UK and Europe 4 month sojourn!

[TheRealTMA]

Edinburgh is our next port of call where we’ll base ourselves for most of August. Our son lives there so we’ll stay with him (payback ) and use it as a base to travel around Scotland.

Lovely town and base.

Do the Forth Bridges tour. Go to Kyloe steak house.

As well as the distilleries, don’t forget a trip up to The Highland Chocolatier just south of Pitlochry in Grandtully!

Luxury Chocolates | Award-Winning Artisan Chocolate Gifts, Highlands

Fresh Artisan Chocolates created by an Award-Winning Master Chocolatier in the Scottish Highlands. Elegant chocolate gift boxes of world class chocolate truffles and pralines made with the finest local ingredients and exceptional island cocoa, delivered worldwide. Petits fours chocolates for...

highlandchocolatier.com

of course there’s Edradour just south of Pitlochry.

 

[Scash]

Our arrival in to Edinburgh was greeted with more rain! We spend the first day just wandering around and ended up in the port area of Leith. During our wanders we visited the Royal Yacht Britannia.

A wet walk down Leith Walk.


The pipe laying ship Apache II and a naval ship.

Onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. The car and small boat were taken with them on the yacht. I didn’t take photos of the bedrooms but the Queen and Prince Phillip had separate but adjoining rooms. All the bedrooms had quite small single beds except for the one Charles and Diana used which had a double bed but which was still quite small. In the last photo you’ll see a toy corgi looking through the window!

 

[Scash]

Lovely town and base.

Do the Forth Bridges tour. Go to Kyloe steak house.

As well as the distilleries, don’t forget a trip up to The Highland Chocolatier just south of Pitlochry in Grandtully!

Luxury Chocolates | Award-Winning Artisan Chocolate Gifts, Highlands

Fresh Artisan Chocolates created by an Award-Winning Master Chocolatier in the Scottish Highlands. Elegant chocolate gift boxes of world class chocolate truffles and pralines made with the finest local ingredients and exceptional island cocoa, delivered worldwide. Petits fours chocolates for...

highlandchocolatier.com

of course there’s Edradour just south of Pitlochry.

Thanks @TheRealTMA. Will look in to those (Especially the chocolate and steak places). We’ve booked in for a Lind and Lime gin tour and will be doing Scottish Whisky Experience at some point plus whiskey distillery’s when we travel to the highlands.

 

[Scash]

The weather in Edinburgh improved slightly meaning it wasn’t raining (well not for a little while anyway!).



The day was spent wondering around and coming across some amazing places.

And then to see this random statue in the Water of Leith (the Scot’s are very proud of their water).

 

[Scash]

We ended up in Stockbridge and found a great little pub (who’d a thought!) called St Bernards that played old records (think Beatles, Leonard Cohen etc). Fantastic little place.

 

[Scash]

Random photos of Edinburgh

 

[Scash]

Sunset from Calton Hill

 

[Scash]

A tour of Hollyrood Palace and Edinburgh Palace were also on the list.

Hollyrood Palace

 

[Scash]

A quick pint on the way to Edinburgh Palace.

 

[Scash]

Went to Johnny Walker for a drink and some amazing views

 

[Scash]

Murrayfield (plus Cardiff Arms, Landsdowne Road and others) have always been on my bucket list and I got to see Scotland v France. It was pretty much a World Cup warm up and sort of a B team but still a great experience. The Scottish national anthem is one of those things you need to hear live and then Scottish supporters singing along make it something special.


Obviously we’re in the cheap seats

 

[Scash]

Sunday roast lunch at Sheep Heid which is one of Edinburg’s oldest remaining pubs.

 

[Scash]

A visit to Portobello Beach and also North Berwick. Beautiful places but not a patch on the beaches in Aus and were we live (Sunshine Coast).

Portobello Beach


North Berwick


And fish and chips at the Lobster Shack in North Berwick (again I’ve started eating before taking a photo!). The fish and chips were up there with some of the better ones I’ve had.

 

[VPS]

Thanks @TheRealTMA. Will look in to those (Especially the chocolate and steak places). We’ve booked in for a Lind and Lime gin tour and will be doing Scottish Whisky Experience at some point plus whiskey distillery’s when we travel to the highlands.

I can also recommend the chocolate place that I visited on @TheRealTMA recommendation. It was excellent

And I'm getting a few more hints on Edinburgh for my next visit

 

[TheRealTMA]

I can also recommend the chocolate place that I visited on @TheRealTMA recommendation. It was excellent

And I'm getting a few more hints on Edinburgh for my next visit

Note: The family run Pub over the road on the river is a nice place for lunch if you go to the Highland Chocolatier.

 

[VPS]

Note: The family run Pub over the road on the river is a nice place for lunch if you go to the Highland Chocolatier.

After I've been to the chocolate place I don't need to eat for the rest of they day

 

[Scash]

I can also recommend the chocolate place that I visited on @TheRealTMA recommendation. It was excellent

And I'm getting a few more hints on Edinburgh for my next visit

Our son has lived in Edinburgh for about 4 1/2 years so he is giving us the locals view on places to go and see.

 

[Scash]

Note: The family run Pub over the road on the river is a nice place for lunch if you go to the Highland Chocolatier.

I looked at doing a day trip to Pitlochry but the only public transport appears to be by bus and takes a few hours. We are going to borrow the kids car and do a Highlands trip so will include it in the itinerary.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I looked at doing a day trip to Pitlochry but the only public transport appears to be by bus and takes a few hours. We are going to borrow the kids car and do a Highlands trip so will include it in the itinerary.

We find Pitlochry itself nice to visit but a bit too touristy. We usually stay just south at Fonab Castle hotel. Nice hotel, good food, and excellent whisky selection. Blair Castle is interesting to visit.

 

[RooFlyer]

Sunday roast lunch at Sheep Heid which is one of Edinburg’s oldest remaining pubs

A visit to Portobello Beach

A few of my old haunts (well, Portobello, not the beach ).