Scottish Diary | 21 May 2017
We were staying in Edinburgh for four days. The first day was dedicated to the quick tour of the city center. We lived 10 minutes away from the Princess Street which is the main shopping street and lies in the heart of the Edinburgh so I walked there. Marko was feeling a great pain in the leg so unfortunately, he didn’t join me. Right,when I walked outside of our apartment I opened the navigation app MAPS.ME which doesn’t need any data connection to function. You can easily pre-download the maps you need and then you travel around without any fuss of searching for wi-fi spots. It’s a must-have app if you travel and need navigation! With the help of MAPS.ME, I found my way to the city center and to the important sightseeing stops.
I passed by three beautiful parks and all were closed for public. They were private parks for the people who lived in the neighborhood. The second interesting thing I noticed was on the George St. (which got its name from King George III). On every crossroad there is a statue of different person who was important in Scotland’s history. The most impressive monument lies on the Princess Street: The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. The tower is 61 m high, and has a series of viewing platforms that can be reached by a series of narrow spiral staircases giving panoramic views of central Edinburgh and its surroundings. It’s truly magnificent.
Rather than walking to the top of the tower, I headedto the top of the Calton Hill to see the panoramic view over Edinburgh. To the north, west, east and south. You can also admire Old Town, the spot where I ended the first day of Edinburgh tour.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EDINBURGH
1. Dark-beige stone architecture
2. Views over Old Town from Princess Gardens are wonderful
3. Very lively but not too crowded
It’s a city with soul, positive darkness and enchantingly mysterious like Scotland. It’s definitely different from the countryside we’ve been for the past week and it’s definitely a must-see if you’re in Scotland. And if you’re not, I recommend you plan to go there. 🙂
