Edinburgh is a much-trumpeted city of beauty and grandeur with its majestic castle on the rock, its contrasting architectural styles of the Old and New town and its spectacular range of museums, monuments and never ending character around every corner.
But what lies beneath?
This ancient town has several layers of culture below the surface that most normal guidebooks fail to highlight. So if you are thinking about coming to visit Edinburgh, here are a few alternative sights to consider seeing…
Music:
- 1. Underground Rock – Edinburgh has a diverse and thriving underground music scene. There is old school rock and roll, modern jazz, punk rock, heavy metal, doom metal, thrash, hardcore and just about everything else. Just head down to the Cowgate area and to bars like Bannermans, Banshee Labyrinth, Sneaky Pete’s, Bongo Club and the Wee Red Bar any night of the week and you won’t be disappointed.
- 2. Folk Music – All kinds of folk music can be heard drifting out of many bars in Edinburgh. A particularly popular one is Sandy Bells near Greyfriar’s Kirk where professional and amateur musician play Scottish and Irish music until closing time.
Outdoors:
- 3. Forth Ferry – On the very northern edge of the city where it meets the Firth of Forth between the great bridges, you will find a tour boat that will take you out onto the waves, under the huge bridges and out to tiny islands.
- 4. Portobello Beach – A short bus journey east of the city will take you to the long golden beaches at Portobello. On hot days they are strewn with locals and the promenade offers a delightful stroll along the waters edge.
Eating
- 5. Snax – Found behind the east end of Princess Street is one of the best culinary delights in Edinburgh. It has no Michelin stars but is incredibly popular, cheap and serves up amazing breakfasts and other café fair. Get it to take away then go eat it in the gardens.
- 6. Queens Arms – A lovely pub with wonderful food that has won awards is located on the Queen Street side of Frederick Street. Great décor, live sport and a fun atmosphere.
With this inside information, you will see some of the gems Edinburgh has to offer that most tourists won’t know about. So don’t go to the all the same places the other million tourists will be going, take a step towards the less well known and enjoy something special.
About the author: Olive Grant runs serviced apartments in Edinburgh. She feels self-catering Edinburgh accommodation is a great choice for visiting tourists on a budget.
