TRAVE L EDINBURGH
must have been difficult for the crew and officers to go about their duties. I wandered onto the lower deck to view the royal accommodations, which are surprisingly sparse, yet functional and cosy without glitz and glamour and then I entered the state dining room, which is the largest and grandest room aboard. This is the spot where Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh entertained world leaders and powerful individuals including Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Sir Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela.
Whilst wandering around Britannia’s open decks admiring the views over the briny my appetite was awakened and I hailed a cab and headed for Dine, a chic, multi-award winning brasserie-style venue, located above the Traverse Theatre on Cambridge Street. I chose the succulent loin of Perthshire venison with potato fondant, wild mushrooms, quince jelly and celeriac purèe and accompanied by the deep and intense flavours of the 2016 Alpha Zeta a Amarone, it was an unforgettable dining experience.
Up with the larks the following morning I made my way to Edinburgh’s New Town, which has retained much of the neo- classical and elegant Georgian period architecture, dating between 1767 and 1850. Prince’s Street is the main thoroughfare and I explored the streets behind it, which present grandiose properties with towering Grecian pillars and large windows. The original character of the New Town, which includes cobble-stone roads, sandstone block facades and leafy communal gardens, is very well preserved.
Wandering along Hanover Street I fancied a ‘wee dram’ and popped into Milne’s Bar, which dates back to 1910 and the spot where Scottish literary figures, including Hugh MacDiarmid would gather to discuss politics and the arts in the 20th century. I selected an outside table and ordered a shot of malt whisky to warm my cockles. The enticing aroma of fish and chips wafted under my nostrils and I succumbed to the Belhaven beer- battered Atlantic haddock with triple-cooked chips and it was absolutely bursting with flavour.
Keen to indulge in some retail therapy I spent some hours exploring the quirky shops and charming boutiques on Rose Street and the upmarket shops on Multrees Walk. I was easily persuaded to blow my budget when I came upon the most wonderful displays of cashmere jumpers and cardigans, tweeds and tartans galore, the finest kilts and sporrans, and colourful tins of oak cakes and shortbread.
As I strolled along George Street, weighed down with shopping bags, I was delighted to spot the Hard Rock Café. Swiftly escorted to my table, I ordered the deliciously spicy baby back ribs, glazed with barbecue sauce, and I sipped on a rather potent hurricane cocktail and explored the café’s mesmerising collection of memorabilia, including everything from a non-refundable JFK to London air ticket to the value of $750, which was issued to Jimi Hendrix on 20 February 1970 to a sombrero worn by Elvis in the 1963 movie Fun in Acapulco.
Feeling slightly tipsy I headed back to my hotel and I regretted
LIVE24-SEVEN.COM
that my time in Edinburgh had come to an end. As I passed by Waverly railway station I spotted a lone piper, splendidly attired in his kilt and sporran, and I instantly recognised the wonderful song in remembrance of Bonnie Prince Charlie….. ‘Speed Bonnie Boat, like a bird on the wing, onward, the sailors cry, carry the lad that’s born to be king, over the sea to Skye.’
The state dining room, courtesy Marc Millar TOP TIPS
ACCOMMODATION For more information on the featured property and other sites around the world visit
adagio-city.com
AIRPORT TRANSFERS Avoid the queues and choose a reliable, punctual and well established company with more than 90 years’ experience. Download the app and track your driver using GPS, confirm, cancel and edit bookings, pay in cash or with a debit/credit card, select vehicle type and set up call backs. For more information visit
citycabs.co.uk
GETTING AROUND With the Lothian Buses Ridacard, the more you travel, the more you save. Take advantage of unlimited travel 24/7 across Edinburgh, Queensferry and in and out of the airport. For more information visit
lothianbuses.com/ridacard
ATTRACTIONS For more information on the featured attractions visit
royalyachtbritannia.co.uk and
rct.uk For a fun day out for all the family visit Edinburgh Castle. For information visit
edinburghcastle.scot and visit Edinburgh Zoo, one of Europe’s leading centres for animal conservation and home to more than 1,000 rare and endangered animals including koala and giant pandas. Visit
edinburghzoo.org.
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