Goochie

I'm thinking of taking my other half to Edinburgh to do some shopping in the January sales!

Why Edinburgh? - becasue she's not been on a plane before and is in need of some reassurance before we go to soem far flung place on honeymoon next summer!

So, does anyone know:

How far the airport is from the shopping centre.

Will I need to hire a car or is transport OK?

What are the shops like?

Anything else I should know?

Before anyone suggests going to Barcelona or similar, I want a cheap short flight and Luton to Edinburgh is just £91 all in for the pair of us.

eClaire

How far the airport is from the shopping centre.

From leaving the airport, it will take you 20/30 minutes on the bus no more then 15 minutes in a taxi.

Will I need to hire a car or is transport OK?

Public transport is good. Will cost you a pound on the bus to get to the city centre, buses every 20 minutes, probably less now due to popular demand! Taxi will cost you about £12.

What are the shops like?

Quite good along Princes Street. Then you have St James' Centre at the end of Princes Street and the Princes Mall next to Waverly Station. Loads of them!

Anything else I should know?

Be warned for the 1 o'clock gun when you are walking along Princess Street. Was home last week and forgot all about it. **** my pants.

Too many Americans with bum bags.

Fvcking cold too. Wrap up warm!

Erm, It will be absolutely heaving (as anywhere is in the january sales)



I like Glasgow for shopping too

Hope it helps

eClaire

P.s If you need anymore email me on claire.robertson@sbs.gsi.gov.uk

LG John

I live 2 minutes from the airport - I'd scoobytaxi you into town for half the price of the black cabs

Seriously claire has spelt it out pretty well. Probably best to get the airport bus into town and back again. The gyle centre is about 2 minutes from the airport but not as good as town as shopping goes. Edinburgh's shops are ok but I am willing (grudgingly I might add) to admit that Glasgow is better in that respect (and only that respect ). Bring patience as you'll need it with the slow moving granny's and the general hussle and bustle up town at that time of year.

LG John

Oh, and if you litter in my city.............I'll kill ya

imlach

Bugger shopping. Do some culture. The shops are the same as the shops in ANY High St in the UK. Pointless exercise.

Eat, visit, drink, visit, drink, eat, sleep. Where are you planning on staying? Some very nice restuarants and pubs, as well as nice art galleries, castle, Botanics, zoo.

Come here to chill, NOT to stress yourself in shops. You'll enjoy it more

Goochie

I had thought of some galleries and the zoo instead of shopping (after everyone said it'd be packed).

Planning a day trip actually!! arrive 9am depart 9pm.

imlach

You'll prob get some great hotel deals in jan - worth staying - she'll love you even more for it!
Try www.laterooms.co.uk

imlach

PS The zoo ain't worth it. Not that great.

LG John

.....its sh!te being scottish....we're the lowest of the low

imlach

You'd easily get a double room in the Sheraton (5*) in Jan for under £100. Get use of OneSpa, the best Spa complex in the UK. The wife is a member. It is fab.

one spa

[Edited by imlach - 11/27/2003 2:15:53 PM]

Goochie

well what IS worth seeing then?

Hotel choice/advice would be appreciated too

LG John

I knew you'd ask that! **** knows - Edinburgh is pretty boring but then I've never 'visited' it! The old town ghost tour thing is supposidly good but I've never had direct experience.

imlach

The open top bus tour is a great start - 1 hr and shows you the whole city centre......

LG John

...and us locals get to lob snowballs at you

blair

Once you've shaken the snowballs off your jacket you could try:

The Castle - huge, could spend most of the day there, get there for the one o clock gun
National Gallery - lots of high art and old masters on the Mound between Princes Stree and the Castle
Gallery of Modern Art - out towards the west end
Wander down the Royal Mile - fairly touristy but scenic
Wander through the new town - unique georgian world heritage site, soak in the architecture and head for a cosy pub in the new town for a spot of lunch and a pint of eighty
Botanics - again maybe a bit brassic in January for this but they do have some huge glasshouses to warm up in
Scotch Whisky Heritage centre - near the castle, should warm you up a treat
Dynamic Earth - other end of the Mile from the castle, next to the world most expensive parliment builiding
Ghost tours of the old town at night
Pubs - too many to choose from
Restaurants - ditto

Theres lots more but you couldn't fit it all into a day. Try and get a cheap hotel for a night - you'll be able to get up to a lot more



Andy

MattW

Good job you won't be on the pull, judging by Saxo Boy's average

LG John

LMAO I'm just a picky person

Sicey

Went to EB earlier this year and had a nice time, the sun was shining in March which is a miracle apparently.
Nice shops,pubs,architecture - oh they have a harvey nichs too, that should keep the other half happy if you got the £££.

Eclaire - whats the 1'oclock gun??

what would scooby do

I stayed at the Malmaison hotel last week - very nice - but bloody windy in Leith though

DaveMiddleton

Just my opinion:but the zoo IS good!!
Obviously go see the castle and all the alleyways leading off the ancient "Royal Mile". See the Georgian House, take a train across to Fife over the Forth Bridge, hire a car and visit the coastal area of East Lothian down to North Berwick, past Muirfield, the best Open Championship golf course.

CHRIS_D

I was in edinburgh for a week in June this year (staying in Redford Bks - Army Exhibition for Schools )

if you get time and fancy a drink, get yerself down the grass markets while yer there (just down from the castle)

Three Sisters is very good (hotel as well IIRC) as is the Irish pub (o'neils i think ??? can't remember)

Also if you fancy a day sesh, do Rose Street (directly parallel behind Princes Street), theres about a mile + of pubs (good scran too) me and a mate did it in the summer, took us all day, got harry blighters

pubs open until 1am - was shocked but pleased to find this out on the first night out (which happened to be a sunday as well )

would defo recommend the castle if at least just for the view(fortunately i got in free with my ID card )

chris



[Edited by CHRIS_D - 11/27/2003 11:03:27 PM]

imlach

Sorry, the zoo is naff. Lots of lions/tigers/monkeys/baboons caged up in unnatural areas with hardly any room to move. Ditto the polar bear.

It is not pretty. Zoos are so 1800's. No need for them in the 1900's let alone the 2000's.

eClaire

Sicey,

The one o'clock gun is a gun that gets fired at 1 o'clock religously every day. Its done from the castle and its fackin loud!

I was up in the castle once when it was fired, near jumped out of my skin!

LG John

Its fecking loud and you can set your watch by it. I think it would be a lot more interesting if they actually fired a live round at the tourists on Princess Street

Jza

My favourite city in the UK... wicked place!

Try and get somewhere near the royal mile...

Wrap up really warm...

Get one of the tour busses from near the station. They let you on for two days... great stuff...

Went there in Jan... going again this Jan!

Jza

blair

I always thought they were shelling Granton - it could do with it

eClaire

LMFAO @ blair!

So could out near Barnton way......

workshy_fopp

If you're just coming up for a 1 day shopping trip, I'd wait till the start of the Jenner's sale, normally around the 28th Dec. I'll post up the date up when I find out.

LG John

bitch