coffin that was draped in the Scottish Standard. The story of Greyfriars Bobby is very well known in Scotland and as someone else suggested, the three of you would likely enjoy the 60’s (I think) Disney film based on the story of this wee dug (Scots for small dog) that really did exist. The hotel was where Rowling hid away to complete the last Harry Potter book as a wealthy and successful author but the cafe was where she had slaved over the first of the series as a single mother in receipt of state benefits with a cuppa that would last her most of the day (except for when the owner would take pity and treat her). Stirling is another great place for you to look into as is Glasgow (I think you’ve only looked into the Glasgow Necropolis but there is so much more to the city). There’s also the likes of Skara Brae on Orkney or just Shetland, Orkney and Fair Isle in general (also collectively known as the Northern Isles) as well as the Western Isles (which includes the Inner and Outer Hebrides and the islands in the Clyde but is essentially the group name of all the islands on the Western waterways in and alongside Scotland). Of course there is always the ancient kingdom of Dalriada too, which took in much of the West of Scotland and North East of Ireland.
England became a republic under Cromwell, but Scotland, which is the oldest monarchy in Europe, did not. When Charles I was executed, the Scottish Parliament proclaimed his son, Charles, as King, and he was crowned at Scone.. St Giles was never a cathedral pre reformation. It was used as a Cathedral during it's short life as an Epicopalian church. It's officiaal title is the High Kirk of Edinburgh, while the cathedral of Edinburgh is St Mary's in Broughton Street.
@@charmainelamont2020 Charles II may have been proclaimed by the Scottish Parliament but he wasn’t crowned until his return from exile and Cromwell had claimed protectorship over Scotland as well as England, Wales and Ireland. Hence why he actually entered Scotland in search of the Scottish Crown Jewels resulting in them being thrown out of a window in Dunotter Castle to a woman (whose name I cannot currently remember) waiting on the beach who hid them in her basket to smuggle them away. Scotland may not technically have been a republic at that time but it was living as a republic in the same way as England was. There was no monarch there taking control nor making decisions about the running of the country nor was there anyone appointed by the monarch ruling on their behalf. There was just Cromwell. To be perfectly honest though, as a Scot who went all the way through the Scottish education system between 1980 and 1993, I wasn’t taught a single thing about Scotland during that time…I was actually taught very little Scottish history at all and my entire knowledge that I have about Scotland during that period of time is what I’ve managed to ascertain from the periphery of what was happening in England and maybe a little about Ireland. Scotland and Wales are generally quite forgotten about when it comes to Cromwell.
I have lived on the outskirts of Edinburgh my whole life and I go there maybe 2-3 times a week. And every time I take a minute to appreciate the beauty of the city. I have travelled all over the world and there truly is no place like Edinburgh
I’m so buzzed you guys have done this video, I’m a fan of yours and born and raised in Edinburgh. Not to be big headed it’s the best city in the world!
Mary King's Close is definitely your sort of place. The street was sealed off in the 1700's so was never industrialised. There is a lot of lore surrounding the site, including everything from the black death to murder and ghosts. You can book an hour long guided tour.
Here's a RUclips tip: When the video is paused you can use 'J' and 'L' to move backwards and forwards by 10 seconds, and ',' and '.' (comma and period) to move one frame at a time. Never miss a detail again!
I'm not a city person but I love Edinburgh - the architecture is absolutely magnificent and the city has so many parks, not to mention Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat providing spectacular natural green spaces right in the heart of the city. There's masses to see and do, including great ghost tours. And yes, it's well worth taking a trip up to the Highlands for a few days as well. Edinburgh doesn't have a subway, but the main railway does run in tunnels through part of the city centre. Haggis can be included with breakfast, but I would say it's less common, and you're more likely to have it with an evening meal - black pudding, sausages and bacon are the essentials! Trams are trolleys/streetcars, they can either run on their own dedicated right of way or share the road with other traffic. Most of the shared on-street sections are restricted to buses only, not private cars.
I live in West Lothian, approx 25 miles out of Edinburgh. I jumped on my local train at 10.50 a.m had a walk around Edinburgh with my dog Charlie. We strolled across princess street gardens, perused the castle area, walked down the royal mile, detoured down my old haunt in cockburn street (this street used to sell rock, goth and alternative clothing and accessories in my day) ended up chillin' at an ice cream shop. We were home for 3.30 p.m. We really take for granted how close we are to a beautiful place and somewhere a lot of people would only dream about visiting. Hope you make it over some time😊
Midlothian has a lot more than tourist traps and scenery. The medical museum at Surgeon's Hall is a hidden gem for the casual visitor. The world's first fire station, the oldest golf green in nearby Musselburgh. Edinburgh once had a greyhound track to rival Musselburgh racecourse, but the racecourse itself is a nice treat. Or is that Musselburgh's Luca Ice-cream. I have fond memories of walking there from Dalkeith, in the summer.
Great memories, Mark, used to love Luca Ice cream and I remember Powderhall, the greyhound track. I used to live in Roslin many years ago and loved visiting the Chapel before it became too famous! Now, I don't think I could afford the entry fee, however it's good for the area, I suppose!
Since you love old graveyards, check out a video on The Glasgow Necropolis. A huge cemetary in the middle of the city with huge mausoleums. It was the filming location for the enterance for the Batcave.
“Greyfriars Bobby: The true story of a Dog” IMDB Plot summary:- Scotland, 1865. An old shepherd and his little Skye Terrier Bobby go to Edinburgh. But when the shepherd dies of pneumonia, the dog remains faithful to his master, refuses to be adopted by anyone, and takes to sleeping on his master's grave in the Greyfriars Kirkyard, despite a caretaker with a "no dogs" rule. And when Bobby is taken up for being unlicensed, it's up to the children of Edinburgh and the Lord Provost to decide what's to be done.
I remember that film and and being in tears a lot as it was so poignant, lovely film, based on a true story of course. I've visited Greyfriars Kirkyard and seen the graves, it's such a great story.
(This turned into a really long comment, sorry!) I was in Edinburgh exactly a week ago and went a stroll along the Royal Mile, going into all the closes and wynds along the way! I always love a visit to Edinburgh and I visit as many times as I can each year. I tried to move there once but the job fell through! Kakibot has a great channel all about Edinburgh, I'd highly recommend looking at her content. If you ever arrive at Edinburgh airport I would recommend the tram, although it is expensive - it's much cheaper than a taxi, The buses are also really good, and are the cheapest option. The view from the Scott Monument is fantastic, but it's a LOT more than 20 steps...more like 220 steps!! Another monument you should look at is the Wallace Monument in Stirling - it's also got a phenomenal view! I took my friend from Indiana to St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh...just weeks before the Queen passed away - the Scottish part of her funeral was held there. You will find old churches and graveyards EVERYWHERE in the UK. I'm actually near a graveyard that has a bona fide Viking grave in it!! It's at Luss, Loch Lomond! Walking along the river between Dean Village and Stockbridge is hands down my favourite walk in Edinburgh. Edinburgh accommodation can be VERY expensive but there's lots of lovely towns around Edinburgh that offer accommodation that are an easy commute into the city, like Linlithgow and South Queensferry. Trams are very popular all over Europe, but Edinburgh's the only place in Scotland that has them, My grandfather worked on Britannia's construction, he was a coppersmith and made parts for the engine room. The train lines at the tunnel go to Glasgow, Perth, Stirling, Aberdeen, Inverness etc. It's common for city centre train stations in Europe to be subterranean, but Glasgow is the only place in Scotland with a proper (but tiny!) subway system. There's a lot of cherry trees in Scotland, I used to love picking cherries to make cherry pie when I was a kid! Please have a look at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park - it's close to Glasgow and Edinburgh and well worth a visit (it's also where I stay!)
Hi Steve and Lindsay. You could spend 3 months in almost any UK city and still not see everything on your list. I would advise that you rent a car and stay in the central Trossachs area. You will be 45 minutes from Stirling, 90 minutes from Glasgow, 90 minutes from Edinburgh. Also, you would be only a short distance from the very scenic mountainous Highlands with Fort William, Ben Nevis, Oban, Isle of Skye. Better still, if determined to stay in cities, travel as much as possible using public transport within cities and surrounding places of interest and hire a VW campervan when you want to go touring. Your options then are much greater, as there are plenty of B&Bs, hotels, air b&b, campsites (some are located in fantastic scenic locations with all amenities). A campervan gives you the ability to rest, be warm and dry, and have meals when oot an aboot in the wilds. Y'all take care now. Rob
The Tolbooth, Edinburgh, is an interesting 16th-century building used for collecting taxes, a court house, prison, and council chambers. Now it's a pub with food. Very busy booking will probably be advised.
Edinburgh is one of the most recent cities to install trams on the streets. Others include London, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Birmingham with others planned. They are becoming quite common.
It was great to hear you pronounce Edinburgh properly Steve. I'm from Glasgow, my grandparents took me to Edinburgh when I was 5, we went round Holyrood House and the guide asked me to demonstrate a curtsey in the throne room but I was too shy! And Greyfriars Bobby actually sat by the grave of his owner, and never left there, people fed him and helped him keep warm, but he never moved. I loved Hatchi, cried my eyes out! The loyalty of animals is just amazing and, at times, heartbreaking!
Thanks, I try 😅 It's hard to keep it all sorted as a foreigner! Is it true that there's a disney movie about Greyfriars Bobby? I feel like I read that in a comment the other day but didn't have a chance to look it up. Your comment just reminded me of it.
In Edinburgh the cherry blossoms bloom slightly differently each year depending on the weather...but are usually out through April into May. There is a beautiful cherry blossom Orchard at Lauriston Castle on the outskirts of the city...it's definitely worth a wee visit.
I’m from Edinburgh and lived here all my life. There is so much to see and do. The architecture is stunning I still see things I’ve never noticed before. If you can come along, Edinburgh is beautiful and people are very friendly 😊😊
The hubster and I have just booked 2 days right behind the castle in February as a self gift to both of us for our birthdays. I love this city and being a Geordie I feel kinship from every Scot I have ever met, I lived in Scotland for 6 years and loved it.
Lol... Poor Croydon... I went to (& back!) Croydon on the tram from Beckenham with my eldest daughter quite a few years ago, we went to 'Rock Bottom' to buy a new (blue) guitar strap and plectrums, before spending a few (!!) £_pounds on CDs in HMV, and later Pizza Hut (where we left no tip because we hadn't known about their tipping culture at the time, despite the frequent yet unasked for / unexpected Coca Cola free top-ups!!! The tram was a nice experience but when I tried to take the same trip with my youngest daughter, the tram was out of use...(So, we got a bus to Blackheath instead...and now am in a wheelchair, I only travel to and from weekly hospital appointments instead, so have a lot less 'fun' nowadays). 😟🏴
@@jswmonkey197 It was a bit brutal. As an ex-resident of Sutton, it needed to be said. You should hear what the gits on the left hand side of London said about us. 🙂
Hi Steve and Lindsey, glad you enjoyed the video of Edinburgh, I’m actually grew up across the firth of forth in Fife north of Edinburgh. To answer your question about the train tracks beside the castle in the ariel shot is looking down at Waverley train station in Edinburgh, there are a couple of long tunnels that you go through on the train into Edinburgh. One of the things I never heard the creator of the clip you were watching mention (or he might not have known about it) is you will find Edinburgh castle is actually built upon an extinct volcano.
Im from down south, England, but when I visited Edinburgh for Christmas week and new years eve I would describe as mild weather. Def recommend that time of year, best New Years ive ever had. Something endearing about drunken scots in kilts, dancing playing bagpipes. Bars and pubs serving over fifty different types of single malt whiskey each bar different with their own atmosphere. Oh the candle light procession down the hill from Edinburgh castle was magical and a big music festival on new years eve. Its all pretty walkable and i didnt get to see it but theres a kind of underground historic part of Edinburgh, if you like knooks and cranies ! The people are great too. Do it 😊
Studied music at napier years back and my uni choir often sang in St Giles standing at the raised alter underneath the organ. It's indeed a beautiful acoustic.
Finally! I'm perhaps a little biased but Edinburgh is comfortably the best city in the UK. The building the train tracks are running under is the National Gallery of Scotland, the tracks pop out the other side and enter Waverley Station our main railway station which sits in the valley between the Old Town and New Town. Temperature wise 43F (or 6°C) is pretty chilly for Spring, we're generally into double figures by then although that did look like early morning when its cooler. We don't generally get much higher than 20°C in Summer but Winters are fairly mild and average around 5 to 7°C although as I write this its currently hovering just over 0! Tolbooth Wynd (pronounced like wine-d) is one of the many closes (alleyways) leading from the Royal Mile (which is essentially on a ridge) down to the streets below. This part of the city dates back 800-1000 years so, aye, theres a lot of nooks and crannies to explore and hidden gems everywhere! Have to say that video was a pretty terrible one to react to and really didnt do the city justice. Glossing over the Royal Museum of Scotland, which is arguably one of the best in Europe, is criminal although they at least kept the Harry Potter references to a minimum, you'd think JK Rowling built the city herself by hand the way some folk go on!
I'm down in the Leith area of the city, voted one of the top 5 "coolest" places in the WORLD to live not long ago... Not that I put much faith in those silly surveys. They went and built a tram stop right outside my bloomin' door. (BTW, I believe the trams here are technically "light rail", kind of hybrid tram/train. Some of the tracks share, or steal, normal road space, some of it is off-road.)
Please keep exploring Scotland. Every city is unique and the countryside is incomparable. Also the cemeteries are great. Try Arbroath- home of smoked fish.
Some very old taverns and pubs have this little alleyway beside them. They were often a gateway to the tavern stables in the back of the building. It allowed travellers to stable their horses while they rent a room/bed above the tavern for the night. Most of the stables were demolished or repurposed over the years. some even sold off the plots of land where the stables were, but retained some outdoor space that have now become beer gardens.
The rail tracks that you're looking at 17:03 is the National Rail main line coming in North originally from London, up the East of England, following the Northeast coast of England then turning West up the Firth of Forth (that is, the firth or estuary of the River Forth), through Edinburgh and then sweeping North across the Firth of Forth, over the famous red Forth Bridge, and up towards the Highlands and beyond. The land in Edinburgh is very undulating, so the railway is in cuttings and tunnels in other places raised on embankments or on viaducts.
The lone they were lookin at n showing is the line going under the national gallery by the castle mound that's the tunnel of the Glasgow line and trains going west. The London line out of Waverley goes out toward the Forth in the opposite direction to the tunnel that's shown here going under the National Gallery. But regardless, it's a train tunnel not a subway. Edinburgh doesn't have a subway. But does have amazing bus routes n service wae a bus every 5min or so. (If u live here urself u know that tho haha, but for anyone reading who don't, that's the case & a all day ticket is about £4.50 n as it says, can be used all day as much n often and going as far on a bus route as u like, a day plus night ticket is £6.50 or after 4pm is £4.50 amd is valid up until 6am the next morning.)
Trams (street cars/trolleys) are quite common in European cities. In the UK they were mostly deprecated in the 1970s, but some cities have restored them now. (In the USA, you can find them in New Orleans too).
Edinburgh lost its previous tram system in 1956. It was more extensive than what we currently have. Fun Fact #1: because Leith (the port town) wasn't incorporated into the city until 1920, Leith and Edinburgh had their own different tram systems. You had to get off at Pilrig and switch from the pulley-drawn Edinburgh tram to the electric Leith tram. During excavations for the new line, they dug up one of the old giant pulley wheels from the city side, which is now on display at a nearby location. Fun Fact #2: the buses couldn't handle The Mound so easily in the winter, and under-road heating was installed at great expense in 1959 in an attempt to keep it clear of ice and snow!
Born and brought up in Edinburgh - I walk past the Ross Fountain and the castle on the way to work. Edinburgh is very special ❤ I love your reactions 🥰
Fortunately they were successfully hidden from Cromwell, he melted or sold the English Crown Jewels, the Anointing Spoon the only survivor as the buyer returned it when the Monarchy was reinstated, unfortunately the Scottish State Sword had to be snapped in half to hide, the subsequent repair still visible. They were hidden on remote farms, they were searched by Cromwell's troops but obviously not very well.
I live in Edinburgh, but I'm not from here - I'm from Liverpool originally. But I love it here. It's been six years, and I still walk around admiring the architecture, and I know how lucky I am to live here.
Welcome to my home town. Fun fact, The Balmoral Hotel was built by the North British Railway Company for it's passengers from Waverly Station. The clock on top is slightly fast so that their customers were't late for the trains. You will now also get the Kevin Bridges joke about the Difference between Glasgow and Edinburgh, when you hear a gun going off in Edinburgh it's one o'clock 🤣
*The Balmoral Hotel's clock is famously set five minutes fast. This dates back to when people tended not to have personal watches. It was set fast so as it could be seen from Waverley Station and give people extra time to get to their trains. *The haggis is what you through was the black pudding. *Terry Pratchett had dis own parody of Bobby, in his Discworld books. Same story but people just didn't realised he wasn't loyal,, his tail was trapped under the tombstone. :P *The Elephant House isn't where Rowling wrote the first book, although she did write some there. It's just they pay a lot of money to the Rowling estate, to make the claims. It's super busy and overpriced. If you just walk down the side street, along The National Museum of Scotland, onto South Bridge, there's a lovely café called Spoons. IT's less prices, less crowded and she spent far more time there, writing the first book. *The cherry tree path is the Meadows, I live about 100 metres from the far end of it. :) *They name those stair The Vennel but in reality a vennel is just the name of a stairway, in-between two buildings. *The Royal Mile is the mile between Holyrood House and the castle. Although it's not quite a mile. *It's usually about 10c at this time of year but right now it's a cold snap so we're expecting snow. It's around 1c. *There's a lot of water as it's right on the estuary. Edinburgh has beaches. *Something to look at more in depth, in Edinburgh is the Fringe Festival. It's the world's biggest arts festival. It happens over three weeks, in August and the city is insane! 2-3 million people will visit over those three weeks.
I've had plenty breakfasts in Scotland with haggis included. I used to make a haggis roll each morning when working at a restaurant in Edinburgh. But yeah that's black pudding in the vid
@@grenniespexify That's a shame. One thing I did leave off was that you have to be really careful, in the city centre. You can't stand still for too long in one place or they'll try and turn you into student accommodation!!
So the train you saw going underground past the castle is just going through a tunnel towards and from the station. It's one of the mainlines in and out of Edinburgh Waverley station. Weather wise the trees blossom around May and our weather is usually mild from May to September. But Edinburgh is known as the Windy City for a reason! Also in the summer, whilst it can get up to 30 degrees celcius, because it is on the coast the city can be shrouded in a haar making summer mornings cold. We can also experience four seasons in one day so layered clothing is the recommendation!
I love looking at these videos through American eyes. It is an absolute delight! Us British people, also like seeing these things, but because we've grown up around and are surrounded with this history......in a day-to-day basis ........we become numb to the "wow" factor of this. Hope you understand what i mean. Us British are so very lucky to have this on our doorstep! ❤️X
He knows so much about the history of Edinburgh and the best places to visit and also where to find the best food. He also covers other Scottish history like why they banned Christmas in Scotland.
22:10 "old tollbooth wynd" (where wynd is pronounced like "the long and winding road" wind, like to wind a clock!) There are LOADS of these little tunnels through between the huge buildings, and they are fantastic to explore! Lots of stairs, and great views!
Edinburgh born and raised here and I work just off the Royal Mile. I love it and seeing your enthusiasm for the city. Fantastic. I love Scott Monument, it catches my eye every season as the dramatic feature of the landscape. If you enjoy the architecture I'd suggest...if you make it to Edinburgh, hoping on the train down to Walter Scotts house, Abbotsford, which is full gothic with gargoyles and characters carved based on his friends, staff and craftsmen. As for the weather it's 2c/35f today. Either way enjoy a visit, Edinburgh is full of nooks and crannies all full of history and stories. With plenty of Wynds to explore, most with food and booze down them. Enjoy
The roads in the UK are rarely cobblestone, even in York. They are finished in setts, which are rectangular brick shaped stones that make a flat surface. Many streets have these, but they are covered in tarmac to ease the ride. There was haggis on that brunch, which you thought was black pudding. The 'subway' train is just a regular in a tunnel as it comes into Edinburgh. The road vehicles are Trams, bus like they travel on track in the street. Several cities in the UK, & Europe have tram systems. The Britannia is the ex Royal Yacht, on which the late Queen travelled many thousands of miles during her reign. Scotland is not freezing cold. In summer it can be very warm, & is only slightly different than the rest of the UK. The ex church with shops is not part of the Cathedral. Most of the 'Gothic' look of Edinburgh is Victorian, from the 19th century, like the Scott monument, & even the Cathedral, but many buildings are Georgian & Victorian in Classical style, with columns etc. Holyrood House is the Monarch's Palace in Scotland, based on an old monastery. The major river in view from Edinburgh is the Forth, with it's estuary called a Firth, over which passes the famous Forth Railway Bridge.
Hey, Steve. When you're paused you can still use the arrow keys to go forward and back 5 seconds. But also the comma and full stop (period) keys to go frame by frame. Obviously you can hold them down too, to make it go a bit quicker.
When you asked how anyone could have the skill to carve the Thistle Chapel, I had a small chuckle as my first wife's grandfather was one of the carvers. He was also the chief carver at the John Brown's Shipyard in Clydebank near Glasgow. Also the Elephant house is not where J K Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter novel, that was written in a cafe in Nicholson Street which is now a Chinese restaurant. The cherry blossom is usually out in April which is why the weather was cool. Summer temperatures usually get up to the low to mid 20s Celsius (high 60s low 70s Fahrenheit). Winter temperature is usually around 4 or 5 degrees Celsius.
You can climb the 287 steps inside the Scott Monument to get to the very top. You definitely need a head for heights, and the stairway gets narrower the higher you get. Not for the faint-hearted. 😂
I've done that years ago and I always remember near the top how difficult it was when you were climbing up and people were coming down - not a lot of room!
From someone who lives a mere hour or so away from Edinburgh thanks for pronouncing it correctly I know you have heard it before but genuinely it pleases not just me but Scots in general so much to hear it said the right way I hope one day you are able to see and enjoy old yet very beautiful city for yourselves one day in the not too distant future just remember to pack warm just incase as our Scottish weather can be sometimes unpredictable 😊🏴
Steve and Lindsay If you like alleyways and closes then Edinburgh is definitely for you .They even found a 17th century street below the Royal Mile ( Mary Kings Close ) deftly worth googling. Cobbles are terrible when you drive your car over them as they’re designed for horse and carts 😂 unless you like the rumble of tyres . It’s the train that goes underground to get you into the city centre it passes under some of the city to get to the city centre it’s part of the main rail network ,but Edinburgh does not have an underground . The trams were reintroduced in Edinburgh are fairly recent I’m sure in around 2014 although it did have trams previously from the 18th century but were removed as busses were introduced. Today in Central Scotland is 2 degrees c or 35 degrees f but sunny and bright and it’s just after midday here . I live about 40 minutes from Edinburgh . Scotland is definitely well worth a visit yes the cities are great but you have to get into the towns and countryside also .
Edinburgh in the evening is the most beautiful, the old town is all in close proximity. On the Royal mile walk through the wee lanes and you'll see beautiful wee places.
They don't call it the "Athens of the North" for no reason, Edinburgh is a beautiful city that I'm proud to be from and live here, too many tourists in August for the Fringe Festival though, lol, but it brings a lot of £££'s in for the city, also so many inventions came out of Edinburgh during the Enlightenment Period, go watch a video on that subject.! The city of Edinburgh is about 900+ years old, I was born in Edinburgh, lived here for nearly 50 years now and would never move.! THE CITY IS STUNNING, a surprise round every corner, just be prepared to walk up and down a lot of hills, but the public transport within the the city is excellent. Edinburgh is built on and around 7 hills, the Castle sits on one and them and there's Arthurs Seat (great for a hike), and both are Extinct Volcanoes.! Also it's 287 spiral steps to the top of the Scots Monument and it is a very tight squeeze at the top spire, but it's a must, the views are AMAZING.! I hope you can make it over one day, you won't regret it.!. Steve and Lyndsey you will both fall in love with all the buildings and layout, it's a very UNIQUE CITY, and nothing to compare it to.! I ❤ EDINBURGH.!
The Scottish crown jewels are the oldest in the UK because Olliver Cromwell had all the English regalia destroyed after the civil war. The only part of the English Royal treasury to survive was a small silver spoon dating back to the time of Alfred the great which is used during the coronation to annoint the soverigns head with holy oil.
@@reactingtomyroots Yes well done. Just to say though that Wynd in Toolbooth Wynd is pronounced the same as when you wind a watch not wind as in the weather 👍. I think it's just an old lane/passageway - though probably full of ghosts 😁
Edinburgh Castle's nice, but expensive. My favourite major castle to visit is Stirling castle. We have castle ruins all around us though, some much older than Edinburgh.
The oldest part of Edinburgh Castle is from 1130 ... but maybe 900 years old isn't quite old enough for you! (Oh and that's 250 years older than the oldest part of Stirling Castle, if for some weird reason you are rating your castles that way! Both castles are, of course, well worth a visit.)
Scotland is beautiful. We stayed in the Highlands near Aviemore. We went to the Edinburgh military tattoo (August) day temp was about 20 degree celcious but it was chilly as we watched the tattoo in the evening. We went up the Cairngorm mountains and rode the funicular railway to the top. There were cafes and a gift shop at the top. Obviously in the winter it's big with skiing and winter sports.Loved our day in Edinburgh. Lots of castles, Blair Castle was great, they have a private army for ceremonious purposes only. We also stayed in Perth which was great and went to Scone Palace where the throne King Charles sat on at the coronation usually resides. We went to a beautiful view point called Queens view.....WOW.!! That was close to Perth. We also did a few obligatory whisky distilleries. Scotland is beautiful and we are going back up between Christmas and New year staying in a Hotel not far from Aviemore called the Duke of Gordon Hotel in Kingussie. It's a 430 mile drive from my home but it is absolutely worth it and me the wife and my parents are taking the trip up.!!
There's evidence of fortifications at Edinburgh castle going back about 3,000 years ! , doubt you would find that anywhere else , the oldest surviving building is only 900 years old due to it being the most attacked castle in Europe , personally prefer Edinburgh castle to Stirling as i believe they cost much the same & you could easily spend 3-4 hours looking around which makes it much better value than Stirling which can be seen in an hour ! , however it's probably best to avoid Edinburgh castle if you don't like other people ( large crowds lol ! ) as it can get really packed.
This really made me smile because I live about 20 minutes’ drive from Edinburgh in a little town called Dalgety Bay, and I lived in Edinburgh itself for 16 years. I’m soon relocating to the States, but Edinburgh will always be one of my favourite places in the world. At this time of year, there’s a German-style Christmas market in Princes’ Street Gardens and it’s so much fun getting mulled wine and cherry waffles there to stay warm as you wander around the city. If you guys were in Edinburgh, I’d happily take you for a coffee and amazing scones at my favourite tiny coffee shop just off Princes Street. The bagpipers on Waverley Bridge can be really funny. When my son was little he loved Star Wars and wore t-shirts and costumes to show his interest. One day when we were passing the piper on our way through the city, he started playing the Imperial March from Star Wars and my son was ridiculously excited. 😆 I’ve actually performed as part of a choir in St. Giles Cathedral, and you’re right, the acoustics are ASTOUNDING in there. And Oink hog roast sandwiches are basically my culinary happy place. Edinburgh is great. You should definitely visit!
I`ve lived in Edinburgh for 79 years .There has been huge changes since 1945 .Biggest in City Centre is the rape of Princes Street . There used to be lovely shops .Last one to go was Jenner`s . In sixties they knocked down some lovely buildings and erercted concrete blocks .a lot of the shops are tacky run by Likes Of Gold Bros which sells tack probably made in China ! George St is nice and new town is lovely .The old Town ( Royal Mile ) even although is full of tack too is better than it was in fifties ,Back then it was a big slum . Once you leave City Centre yo can get some sink estates that every big City has . One of best places is Cramond .Lovely down by the River Almond .JK Rowling lives near here . All in all yes it`s a lovely City and worth a visit but I feel it was a better place in sixties and probably seventies .
@JacobiteRebellion Yes very tue .Cities like Edinburgh were better years ago .My mother said in sixties Princes St was a disgrace compared to thirties .If it was a disgrace then what is it now ?
I know what you mean, there were some great stores on Princes Street - Littlewoods, British Home Stores, John Menzies, Forsyths and of course the legendary Jenners. Used to love just wandering round Jenners in my lunch hour sometimes, such a beautiful store.
I'm scottish and today it is -3 you need to check out the original Edinburgh town. It's underneath the one you see walking about Vaults, closes and chambers form a rich network of hidden underground architecture in Edinburgh Old Town. The unusual topography and history of the city led previous generations to build structures on top of each other, hiding entire parts of the city to the public.
I am a local, and so glad you've had a chance to virtually see it. If you do visit in person, I am always happy to show people around and tell them the history to places for food/drink. ETA the black monument is one devoted to writer Sir Walter Scott, it's nickname locally is Thunderbird 3 (after the kids TV show Thunderbirds) or The Gothic Rocket. The hot chocolate is probably from my friend The Marshmallow Lady who makes her own marshmallows.
JK Rowling wrote parts of the first Harry Potter book in Nicholson's Cafe (her brother-in-law owned it at the time) on the George IV Bridge and yep she also used the Elephant House Cafe for writing. She used the Balmoral Hotel for writing the end of the last Harry Potter book The Deathly Hallows in 2006-2007. You guys would love Edinburgh, the old town looks so quaint, is steeped in history and is the most haunted city in the UK. Steve you would love Greyfriar's Churchyard, a lot of the grave stones are written in Latin and have skulls and crossbones carved into them. It was established as a burial ground in 1562. You can see the Tom Riddle grave there where JK got her inspiration for Harry Potter names for her books and George MacKenzie is also buried there in a locked tomb, he persecuted the covenanters in 1679 and his poltergeist haunts the graveyard 👀👻☠
I did the City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour a few years ago, was so good! Our guide was brilliant and so engaging, great humour too 😄 Even though I don’t believe in ghosts and stuff, it was still creepy going around the Kirkyard at night and hearing the fascinating history/stories 😃 Mary King’s Close was fascinating too!
@@quirkymerky ohh yeah some of the ghost tours are really good and the hidden underground city is really good too. Something really strange happened years ago, the little Greyfriars Bobby ghost appeared on my hoodie in a pic in 1999 when we visited his grave just at the entrance of the grave yard, there was no explanation for it.
That beautiful cathedral you were admiring, that's where Queen Elizabeth II was laid in state before she was flown down to England. People were allowed in to see her casket and pay their respects. I missed that opportunity by a mere fortnight as I had been visiting Edinburgh from Finland a couple of weeks prior to the Queen's death.
Great Video. I live on Circus lane in Edinburgh and the cobbles are not brick they are old granite cobble stones. The lane dates from around 1820 and the small houses used to be used to store the horse and carriages for the larger town houses nearby.
It annoys me when these tourists mention Joanne Rowling so much. Scotland has so much more to offer than a kid's storybook. And she's not Scottish, she just lives here.
It seems some American visitors view the UK as nothing more than a Harry Potter theme park. There must be 500 streets that they believe were the "inspiration" for Diagon Alley.
Absolutely! I took some friends to Edinburgh and it was a Harry Potter theme park. I took the same friends to York the following year and the same thing happened. Can we not celebrate our magnificent historic cities for their own sake? Do we need cheesy tourist gimmicks?
I read the Harry Potter series and watched the films and enjoyed them... This was about 2012 (before I moved to my current ground floor flat after living in a top - 4th - floor flat and had raised my family for 18 years, before I became disabled) and that was when I was 59, so it isn't _just_ "kids" _or_ "American tourists" who enjoyed J.K.Rowling's series of "witches and wizardry"!! Why so much 'anti-Rowling' biases here?!! (Surely not 'millionaire-envy'!!)
@@janescott4574 It was I think because it was on there that they could more be easily just be themselves, like a regular family. Probably without the risk of prying eyes like the paparazzi.
Britannia's Chief Engineer was an old friend of my Dad's from his navy days. My parent got to have dinner on board when the ship was in Qatar where we lived in the 70's/80's & HM Queen Elizabeth was on a Royal tour of the Gulf States.
Loved the video and how much you enjoyed our city. You will definitely enjoy your time here if or when you visit! Temperatures will be cool though like you said! Right now it’s around 1-2C which is basically freezing. The summers can get warm around the mid to high 20s Celsius. All the best on your adventures!
From a Scotsman I’m so happy you pronounced Edinburgh correctly
Probably why I didn't notice at the intro. Every other American reaction to Edinburgh I've watched pronounces it edinboroh haha
Absolutely. So many butcher it. Edinboro has me wanting to heave my laptop through the window! I love Edinburgh. From a weegie. Salt 'n' vinegar though. Not salt 'n' sauce!
@@stephenkelly1887 hahaha yeah I"m the exact same with the 'edinboro!', it's like almost every American I've seen reacting to Edinburgh have said it. Hurts the soul hearing it
@@stirling84 I'd love to hear them pronouncing 'Kirkudbright'. Or 'Strathaven' or 'Milngavie'! lol
@alfiekelly5914 Stranraer, Kirkcaldy, buchlyvie, drymen. Yeah a fair few they could butcher that pop into my head haha. I now need to Google Kirkudbright, sorry bout that bit ashamed calling myself Scottish and never heard of it
It’s such a shame the video editor makes the video jump around so fast, you just can’t appreciate what your seeing, there’s much better videos out there that will let you appreciate Edinburgh far better
Yeah that video is terrible.
that gave me a headache
This is the worst video of Edinburgh I've seen it does not tell the story of this city or the building
Agree really manic the result was lack of real content.
I agree. The editing is woeful.
One of the nice things about this channel compared to the others is you guys actually take the effort to actually remember the stuff you learn. So many other channels that are in a similar vein go into each video with zero recollection of the information they've already watched.
The fact alone that you guys have clearly learnt how to pronounce Edinburgh correctly shows how much respect you have for our culture.
Tyler, right?
@@wallythewondercorncake8657 Certainly the most egregious example. You know he actually has a whole bunch of channels for different countries? (Tyler Rumple for the UK, Tyler Bucket for Canada, Tyler Walker for Norway, Tyler Burger for Japan etc)
From South Wales but came to Edinburgh for University 17 years ago and never left.
I love the city and the people.
As a Scot I’m lovin’ your reaction to our beautiful capital. Edinburgh truly is one of the most special cities with fabulous buildings and a rich and fascinating history. Get yourself there and I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it too.
a scottish summer is my favourite day of the year.
I see what you did there. 👏
Where I am, summer is usually two good weeks in February! That's the joke around here 😁
Epic comment, hilarious......🤣
When was it this year?
Lucky if you get that
I live just 12 miles outside Edinburgh. I must say it is so pleasant to watch your reaction to all the city offers by way of beautiful buildings and history. We Scots that live here tend to take it all for granted at times. We do appreciate how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful country. ❤xx
Finally, two Americans who get us. Proper pronunciations and appreciation of architecture. Well done guys.
24:01 Spring in Edinburgh can be 0 degrees celsius one day then 25 degrees celsius the next day, either way it’s a great city to live in 🏴
Born and bred in Edinburgh.I love my city and my people Glasgow and Edinburgh in fact we Scots are good fun.
I worked in the Edinburgh and Glasgow area for a while and as an outsider I would like to confirm everything you said, I thoroughly enjoyed working in your fine country. If my company said you can go work in Scotland for a year or London for a week, It would be Scotland every time, no question.
I went to Edinburgh for a week in July many years ago, and they broke record high temperatures (88F) for the week. What I like about July is the long days, it was still like an afternoon sun at 11 PM. Wonderful city, wonderful people!
I'm a Glasgow lad and love it here..but Edinburgh hits hard as a beautiful city and rightly is oor capital... The history is unrivaled..take the amazing buildings out..and it's still one of the most geologically stunning areas on earth... It truly is a jewel of Scotland.
Edinburgh black cab driver here, welcome to Edinburgh, ive taken a bunch of Americans around Edinburgh in my time, it always pleases me at how much they like the City, hope to see you here sometimes
Edinburgh taxi user here. I can recommend them. Get one of the Apps available, eg CityCabs etc. as hills can be tiring! 😀
The video editing was giving me a migraine. There are plenty of nooks and crannies in Edinburgh and most of our overseas towns for Steve to explore. Love Lindseys smile. ❤
There's the urban legend when a US lady stated how glad she was that they built the castle so close to the train station.
Opposite to the American tourist who _complained bitterly_ that the Windsor Castle had been built so close to the airport, that the skies over the castle was full of noisy planes everyday,..!!
Blame King William I of Normandy for that, when he started building Windsor Castle in 1084... (approx?!)
He surely didn't plan ahead, did he?!
Ha Ha ......
similar to the urban myth about an American lady admiring Windsor Castle and saying 'its great but whoever thought of building it so near to Heathrow Airport.' lol.
@@mariahoulihan9483You bet me too it lol. They actually said it to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip.
Hahahhhahahaaaaaaaaa I love it 😆
There’s a Disney movie of greyfriars Bobby that you might like to watch as a family. Make sure you watch the older version as the breed of dog they used was accurate. He was a Skye terrier
Lassie was once used as Bobby. They used a dye to make her more believable 😂
Had a very shiny nose? :P
Lovely old film.
I also posted about this film. Sorry! I hadn’t read your post first.
Oh that's quite a difficult video to watch - the fast cuts are very trying. There are definitely better Edinburgh videos out there - Check out Broonford Clan & Kakibot. Steve Marsh did a good one on the stairs of Edinburgh, there are a lot of them. There are also plenty of videos on Edinburgh's Closes (as in close to) the prettiest nooks & crannies. Top tourist tip - do NOT rub Greyfriars Bobby's nose - it's is NOT good luck and it's wearing the statue away...I did enjoy how they claimed to 'do' the Highlands is one day though.😀 The train tracks you see by the Castle are the main lines towards Glasgow, they enter a tunnel upon exiting the station. Wynd is pronounced as in 'wind a clock'.
Welcome to my home town. I'm biased I know, but there are few cities can compare with Edinburgh. Now retired, I was fortunate enough to be a police officer here and for a good many years, the Royal Mile was my beat. Because of its volcanic geography, the architecture of the old town is quite original. Enter many of the buildings at street level on the High Street, and you'll find you are actually on the 7th or 8th floor. Most of these old buildings were built hard against the many bridges and arches. Yo must come visit sometime. If you want to know anything about the city, give me a shout.
Trams often share the road. In Europe, Blackpool, Manchester etc. it's what Trams do!
They have it in dublin aswell called the LUAS which means speed in irish
Blackpool has trams from the 1960's still running, double decker trams too.
@@TimeyWimeyLimey The LUAS in dublin is from the early 2000s it works well and due to be expanded however there was a tram system in dublin from the early 19th century to the 1950s and then they got rid of it until the early 2000s
Sheffield and Nottingham too. You have to be careful when driving over the rails as they are slippery.
Glasgow used to have them but got rid of them. Daft idea.
I can confirm that the acoustics in these old churches are incredible Lindsay! There is a non-profit organisation in my area of the country which organises classical concerts and sells tickets at-cost, and they are very often hosted in churches! Listening to a cello reverberate up through the high ceiling above the altar area is stunning!
The Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels) are the oldest in the UK because they were hidden during the time of the UK being a republic, so managed to evade Cromwell’s attempts to either melt them down or sell them as he had with their English counterparts.
When Elizabeth II (in reality she was Elizabeth I of Scotland) died, she was staying at Balmoral and as a result she was taken to St Giles Cathedral (which isn’t really a cathedral because they were done away with during the Scottish reformation, as there is no hierarchy in the Church of Scotland, so there aren’t actually any cathedrals…but St Giles’s had been a cathedral pre reformation, so some of them are still known as cathedrals even though they are technically churches), where she Lay in State and there was a service held in her honour before she carried on down to London. But during the service the Scottish Crown sat atop her coffin that was draped in the Scottish Standard.
The story of Greyfriars Bobby is very well known in Scotland and as someone else suggested, the three of you would likely enjoy the 60’s (I think) Disney film based on the story of this wee dug (Scots for small dog) that really did exist.
The hotel was where Rowling hid away to complete the last Harry Potter book as a wealthy and successful author but the cafe was where she had slaved over the first of the series as a single mother in receipt of state benefits with a cuppa that would last her most of the day (except for when the owner would take pity and treat her).
Stirling is another great place for you to look into as is Glasgow (I think you’ve only looked into the Glasgow Necropolis but there is so much more to the city). There’s also the likes of Skara Brae on Orkney or just Shetland, Orkney and Fair Isle in general (also collectively known as the Northern Isles) as well as the Western Isles (which includes the Inner and Outer Hebrides and the islands in the Clyde but is essentially the group name of all the islands on the Western waterways in and alongside Scotland).
Of course there is always the ancient kingdom of Dalriada too, which took in much of the West of Scotland and North East of Ireland.
The Scottish crown is over 700 years old. As far as i know it's the same crown Robert the Bruce had made.
England became a republic under Cromwell, but Scotland, which is the oldest monarchy in Europe, did not. When Charles I was executed, the Scottish Parliament proclaimed his son, Charles, as King, and he was crowned at Scone.. St Giles was never a cathedral pre reformation. It was used as a Cathedral during it's short life as an Epicopalian church. It's officiaal title is the High Kirk of Edinburgh, while the cathedral of Edinburgh is St Mary's in Broughton Street.
@@charmainelamont2020 I was referring to the actual crown that goes on the head, not the monarchy itself.
@@charmainelamont2020 Charles II may have been proclaimed by the Scottish Parliament but he wasn’t crowned until his return from exile and Cromwell had claimed protectorship over Scotland as well as England, Wales and Ireland. Hence why he actually entered Scotland in search of the Scottish Crown Jewels resulting in them being thrown out of a window in Dunotter Castle to a woman (whose name I cannot currently remember) waiting on the beach who hid them in her basket to smuggle them away.
Scotland may not technically have been a republic at that time but it was living as a republic in the same way as England was. There was no monarch there taking control nor making decisions about the running of the country nor was there anyone appointed by the monarch ruling on their behalf. There was just Cromwell.
To be perfectly honest though, as a Scot who went all the way through the Scottish education system between 1980 and 1993, I wasn’t taught a single thing about Scotland during that time…I was actually taught very little Scottish history at all and my entire knowledge that I have about Scotland during that period of time is what I’ve managed to ascertain from the periphery of what was happening in England and maybe a little about Ireland. Scotland and Wales are generally quite forgotten about when it comes to Cromwell.
Speaking as a fellow scot this is the best parenthetical mwaaaahhhhh reformation statement in the whole of RUclips :D Loved this!
I have lived on the outskirts of Edinburgh my whole life and I go there maybe 2-3 times a week. And every time I take a minute to appreciate the beauty of the city. I have travelled all over the world and there truly is no place like Edinburgh
I’m so buzzed you guys have done this video, I’m a fan of yours and born and raised in Edinburgh. Not to be big headed it’s the best city in the world!
Mary King's Close is definitely your sort of place. The street was sealed off in the 1700's so was never industrialised. There is a lot of lore surrounding the site, including everything from the black death to murder and ghosts. You can book an hour long guided tour.
Edinburgh resident of 15 years here. Such a privilege to live here - thanks for your enthusiasm!
Here's a RUclips tip: When the video is paused you can use 'J' and 'L' to move backwards and forwards by 10 seconds, and ',' and '.' (comma and period) to move one frame at a time. Never miss a detail again!
That is a damn handy tip. Thank you for that! From not OP haha
Great to know, thank you
I'm not a city person but I love Edinburgh - the architecture is absolutely magnificent and the city has so many parks, not to mention Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat providing spectacular natural green spaces right in the heart of the city. There's masses to see and do, including great ghost tours. And yes, it's well worth taking a trip up to the Highlands for a few days as well.
Edinburgh doesn't have a subway, but the main railway does run in tunnels through part of the city centre.
Haggis can be included with breakfast, but I would say it's less common, and you're more likely to have it with an evening meal - black pudding, sausages and bacon are the essentials!
Trams are trolleys/streetcars, they can either run on their own dedicated right of way or share the road with other traffic. Most of the shared on-street sections are restricted to buses only, not private cars.
I live in West Lothian, approx 25 miles out of Edinburgh. I jumped on my local train at 10.50 a.m had a walk around Edinburgh with my dog Charlie. We strolled across princess street gardens, perused the castle area, walked down the royal mile, detoured down my old haunt in cockburn street (this street used to sell rock, goth and alternative clothing and accessories in my day) ended up chillin' at an ice cream shop. We were home for 3.30 p.m. We really take for granted how close we are to a beautiful place and somewhere a lot of people would only dream about visiting. Hope you make it over some time😊
I'm in West Lothian too 😂
I'm in fife
@@littlejimmy5020 hello!!
@@chrisinnes2128 Hi Fife! we were in Anstruther and the surroundings in July, another beautiful part of the country, lovely people
Midlothian has a lot more than tourist traps and scenery. The medical museum at Surgeon's Hall is a hidden gem for the casual visitor. The world's first fire station, the oldest golf green in nearby Musselburgh. Edinburgh once had a greyhound track to rival Musselburgh racecourse, but the racecourse itself is a nice treat. Or is that Musselburgh's Luca Ice-cream. I have fond memories of walking there from Dalkeith, in the summer.
Great memories, Mark, used to love Luca Ice cream and I remember Powderhall, the greyhound track. I used to live in Roslin many years ago and loved visiting the Chapel before it became too famous! Now, I don't think I could afford the entry fee, however it's good for the area, I suppose!
Since you love old graveyards, check out a video on The Glasgow Necropolis. A huge cemetary in the middle of the city with huge mausoleums. It was the filming location for the enterance for the Batcave.
agree, even if not religious some of the gravestones are stunning.
Hello from Edinburgh. Love your channel. Don't do a taxi, do the tram. Enjoy
There's a really good heartwarming old Disney movie about Greyfriar's Bobby that I'm pretty sure that you as a family would really enjoy.
Oh god I remember that.
“Greyfriars Bobby: The true story of a Dog”
IMDB Plot summary:-
Scotland, 1865. An old shepherd and his little Skye Terrier Bobby go to Edinburgh. But when the shepherd dies of pneumonia, the dog remains faithful to his master, refuses to be adopted by anyone, and takes to sleeping on his master's grave in the Greyfriars Kirkyard, despite a caretaker with a "no dogs" rule. And when Bobby is taken up for being unlicensed, it's up to the children of Edinburgh and the Lord Provost to decide what's to be done.
I remember that film and and being in tears a lot as it was so poignant, lovely film, based on a true story of course. I've visited Greyfriars Kirkyard and seen the graves, it's such a great story.
Currently free on RUclips.
@AfterTheRains good to know.
(This turned into a really long comment, sorry!) I was in Edinburgh exactly a week ago and went a stroll along the Royal Mile, going into all the closes and wynds along the way! I always love a visit to Edinburgh and I visit as many times as I can each year. I tried to move there once but the job fell through! Kakibot has a great channel all about Edinburgh, I'd highly recommend looking at her content. If you ever arrive at Edinburgh airport I would recommend the tram, although it is expensive - it's much cheaper than a taxi, The buses are also really good, and are the cheapest option. The view from the Scott Monument is fantastic, but it's a LOT more than 20 steps...more like 220 steps!! Another monument you should look at is the Wallace Monument in Stirling - it's also got a phenomenal view! I took my friend from Indiana to St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh...just weeks before the Queen passed away - the Scottish part of her funeral was held there. You will find old churches and graveyards EVERYWHERE in the UK. I'm actually near a graveyard that has a bona fide Viking grave in it!! It's at Luss, Loch Lomond! Walking along the river between Dean Village and Stockbridge is hands down my favourite walk in Edinburgh. Edinburgh accommodation can be VERY expensive but there's lots of lovely towns around Edinburgh that offer accommodation that are an easy commute into the city, like Linlithgow and South Queensferry. Trams are very popular all over Europe, but Edinburgh's the only place in Scotland that has them, My grandfather worked on Britannia's construction, he was a coppersmith and made parts for the engine room. The train lines at the tunnel go to Glasgow, Perth, Stirling, Aberdeen, Inverness etc. It's common for city centre train stations in Europe to be subterranean, but Glasgow is the only place in Scotland with a proper (but tiny!) subway system. There's a lot of cherry trees in Scotland, I used to love picking cherries to make cherry pie when I was a kid! Please have a look at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park - it's close to Glasgow and Edinburgh and well worth a visit (it's also where I stay!)
I've lived in Edinburgh for 62yrs and love it. Still so many hidden streets and secrets to discover. Couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
Hi Steve and Lindsay.
You could spend 3 months in almost any UK city and still not see everything on your list.
I would advise that you rent a car and stay in the central Trossachs area. You will be 45 minutes from Stirling, 90 minutes from Glasgow, 90 minutes from Edinburgh. Also, you would be only a short distance from the very scenic mountainous Highlands with Fort William, Ben Nevis, Oban, Isle of Skye. Better still, if determined to stay in cities, travel as much as possible using public transport within cities and surrounding places of interest and hire a VW campervan when you want to go touring. Your options then are much greater, as there are plenty of B&Bs, hotels, air b&b, campsites (some are located in fantastic scenic locations with all amenities). A campervan gives you the ability to rest, be warm and dry, and have meals when oot an aboot in the wilds.
Y'all take care now.
Rob
The Tolbooth, Edinburgh, is an interesting 16th-century building used for collecting taxes, a court house, prison, and council chambers. Now it's a pub with food. Very busy booking will probably be advised.
Camper vans are small RV's
Pretty sure Steve has the smarts necessary to Google or RUclips UK campervans 😅😀😅
@@robertsneddon4146 I know. I was just trying to be helpful. No harm in that.
I spent a couple of days in Edinburgh in the mid-1990s, and I can confirm it is an amazing and magical city. Now I want to revisit!
the 20 steps is the last little tight tiny spiral part - there are plenty more wider steps before that
Edinburgh is one of the most recent cities to install trams on the streets. Others include London, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Birmingham with others planned. They are becoming quite common.
They don't like to talk about the return of trams in Edinburgh as it was an incredibly expensive shambles.
It was great to hear you pronounce Edinburgh properly Steve. I'm from Glasgow, my grandparents took me to Edinburgh when I was 5, we went round Holyrood House and the guide asked me to demonstrate a curtsey in the throne room but I was too shy!
And Greyfriars Bobby actually sat by the grave of his owner, and never left there, people fed him and helped him keep warm, but he never moved. I loved Hatchi, cried my eyes out! The loyalty of animals is just amazing and, at times, heartbreaking!
Thanks, I try 😅 It's hard to keep it all sorted as a foreigner! Is it true that there's a disney movie about Greyfriars Bobby? I feel like I read that in a comment the other day but didn't have a chance to look it up. Your comment just reminded me of it.
@reactingtomyroots yes the Disney film Greyfriars Bobby is the story of this. It's a great film.
In Edinburgh the cherry blossoms bloom slightly differently each year depending on the weather...but are usually out through April into May. There is a beautiful cherry blossom Orchard at Lauriston Castle on the outskirts of the city...it's definitely worth a wee visit.
Clan Broonford has went down all the closes on the royal mile you should watch and be amazed
I’m from Edinburgh and lived here all my life. There is so much to see and do. The architecture is stunning I still see things I’ve never noticed before. If you can come along, Edinburgh is beautiful and people are very friendly 😊😊
As a Scot watching this it makes me love my country more but please come and visit experience it for yourself.
The hubster and I have just booked 2 days right behind the castle in February as a self gift to both of us for our birthdays. I love this city and being a Geordie I feel kinship from every Scot I have ever met, I lived in Scotland for 6 years and loved it.
You can find trams in pretty much every civilised place in the world. Also Croydon.
Oooft!!!!
Lol... Poor Croydon... I went to (& back!) Croydon on the tram from Beckenham with my eldest daughter quite a few years ago, we went to 'Rock Bottom' to buy a new (blue) guitar strap and plectrums, before spending a few (!!) £_pounds on CDs in HMV, and later Pizza Hut (where we left no tip because we hadn't known about their tipping culture at the time, despite the frequent yet unasked for / unexpected Coca Cola free top-ups!!! The tram was a nice experience but when I tried to take the same trip with my youngest daughter, the tram was out of use...(So, we got a bus to Blackheath instead...and now am in a wheelchair, I only travel to and from weekly hospital appointments instead, so have a lot less 'fun' nowadays). 😟🏴
@@jswmonkey197 It was a bit brutal. As an ex-resident of Sutton, it needed to be said.
You should hear what the gits on the left hand side of London said about us. 🙂
Greyfriars bobby was actually made into a Disney movie in the sixties it’s definitely worth a watch I’d love to see your reaction
Edinburgh became a Royal Burgh 900 years ago this year
Hi Steve and Lindsey, glad you enjoyed the video of Edinburgh, I’m actually grew up across the firth of forth in Fife north of Edinburgh.
To answer your question about the train tracks beside the castle in the ariel shot is looking down at Waverley train station in Edinburgh, there are a couple of long tunnels that you go through on the train into Edinburgh.
One of the things I never heard the creator of the clip you were watching mention (or he might not have known about it) is you will find Edinburgh castle is actually built upon an extinct volcano.
Im from down south, England, but when I visited Edinburgh for Christmas week and new years eve I would describe as mild weather. Def recommend that time of year, best New Years ive ever had. Something endearing about drunken scots in kilts, dancing playing bagpipes. Bars and pubs serving over fifty different types of single malt whiskey each bar different with their own atmosphere. Oh the candle light procession down the hill from Edinburgh castle was magical and a big music festival on new years eve. Its all pretty walkable and i didnt get to see it but theres a kind of underground historic part of Edinburgh, if you like knooks and cranies ! The people are great too. Do it 😊
Sounds like the perfect way to bring in the New Year! Hopefully we can make it there one day.
It's not mild tonight. That's for sure.
The dungeons i think he probably means, Steve would definitely like to go there!
@@BrianMac2601 thanks, it was about 12 years ago
@chsh1 to be honest it was just a stab in the dark, I'm from Glasgow and never been to them, just the only underground part I know of lol.
Studied music at napier years back and my uni choir often sang in St Giles standing at the raised alter underneath the organ. It's indeed a beautiful acoustic.
Finally! I'm perhaps a little biased but Edinburgh is comfortably the best city in the UK.
The building the train tracks are running under is the National Gallery of Scotland, the tracks pop out the other side and enter Waverley Station our main railway station which sits in the valley between the Old Town and New Town.
Temperature wise 43F (or 6°C) is pretty chilly for Spring, we're generally into double figures by then although that did look like early morning when its cooler. We don't generally get much higher than 20°C in Summer but Winters are fairly mild and average around 5 to 7°C although as I write this its currently hovering just over 0!
Tolbooth Wynd (pronounced like wine-d) is one of the many closes (alleyways) leading from the Royal Mile (which is essentially on a ridge) down to the streets below. This part of the city dates back 800-1000 years so, aye, theres a lot of nooks and crannies to explore and hidden gems everywhere!
Have to say that video was a pretty terrible one to react to and really didnt do the city justice. Glossing over the Royal Museum of Scotland, which is arguably one of the best in Europe, is criminal although they at least kept the Harry Potter references to a minimum, you'd think JK Rowling built the city herself by hand the way some folk go on!
I'm down in the Leith area of the city, voted one of the top 5 "coolest" places in the WORLD to live not long ago... Not that I put much faith in those silly surveys. They went and built a tram stop right outside my bloomin' door.
(BTW, I believe the trams here are technically "light rail", kind of hybrid tram/train. Some of the tracks share, or steal, normal road space, some of it is off-road.)
The tram has made Leith really impersonal. Leith Walk is not nice on foot any more - the bike lanes and bus stops are lethal.
We live 1 hour from Edinburgh and visited today for the Christmas markets and attractions, so amazing as always even in freezing temperatures.
Please keep exploring Scotland. Every city is unique and the countryside is incomparable. Also the cemeteries are great.
Try Arbroath- home of smoked fish.
Arbroath is also the birth place of Scotland.The signing of the declaration of Arboath.
@ Aye well, I like a smokie for my tea.
Some very old taverns and pubs have this little alleyway beside them. They were often a gateway to the tavern stables in the back of the building. It allowed travellers to stable their horses while they rent a room/bed above the tavern for the night. Most of the stables were demolished or repurposed over the years. some even sold off the plots of land where the stables were, but retained some outdoor space that have now become beer gardens.
Right now in Glasgow its about -4 degrees 25f.
It was -8C (17F) in Lanark Monday morning.
Either way, I am staying in. It not as cold in clydebank but it is raining and the snow is so slushy now.
The rail tracks that you're looking at 17:03 is the National Rail main line coming in North originally from London, up the East of England, following the Northeast coast of England then turning West up the Firth of Forth (that is, the firth or estuary of the River Forth), through Edinburgh and then sweeping North across the Firth of Forth, over the famous red Forth Bridge, and up towards the Highlands and beyond. The land in Edinburgh is very undulating, so the railway is in cuttings and tunnels in other places raised on embankments or on viaducts.
The lone they were lookin at n showing is the line going under the national gallery by the castle mound that's the tunnel of the Glasgow line and trains going west. The London line out of Waverley goes out toward the Forth in the opposite direction to the tunnel that's shown here going under the National Gallery. But regardless, it's a train tunnel not a subway. Edinburgh doesn't have a subway. But does have amazing bus routes n service wae a bus every 5min or so. (If u live here urself u know that tho haha, but for anyone reading who don't, that's the case & a all day ticket is about £4.50 n as it says, can be used all day as much n often and going as far on a bus route as u like, a day plus night ticket is £6.50 or after 4pm is £4.50 amd is valid up until 6am the next morning.)
Trams (street cars/trolleys) are quite common in European cities. In the UK they were mostly deprecated in the 1970s, but some cities have restored them now. (In the USA, you can find them in New Orleans too).
Edinburgh lost its previous tram system in 1956. It was more extensive than what we currently have.
Fun Fact #1: because Leith (the port town) wasn't incorporated into the city until 1920, Leith and Edinburgh had their own different tram systems. You had to get off at Pilrig and switch from the pulley-drawn Edinburgh tram to the electric Leith tram. During excavations for the new line, they dug up one of the old giant pulley wheels from the city side, which is now on display at a nearby location.
Fun Fact #2: the buses couldn't handle The Mound so easily in the winter, and under-road heating was installed at great expense in 1959 in an attempt to keep it clear of ice and snow!
Born and brought up in Edinburgh - I walk past the Ross Fountain and the castle on the way to work. Edinburgh is very special ❤ I love your reactions 🥰
The Scottish Crown Jewels are not only the oldest in the UK but also in Europe
Fortunately they were successfully hidden from Cromwell, he melted or sold the English Crown Jewels, the Anointing Spoon the only survivor as the buyer returned it when the Monarchy was reinstated, unfortunately the Scottish State Sword had to be snapped in half to hide, the subsequent repair still visible. They were hidden on remote farms, they were searched by Cromwell's troops but obviously not very well.
For some reason, I want to mention Dunnottar Castle here.
I live in Edinburgh, but I'm not from here - I'm from Liverpool originally. But I love it here. It's been six years, and I still walk around admiring the architecture, and I know how lucky I am to live here.
Welcome to my home town. Fun fact, The Balmoral Hotel was built by the North British Railway Company for it's passengers from Waverly Station. The clock on top is slightly fast so that their customers were't late for the trains. You will now also get the Kevin Bridges joke about the Difference between Glasgow and Edinburgh, when you hear a gun going off in Edinburgh it's one o'clock 🤣
Great reaction! I live an hour from Edinburgh and try to visit as often as possible, it's easily one of my favourite places to be 😊
*The Balmoral Hotel's clock is famously set five minutes fast. This dates back to when people tended not to have personal watches. It was set fast so as it could be seen from Waverley Station and give people extra time to get to their trains.
*The haggis is what you through was the black pudding.
*Terry Pratchett had dis own parody of Bobby, in his Discworld books. Same story but people just didn't realised he wasn't loyal,, his tail was trapped under the tombstone. :P
*The Elephant House isn't where Rowling wrote the first book, although she did write some there. It's just they pay a lot of money to the Rowling estate, to make the claims. It's super busy and overpriced. If you just walk down the side street, along The National Museum of Scotland, onto South Bridge, there's a lovely café called Spoons. IT's less prices, less crowded and she spent far more time there, writing the first book.
*The cherry tree path is the Meadows, I live about 100 metres from the far end of it. :)
*They name those stair The Vennel but in reality a vennel is just the name of a stairway, in-between two buildings.
*The Royal Mile is the mile between Holyrood House and the castle. Although it's not quite a mile.
*It's usually about 10c at this time of year but right now it's a cold snap so we're expecting snow. It's around 1c.
*There's a lot of water as it's right on the estuary. Edinburgh has beaches.
*Something to look at more in depth, in Edinburgh is the Fringe Festival. It's the world's biggest arts festival. It happens over three weeks, in August and the city is insane! 2-3 million people will visit over those three weeks.
It’s 3 minutes fast
No, That was indeed black pudding, my friend. It was a breakfast, and we would not normally have haggis for breakfast!
I've had plenty breakfasts in Scotland with haggis included. I used to make a haggis roll each morning when working at a restaurant in Edinburgh. But yeah that's black pudding in the vid
Great summary! Spoons is sadly closed now. It's turned into a fancy fish restaurant.
@@grenniespexify That's a shame. One thing I did leave off was that you have to be really careful, in the city centre. You can't stand still for too long in one place or they'll try and turn you into student accommodation!!
So the train you saw going underground past the castle is just going through a tunnel towards and from the station. It's one of the mainlines in and out of Edinburgh Waverley station.
Weather wise the trees blossom around May and our weather is usually mild from May to September. But Edinburgh is known as the Windy City for a reason! Also in the summer, whilst it can get up to 30 degrees celcius, because it is on the coast the city can be shrouded in a haar making summer mornings cold. We can also experience four seasons in one day so layered clothing is the recommendation!
Temp in Edinburgh and North East England at 1.30pm today around 35F frost this morning and light snow so warm really 😜
I love looking at these videos through American eyes. It is an absolute delight!
Us British people, also like seeing these things, but because we've grown up around and are surrounded with this history......in a day-to-day basis ........we become numb to the "wow" factor of this.
Hope you understand what i mean. Us British are so very lucky to have this on our doorstep! ❤️X
For Edinburgh watch Clan Broonford and for Scotland watch Scotland History Tours
Yes Clan Broonford does fantastic videos about his hometown Edinburgh i being born in Edinburgh learn a lot about my hometown .
He knows so much about the history of Edinburgh and the best places to visit and also where to find the best food.
He also covers other Scottish history like why they banned Christmas in Scotland.
22:10 "old tollbooth wynd" (where wynd is pronounced like "the long and winding road" wind, like to wind a clock!)
There are LOADS of these little tunnels through between the huge buildings, and they are fantastic to explore! Lots of stairs, and great views!
The one o' clock gun used to be much louder, so loud, tourists would jump in fright down on Princes Street.
Do you remember when Mons Meg was the gun postioned there?
I believe at one time the soldier who fired it was called Shannon the Canon!
@petergordon4525 When I was 5yrs old I got my picture taken with me peeking out from inside the Mons Meg barrel.
Tourists would jump out their skins. Natives would check their watches .
I thought it was Tam the Gun.@@Lily_The_Pink972
Edinburgh born and raised here and I work just off the Royal Mile. I love it and seeing your enthusiasm for the city. Fantastic. I love Scott Monument, it catches my eye every season as the dramatic feature of the landscape. If you enjoy the architecture I'd suggest...if you make it to Edinburgh, hoping on the train down to Walter Scotts house, Abbotsford, which is full gothic with gargoyles and characters carved based on his friends, staff and craftsmen.
As for the weather it's 2c/35f today.
Either way enjoy a visit, Edinburgh is full of nooks and crannies all full of history and stories. With plenty of Wynds to explore, most with food and booze down them.
Enjoy
The roads in the UK are rarely cobblestone, even in York. They are finished in setts, which are rectangular brick shaped stones that make a flat surface. Many streets have these, but they are covered in tarmac to ease the ride. There was haggis on that brunch, which you thought was black pudding. The 'subway' train is just a regular in a tunnel as it comes into Edinburgh. The road vehicles are Trams, bus like they travel on track in the street. Several cities in the UK, & Europe have tram systems.
The Britannia is the ex Royal Yacht, on which the late Queen travelled many thousands of miles during her reign. Scotland is not freezing cold. In summer it can be very warm, & is only slightly different than the rest of the UK. The ex church with shops is not part of the Cathedral.
Most of the 'Gothic' look of Edinburgh is Victorian, from the 19th century, like the Scott monument, & even the Cathedral, but many buildings are Georgian & Victorian in Classical style, with columns etc. Holyrood House is the Monarch's Palace in Scotland, based on an old monastery.
The major river in view from Edinburgh is the Forth, with it's estuary called a Firth, over which passes the famous Forth Railway Bridge.
Hey, Steve. When you're paused you can still use the arrow keys to go forward and back 5 seconds. But also the comma and full stop (period) keys to go frame by frame. Obviously you can hold them down too, to make it go a bit quicker.
Edinburgh is my favourite city in the world 💜
When you asked how anyone could have the skill to carve the Thistle Chapel, I had a small chuckle as my first wife's grandfather was one of the carvers. He was also the chief carver at the John Brown's Shipyard in Clydebank near Glasgow. Also the Elephant house is not where J K Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter novel, that was written in a cafe in Nicholson Street which is now a Chinese restaurant. The cherry blossom is usually out in April which is why the weather was cool. Summer temperatures usually get up to the low to mid 20s Celsius (high 60s low 70s Fahrenheit). Winter temperature is usually around 4 or 5 degrees Celsius.
And this can also be the range of temperature on the same day!
The temperature clue was in the clothes being worn. Hats, coats etc. Not 43º C. They were talking about 43º F.
Finally! You’ve made it to Scotland. Looking forward to following your journey discovering our beautiful country 🏴
You can climb the 287 steps inside the Scott Monument to get to the very top. You definitely need a head for heights, and the stairway gets narrower the higher you get. Not for the faint-hearted. 😂
I've done that years ago and I always remember near the top how difficult it was when you were climbing up and people were coming down - not a lot of room!
From someone who lives a mere hour or so away from Edinburgh thanks for pronouncing it correctly I know you have heard it before but genuinely it pleases not just me but Scots in general so much to hear it said the right way I hope one day you are able to see and enjoy old yet very beautiful city for yourselves one day in the not too distant future just remember to pack warm just incase as our Scottish weather can be sometimes unpredictable 😊🏴
Steve and Lindsay If you like alleyways and closes then Edinburgh is definitely for you .They even found a 17th century street below the Royal Mile ( Mary Kings Close ) deftly worth googling. Cobbles are terrible when you drive your car over them as they’re designed for horse and carts 😂 unless you like the rumble of tyres . It’s the train that goes underground to get you into the city centre it passes under some of the city to get to the city centre it’s part of the main rail network ,but Edinburgh does not have an underground . The trams were reintroduced in Edinburgh are fairly recent I’m sure in around 2014 although it did have trams previously from the 18th century but were removed as busses were introduced. Today in Central Scotland is 2 degrees c or 35 degrees f but sunny and bright and it’s just after midday here . I live about 40 minutes from Edinburgh . Scotland is definitely well worth a visit yes the cities are great but you have to get into the towns and countryside also .
Edinburgh in the evening is the most beautiful, the old town is all in close proximity. On the Royal mile walk through the wee lanes and you'll see beautiful wee places.
They don't call it the "Athens of the North" for no reason, Edinburgh is a beautiful city that I'm proud to be from and live here, too many tourists in August for the Fringe Festival though, lol, but it brings a lot of £££'s in for the city, also so many inventions came out of Edinburgh during the Enlightenment Period, go watch a video on that subject.!
The city of Edinburgh is about 900+ years old, I was born in Edinburgh, lived here for nearly 50 years now and would never move.!
THE CITY IS STUNNING, a surprise round every corner, just be prepared to walk up and down a lot of hills, but the public transport within the the city is excellent.
Edinburgh is built on and around 7 hills, the Castle sits on one and them and there's Arthurs Seat (great for a hike), and both are Extinct Volcanoes.!
Also it's 287 spiral steps to the top of the Scots Monument and it is a very tight squeeze at the top spire, but it's a must, the views are AMAZING.!
I hope you can make it over one day, you won't regret it.!.
Steve and Lyndsey you will both fall in love with all the buildings and layout, it's a very UNIQUE CITY, and nothing to compare it to.!
I ❤ EDINBURGH.!
The Fringe Festival is the MILITARY Tattoo part of the it.
The Parliament building is a complete eyesore, especially standing next to the Palace of Holyrood House and Arthur’s Seat.
That's not a subway. That's Edinburgh's main railway station.
I love seeing people reacting to my hometown
The Scottish crown jewels are the oldest in the UK because Olliver Cromwell had all the English regalia destroyed after the civil war. The only part of the English Royal treasury to survive was a small silver spoon dating back to the time of Alfred the great which is used during the coronation to annoint the soverigns head with holy oil.
First 15 seconds and absolutely nailed that pronunciation! I was waiting to grit my teeth and move on to a different video but you got me zoned in
haha glad to hear!
@@reactingtomyroots Yes well done. Just to say though that Wynd in Toolbooth Wynd is pronounced the same as when you wind a watch not wind as in the weather 👍. I think it's just an old lane/passageway - though probably full of ghosts 😁
Edinburgh Castle's nice, but expensive. My favourite major castle to visit is Stirling castle.
We have castle ruins all around us though, some much older than Edinburgh.
A membership of Historic Scotland gives you included entry to both Edinburgh and Stirring Castles amongst others.
Yes but lots to see inside. There used to be a joint ticket with Stirling? which made it worth getting.
The oldest part of Edinburgh Castle is from 1130 ... but maybe 900 years old isn't quite old enough for you! (Oh and that's 250 years older than the oldest part of Stirling Castle, if for some weird reason you are rating your castles that way! Both castles are, of course, well worth a visit.)
Scotland is beautiful. We stayed in the Highlands near Aviemore. We went to the Edinburgh military tattoo (August) day temp was about 20 degree celcious but it was chilly as we watched the tattoo in the evening. We went up the Cairngorm mountains and rode the funicular railway to the top. There were cafes and a gift shop at the top. Obviously in the winter it's big with skiing and winter sports.Loved our day in Edinburgh. Lots of castles, Blair Castle was great, they have a private army for ceremonious purposes only. We also stayed in Perth which was great and went to Scone Palace where the throne King Charles sat on at the coronation usually resides. We went to a beautiful view point called Queens view.....WOW.!! That was close to Perth. We also did a few obligatory whisky distilleries. Scotland is beautiful and we are going back up between Christmas and New year staying in a Hotel not far from Aviemore called the Duke of Gordon Hotel in Kingussie. It's a 430 mile drive from my home but it is absolutely worth it and me the wife and my parents are taking the trip up.!!
There's evidence of fortifications at Edinburgh castle going back about 3,000 years ! , doubt you would find that anywhere else , the oldest surviving building is only 900 years old due to it being the most attacked castle in Europe , personally prefer Edinburgh castle to Stirling as i believe they cost much the same & you could easily spend 3-4 hours looking around which makes it much better value than Stirling which can be seen in an hour ! , however it's probably best to avoid Edinburgh castle if you don't like other people ( large crowds lol ! ) as it can get really packed.
This really made me smile because I live about 20 minutes’ drive from Edinburgh in a little town called Dalgety Bay, and I lived in Edinburgh itself for 16 years. I’m soon relocating to the States, but Edinburgh will always be one of my favourite places in the world. At this time of year, there’s a German-style Christmas market in Princes’ Street Gardens and it’s so much fun getting mulled wine and cherry waffles there to stay warm as you wander around the city.
If you guys were in Edinburgh, I’d happily take you for a coffee and amazing scones at my favourite tiny coffee shop just off Princes Street.
The bagpipers on Waverley Bridge can be really funny. When my son was little he loved Star Wars and wore t-shirts and costumes to show his interest. One day when we were passing the piper on our way through the city, he started playing the Imperial March from Star Wars and my son was ridiculously excited. 😆
I’ve actually performed as part of a choir in St. Giles Cathedral, and you’re right, the acoustics are ASTOUNDING in there. And Oink hog roast sandwiches are basically my culinary happy place.
Edinburgh is great. You should definitely visit!
I`ve lived in Edinburgh for 79 years .There has been huge changes since 1945 .Biggest in City Centre is the rape of Princes Street . There used to be lovely shops .Last one to go was Jenner`s . In sixties they knocked down some lovely buildings and erercted concrete blocks .a lot of the shops are tacky run by Likes Of Gold Bros which sells tack probably made in China ! George St is nice and new town is lovely .The old Town ( Royal Mile ) even although is full of tack too is better than it was in fifties ,Back then it was a big slum .
Once you leave City Centre yo can get some sink estates that every big City has . One of best places is Cramond .Lovely down by the River Almond .JK Rowling lives near here .
All in all yes it`s a lovely City and worth a visit but I feel it was a better place in sixties and probably seventies .
@JacobiteRebellion Yes very tue .Cities like Edinburgh were better years ago .My mother said in sixties Princes St was a disgrace compared to thirties .If it was a disgrace then what is it now ?
@@Blackfive1945I think it was the high business rates that killed it
@@petergordon4525 Not back in sixties .Yes probably likes of Jenner`s though
I know what you mean, there were some great stores on Princes Street - Littlewoods, British Home Stores, John Menzies, Forsyths and of course the legendary Jenners. Used to love just wandering round Jenners in my lunch hour sometimes, such a beautiful store.
@@annemaclean6634 Exactly
As a resident Edinburgher, it’s a lovely city. And in the best way possible, it’s like an overgrown village more than a bustling city.
I'm scottish and today it is -3 you need to check out the original Edinburgh town. It's underneath the one you see walking about Vaults, closes and chambers form a rich network of hidden underground architecture in Edinburgh Old Town. The unusual topography and history of the city led previous generations to build structures on top of each other, hiding entire parts of the city to the public.
I'm English, living in England and this has always been one of my favourite British cities.
I am a local, and so glad you've had a chance to virtually see it. If you do visit in person, I am always happy to show people around and tell them the history to places for food/drink. ETA the black monument is one devoted to writer Sir Walter Scott, it's nickname locally is Thunderbird 3 (after the kids TV show Thunderbirds) or The Gothic Rocket. The hot chocolate is probably from my friend The Marshmallow Lady who makes her own marshmallows.
JK Rowling wrote parts of the first Harry Potter book in Nicholson's Cafe (her brother-in-law owned it at the time) on the George IV Bridge and yep she also used the Elephant House Cafe for writing. She used the Balmoral Hotel for writing the end of the last Harry Potter book The Deathly Hallows in 2006-2007. You guys would love Edinburgh, the old town looks so quaint, is steeped in history and is the most haunted city in the UK. Steve you would love Greyfriar's Churchyard, a lot of the grave stones are written in Latin and have skulls and crossbones carved into them. It was established as a burial ground in 1562. You can see the Tom Riddle grave there where JK got her inspiration for Harry Potter names for her books and George MacKenzie is also buried there in a locked tomb, he persecuted the covenanters in 1679 and his poltergeist haunts the graveyard 👀👻☠
They'd also be wowing at Mary King's Close !
I did the City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour a few years ago, was so good! Our guide was brilliant and so engaging, great humour too 😄 Even though I don’t believe in ghosts and stuff, it was still creepy going around the Kirkyard at night and hearing the fascinating history/stories 😃 Mary King’s Close was fascinating too!
@@quirkymerky ohh yeah some of the ghost tours are really good and the hidden underground city is really good too. Something really strange happened years ago, the little Greyfriars Bobby ghost appeared on my hoodie in a pic in 1999 when we visited his grave just at the entrance of the grave yard, there was no explanation for it.
You Two need to get over here for a vacation, I would be very happy to take you on several tours to see our fantastic country
That beautiful cathedral you were admiring, that's where Queen Elizabeth II was laid in state before she was flown down to England. People were allowed in to see her casket and pay their respects. I missed that opportunity by a mere fortnight as I had been visiting Edinburgh from Finland a couple of weeks prior to the Queen's death.
Great Video. I live on Circus lane in Edinburgh and the cobbles are not brick they are old granite cobble stones. The lane dates from around 1820 and the small houses used to be used to store the horse and carriages for the larger town houses nearby.
It annoys me when these tourists mention Joanne Rowling so much.
Scotland has so much more to offer than a kid's storybook. And she's not Scottish, she just lives here.
It seems some American visitors view the UK as nothing more than a Harry Potter theme park. There must be 500 streets that they believe were the "inspiration" for Diagon Alley.
Absolutely! I took some friends to Edinburgh and it was a Harry Potter theme park. I took the same friends to York the following year and the same thing happened. Can we not celebrate our magnificent historic cities for their own sake? Do we need cheesy tourist gimmicks?
Watch any UK travel vlog made by a North American and count how many times "Hairy Pahder" gets mentioned. It's ridiculous!
I read the Harry Potter series and watched the films and enjoyed them... This was about 2012 (before I moved to my current ground floor flat after living in a top - 4th - floor flat and had raised my family for 18 years, before I became disabled) and that was when I was 59, so it isn't _just_ "kids" _or_ "American tourists" who enjoyed J.K.Rowling's series of "witches and wizardry"!!
Why so much 'anti-Rowling' biases here?!! (Surely not 'millionaire-envy'!!)
Tourists would like her a lot less if they knew about her transphobia and racism.
I am genuinely surprised having watched your channel for a while and thought you might have covered it already ❤️🏴
The only time Queen Elizabeth was ever seen to shed a tear in public was at the decommissioning of her beloved yacht.
she got to see my bunghole on the Cowgate. her and charlie. i hope she felt special
@@janescott4574 It was I think because it was on there that they could more be easily just be themselves, like a regular family. Probably without the risk of prying eyes like the paparazzi.
Britannia's Chief Engineer was an old friend of my Dad's from his navy days. My parent got to have dinner on board when the ship was in Qatar where we lived in the 70's/80's & HM Queen Elizabeth was on a Royal tour of the Gulf States.
@@janescott4574 it was a place of memories for her since childhood so can understand the tears
@@claregale9011 absolutely and it wasn’t necessary to get rid of it, thanks Blair 😡
Loved the video and how much you enjoyed our city. You will definitely enjoy your time here if or when you visit! Temperatures will be cool though like you said! Right now it’s around 1-2C which is basically freezing. The summers can get warm around the mid to high 20s Celsius. All the best on your adventures!