24 hours in Edinburgh

Only a handful of stops away from Durham, connected by a direct train, a trip to Edinburgh is a must for all Durham students. With its cobbled streets and castle, tall, terraced buildings and great history, clear similarities between the two cities can be seen. Edinburgh could easily be visited over the course of several days, or even a week, but for those with just a weekend spare, visiting can still be more than worthwhile.
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​Within the weekend spent in Edinburgh, we stayed in the charmingly colourful New Town Guest House, which was affordable but pleasant, and provided a comfortable overnight base. Upon our arrival via the trusty LNER, we checked in, then got to exploring, first seeing the castle, built originally in the 12th century, which stands upon Castle Rock, overlooking the whole of Edinburgh with beautiful cities of the iconic Edinburgh sunset.

​On our way back down from the castle, we sheltered from the cold in Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar, stood opposite the statue of the eponymous Skye Terrier, who is said to have guarded the grave of his owner for 14 years until his death on 14th January 1872. The statue is all black, minus his nose which shines through a brilliant gold, worn away by tourists and locals alike petting the statue, with it being said to bring good luck. The pub itself is warm and inviting, with live singers, friendly atmosphere and a great location.

Next on the agenda was food, after working up an appetite through seeing the sights of the city. We headed to Frizzante Proseccheria on Lothian Road, ordering a pollo e funghi pizza, garlic mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella margherita pizza (I am an Italian student after all). It felt wonderfully traditional, but not stuffy, through the pictures from the 1970s of the moustached owners on the wall, thick Italian accents, and delicious food.

The following day, whilst walking to find breakfast, we came across the Stockbridge Farmers market completely by chance, which we later found out runs year-round, every Sunday from 10am to 4pm. We were immediately enticed by the fresh French pastries, with pain au chocolat and croissants, as well as local produce, handmade soaps and toiletries, cakes, paella, and so much more. Fuelled for the rest of the day, we set out to look around the city some more, including seeing the cathedral, walking the Royal Mile and checking out its vintage shops and cafés and simply enjoying the bustling nature of the city. When it reached the afternoon, we ate at the Albanach Pub, with the vegetarian haggis definitely being worth a try. When in Rome, as they say.

​As our train departure began to approach, we spent the last of our time being brought back down to earth by finishing up any university work for our return and did so in the Edinburgh Press Club café. With its range of cakes and teas, the café has a relaxed, inviting feel, which we enjoyed whilst we awaited our journey back to Durham.
 
Our time in Edinburgh very much felt like a whistle-stop tour, yet also a lovely escape from the Durham bubble and an insight into what we’d like to explore more of upon our next, hopefully longer, visit.

Emily Ball

Second year student of Italian and German