shona

This great bistro restaurant is located on the outskirts of Edinburgh in the extremely picturesque town of South Queensferry with its cobbled streets and situated at the side of the famous rail bridge on the banks of the river Forth. The restaurant has some fantastic views and a really good atmosphere and there is even a toy train that runs throughout the top part of the restaurant keeping in with the railway theme. The famous book by John Buchan 'The 39 Steps' is also based on the steps really near here.

The food is always really fresh and delicious with an extensive choice and the staff are very welcoming friendly and courteous. It's well worth a visit any time you're in the area. In fact, I think I'd go out of my way to be in the area to visit the Bridge Bistro.

Specialist coffees, cakes, pastries are served all day and there's nothing nicer to do on a Sunday afternoon than chill out on the large comfy sofas with some comfort food. The meals are modern and imaginative making this the idea place to go for either lunch or dinner.

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The basement is probably one of the coolest places to drink and eat in right in the heart of Edinburgh city centre. It's bright, colourful, vibrant and stylish with funky and upbeat music and a million miles away (in spirit at least) from some of the overpriced places in George Street. The bar staff confirm this with their fun Hawaii-style shirts. Although it's fairly reasonably priced, it hasn't been taken over by students yet and the crowd tends to be twenty-something to thirty-somethings.

The food is great value for money and mostly Mexican, but with pub grub favourites such as posh fish and chips and an excellent steak pie. It can get busy so best to book in advance if you can.

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Situated right in Princes Street gardens in the very heart of the city, this is the perfect place to dine (either for lunch or dinner) and wine with magnificent views across the gardens and other famous Edinburgh landmarks. The restaurant is even split into three levels so that as many people as possible can enjoy the unbeatable views. The interior has a contemporary design and you feel like you are enjoying a bit of luxury while tasting the finest Scottish produce.

It's reasonably priced with a two course set menu for £12.95 and three courses for £16.95 and the baileys and white chocolate panna cotta is to die for!

They also have special touches such as on a Friday the manager chooses a table and flips a coin to decide whether you have to foot the bill or if it's on the house. Children also get the chance to eat for free on a Sunday and there's a special menu available at midday.

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The Elephant House is one of the most well-known cafés in Edinburgh due to a certain author using the place to write the first Harry Potter novel. Apparentlyn as a single mum, she didn't have enough money to heat her home so she came here to get a bit of warmth and as well as some inspiration for writing her books.

The place is full of a wide mix of people especially as many J.K. Rowling fans make a pilgrimage there to soak up the atmosphere of the place and get a very nice view of Edinburgh castle out of the window.

Even if you're not a Harry Potter fan, it's worth a visit as the main theme of the café has nothing to do with boy wizards but elephants; it is kitted out with hundreds of them. This is a place to go for a coffee and tea and basically spend as long as you want in a bit of peace and tranquillity in the middle of a busy city although the cakes also look pretty good too!

Calton Hill rises beyond the east end of Princes Street and its main attraction is the superb panoramic views that it offers which take in pretty much the whole of Edinburgh. Due to the fact that it is situated in a traditional Scottish city, it is somewhat surprising to see a number of Greek revival buildings. The most recognisable of these is the Athenian acropolis which pops up above the skyline and is known as The National Monument. Initiated after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, it was meant to be a replica of the Parthenon in Athens, as a memorial to those who had died in the Napoleonic Wars but was never quite finished due to a lack of funds.

The hill is fast becoming the place to go on May Day when thousands of locals flood the hill for a dance and fire festival to celebrate the coming of summer in the old Celtic calendar, the Beltane Fire Festival. The painted faces of the dancers performing the ritual fire dance, the drums, the fire eaters in the darkness of the hill all create a great spectacle . This is one of the few nights in the year when it is definitely safe to experience the hill, as there are a few dodgy folk that are known to hang around at other times but you should be pretty safe if you venture up during the day.

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This hotel is located right in the heart of Edinburgh's city centre on the Royal Mile between Edinburgh castle and Holyrood Palace.

We stumbled upon it when we were looking for somewhere to pop into for a bite to eat and were pleasantly surprised with the interior design. The hotel has been built to fit in with the other buildings on the Royal Mile and it is hard to believe that it was built in the 1990's.

There is a terrace area outside where you can sit outside or it is worth going in to the restaurant even if it is nice enough weather to sit out as it's contemporary design is impressive. There's a fairly decent menu and the platters are especially good value for money. We got a vegetable and seafood platter which were crammed packed with delights.

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This is the ultimate haven located slap bang in the heart of Edinburgh. If it's a nice day (well maybe about 18ºC as we are talking about Scotland!) you'll see the locals stripping off to catch a few rays of sun while chilling out on the grass or the benches.

The gardens are located on Edinburgh's main street in between the main line of shops and the castle which make it different from almost anywhere else in the world. It's amazing the difference as soon as you step into the gardens as the hustle and bustle of the Princes Street traffic feels as though it is a million miles away. One of the main attractions of the park is the 11-metre circumference clock which is said to include over 24,000 flowers and is changed regularly to reflect different themes. There are also some funfair attractions for the kids as well as a stage area where events are held regularly.

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Situated in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, opposite the Usher Hall, the Sheraton Grand is the perfect place for a light refreshment and a little relaxation after shopping in Princes Street or the fashionable George Street.

The hotel oozes with the charm of a bygone era and it is simply in a class of its own. Crisp linen table cloths and napkins are laid before a delicious afternoon tea is served. The cake stand is filled with a selection of dainty sandwiches, scones (with butter, jam and cream) fruit breads and a selection of bite sized cakes. The tea pot is refilled as often as you require.

It’s not overly priced considering your environment and it is a little bit of luxury. You can also go into the Terrace restaurant which has breathtaking views of the castle.

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Visit it if you dare!

A walk down Edinburgh's Royal Mile with its centuries old tenement buildings is essential to any visitor but for a truly unique experience we joined a guided tour to Mary King's Close in Edinburgh's High Street. It is part of a warren of hidden streets which are actually beneath the City Chambers in The Royal Mile.

In the 17th century the Old Town was infested by plague and the local council blocked the entrance to Mary King's Close. Some plague victims are thought to have been locked in.
A hundred years later the Council built the City Chambers on top of the close and the streets were forgotten. It is only in fairly recent years that the area has become a popular tourist attraction. There are reported to be many ghosts, for example headless animals, disembodied men but most frequently that of a girl of about 5 or 6 called Annie. We did not see any ghosts but the whole area certainly has an ghostly ambience. Although the tour does not take in a huge area the whole point is you get a feel of how things were then and you realise this is not a museum but what is left of streets and houses. The tour was a bit pricey but this is history in the raw.

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