chrisp65 Posted January 28, 2023 Share Posted January 28, 2023 We’ve promised ourselves for years we’d do the Fringe and we’ve just booked a hotel schmack in the middle of Edinburgh for a few nights in August. Finally doing it. Anybody know anything about Edinburgh? Other than all usual rules and tips go out the window during Fringe? I am mentally prepared to live in a tourist crowd for a week and pay top dollar for everything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 On 28/01/2023 at 13:04, chrisp65 said: We’ve promised ourselves for years we’d do the Fringe and we’ve just booked a hotel schmack in the middle of Edinburgh for a few nights in August. Finally doing it. Anybody know anything about Edinburgh? Other than all usual rules and tips go out the window during Fringe? I am mentally prepared to live in a tourist crowd for a week and pay top dollar for everything. Edinburgh is horrendous over the Festival period. A split between the Fringe and the city might work if the weather is decent, and people want to be outside? If it's shitty though? Immersing in the Fringe, then returning at a quieter and cheaper time for the city is likely to be less frustrating. Edinburgh is good for a long weekend. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted February 1, 2023 Author Share Posted February 1, 2023 25 minutes ago, Xann said: Edinburgh is horrendous over the Festival period. A split between the Fringe and the city might work if the weather is decent, and people want to be outside? If it's shitty though? Immersing in the Fringe, then returning at a quieter and cheaper time for the city is likely to be less frustrating. Edinburgh is good for a long weekend. Yeah, we’ll have a car so the plan is to mix it up with some trips out of the city and a trip to the Zoo. Whilst actually in the city, we’ve booked a room that has city views, but also specifically states it’s sound proof with blackout blinds! The idea being we can live like rock stars right up to something crazy like 11:00pm then switch it all off. This has every chance of being the most expensive holiday per day I’ve ever been on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted February 2, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) All the places/things you'd suggest a visitor do in or around Edinburgh are the places/things to mostly avoid during the festival as they'll be rammed. The Grassmarket is lovely but will be heaving. Portobello beach is a short drive out of town and lovely. A few cafes and shops and there's the racecourse (Musselburgh) up the road. If you're up for a walk, Pentland Hills is lovely, Colton Hill is a nice walk in town with great views across the city. Jump in the car and go see the Kelpies just outside Falkirk. Malleny Gardens or Inveresk Lodge are a nice day trip. The Camera Obscura is one of my favourite things to do in Edinburgh. Obvious things to see/do - Arthur's Seat, Holyrood, The Castle, Royal Mile, Britannia (although your Republican leanings might preclude this). Go spit on the Heart of Midlothian. Incholm Abbey is a nice trip out. Jupiter Artland is also rather lovely. Then there's a plethora or distilleries and breweries to visit if that's your thing too. As for the Fringe, ignore the names you know and pick the weird and obscure. There'll be duds and there'll be surprises. Edited to add: I’ve mostly given you tips on non-festival things to do which on reflection seems at odds with your original requests. So… order a festival guide online as early as possible. Ask those flyering if there are any deals. Try to visit as many venues as you can. Save some time between shows to just meander around and take in all the sights. Edited February 2, 2023 by choffer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 6, 2023 Moderator Share Posted February 6, 2023 Have a drink in The Oxford Bar, 8 Young Street. It is the pub that the fictional Inspector Rebus drinks in. It's also the pub that his creator Iain Rankin often drinks in. Yes its just a pub, that is it's charm Before you leave, visit Valvona and Crolla at the top of Leith Walk and stock up on food from an amazing Italian Deli (and it has a cafe too which is also great). When I was working at the fringe, around the time Trainspotting was set, I was living further down Leith Walk which was smackhead central (the book was right) that Deli was an absolute oasis in a sea of effluent picked up my lonch from there every day. It's been gentrified now but that place has been there for decades and it has the most amazing smell, go there just for the smell. I will never go to Edinburgh and not visit there before I go home 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 On 01/02/2023 at 16:58, chrisp65 said: Yeah, we’ll have a car so the plan is to mix it up with some trips out of the city and a trip to the Zoo. Depending on how far you want your day trips to be then you might like the Falkirk Wheel ( about 50 mins ) and you could take in Sterling castle as part of the same day trip Edinburgh wise , if you are there for the end of the fringe then they do a decent firework show , you can watch it from Grassmarket Grassmarket is also home to the smallest pub in Scotland (The wee Pub) , quite a lot of pubs and foodie type places there and knowing how fond you are of the Royals I’d thoroughly recommend going to see Britannia fringe wise I didn’t go to anything as I was with the kids but I think some of the “off fringe “ shows you could get tickets on the day 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted February 6, 2023 Author Share Posted February 6, 2023 I’ll be gone before the fireworks, but in an attempt to spend as much money as possible we actually have a city centre room with a balcony! I can only imagine how much that would have been if it was booked whilst there was fireworks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 8, 2023 Moderator Share Posted February 8, 2023 Oh forgot about this, never done it but also on my list for next time Mary Kings Close -subterranean streets that date back to before the plague (given your interest in old gravestones possibly interesting) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted February 8, 2023 Moderator Share Posted February 8, 2023 I used to go to Edinburgh with work regularly in the 90s and I was trying to think of all the places we'd go for scran and drinks. I can barely remember any of the names. You never see Deuchars IPA any more. Used to love that stuff. Rose Street, I think it was called was one of the areas we used to go to of an evening. The Grassmarket, too. I remember going to the really old street @bickster mentions. Not really my thing, and it was a bit of a walk, up a load of steps and streets to get there from the Hotel. We used to get of the train from Preston at Haymarket station, walk to the pub 50 yards from it, possibly also called the Haymarket? - bit of a real ale pub, and there was a good Curry house on the other side of the road. Omar Kayam. We often stayed in the Hilton round the corner. Sometimes though we stayed by Waverley station in a posher Hotel - Inter Continental, which was well expensive. Or the Maitland, which was smaller, but handy for pubs and stuff and half way between the two stations. It's a shame @peterms doesn't post any more (generally), and also because he'd be able to give you local's expertise. Cracking place, though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted August 16, 2023 Author Share Posted August 16, 2023 On 06/02/2023 at 18:44, bickster said: Have a drink in The Oxford Bar, 8 Young Street. Done that On 06/02/2023 at 21:07, tonyh29 said: Edinburgh wise , if you are there for the end of the fringe then they do a decent firework show , you can watch it from Grassmarket Grassmarket is also home to the smallest pub in Scotland (The wee Pub) Done that On 08/02/2023 at 17:28, blandy said: The Grassmarket, too. Sometimes though we stayed by Waverley station in a posher Hotel Done that. Good shouts folks, thanks. Actually had a really nice hour in The Oxford Bar earlier today, we had a show in a venue just a block away so it was bloody useful hearing this place existed, it had a couple of locals in there and empty seats and the only place we’ve been where 2 drinks cost less than £12. Grassmarket very good, very photogenic too. Done the Wee Pub too. Man, I’ve seen some crazy shows over the past few days. Some just pure fun entertainment, some a bit, erm, challenging and lots in between. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 How busy was it, @chrisp65? On 06/02/2023 at 18:44, bickster said: ... I was living further down Leith Walk which was smackhead central... Spent a lot of time down there from Star Wars figures age to drinking age. Balfour St. The cornershop was a fortress. There was a pub on the on the left as you descended Leith Walk. Flat roof 60s type, probably McEwan's? It really made the pub in Trainspotting look swish. Then my friend that lived on Balfour moved to near The Oxford. A Houseshare, beautiful. Totally different cornershop there. Franck Sauzee was a patron. That house was good laugh. Smack in the centre of town. Peak Edinburgh. Think tt used to qualify for tix to some of the big events too? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted August 17, 2023 Author Share Posted August 17, 2023 10 minutes ago, Xann said: How busy was it, @chrisp65? Spent a lot of time down there from Star Wars figures age to drinking age. Balfour St. The cornershop was a fortress. There was a pub on the on the left as you descended Leith Walk. Flat roof 60s type, probably McEwan's? It really made the pub in Trainspotting look swish. Then my friend that lived on Balfour moved to near The Oxford. A Houseshare, beautiful. Totally different cornershop there. Franck Sauzee was a patron. That house was good laugh. Smack in the centre of town. Peak Edinburgh. Think tt used to qualify for tix to some of the big events too? It’s pretty busy, yeah. People jams on some streets at some times. But then I’ve got no experience of previous years to gauge that against. Varies at different times of day. Just before the tattoo it all fills up with old folks and Americans going to look at marching soldiers so the mile gets heaving. Been to a couple of shows where there were 10 of us, been to a show that was a 220 seat sell out. Went out with flyers yesterday evening for my kid’s Uni group and they’ve been averaging about 40 people in a venue with 70 seats so they’re properly bloody chuffed with that. Currently back at the hotel, having a quiet hour before we go again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted August 17, 2023 Moderator Share Posted August 17, 2023 32 minutes ago, Xann said: There was a pub on the on the left as you descended Leith Walk. Flat roof 60s type, probably McEwan's? It really made the pub in Trainspotting look swish. Oh yes, even if it didn't have a pool table you'd have heard the final click of the balls as you entered it, followed by silence and the knowledge that everyone in the pub was staring at you. Fairly sure even though it wasn't filmed there, some of the Trainspotting scenes were wriitten about being in there 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 9 minutes ago, bickster said: ... that everyone in the pub was staring at you... Was underage, so a bit under the radar. Getting served was a bigger issue than a potential kicking Think Pilton was used as location for some of the pov Edinburgh scenes in TS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted August 17, 2023 Moderator Share Posted August 17, 2023 31 minutes ago, Xann said: Think Pilton was used as location for some of the pov Edinburgh scenes in TS? Quite possibly, it was an absolute shithole back then iirc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 Obvious question but will you still be there for the Hibs vs Villa game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted August 18, 2023 Author Share Posted August 18, 2023 15 hours ago, The_Rev said: Obvious question but will you still be there for the Hibs vs Villa game? I’m done, all spent out for a little while. My brother has tickets for the home game, but I didn’t get my shit together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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