Edinburgh WITHOUT kids (or money)

[nappybaglady]

I'm going to Edinburgh on 4/5 November with DH and another couple. It's a surprise for my friends 40th birthday. The kids are all staying with grandparents. We've got accomodation sorted but need to plan some fun. We're coming on the train so won't have a car with us. So ladies (and gents) what should we do, where should we go? Any bonfire type celebrations that we shouldn't miss?

Any suggestions for eating, shopping and having fun most welcome. We've got a budget of naff-all for the weekend but aren't going to let such a minor problem dampen our spirits

Do you like curry? The BEST curry is in the Central Mosque restaurant - £3 for a HUGE plate. EXCELLENT curry. Just off Nicolson Street - very centrally located. For the best coffee in town, at £1, Cafe Aroma on Nicolson and Chambers.

Stuff to do? Well, the Castle is quite dear. £9 entry fee/person. It's great to see, but budget accordingly. The Palace of Holyrood House is £8/person.

Entry to the Parliament building across the street is free! You can do an audio tour for £3.

LOTS of free musuems in spitting distance of the train station: The National Gallery in Prince's Street, the royal museum in Chambers Street, the National Portrait in Queen Street, the Writer's Museum in High Street/The Royal Mile.

These cost about £7/each but WELL worth the fee: ANY ghost tour given by Mercat Tours. Incredibly knowledgeable guides.

For cheap, excellent music, either the Royal Oak Pub down Drummond Street off Nicolson, or Sandy Hill off Lauriston Place - live music nightly and really good traditional, folk.

Bring your walking shoes! Start up High Street at the Castle - even if you don't go in - and walk ALL the way down to Holyrood House. You'll find an amazing number of 'closes' off High Street, which then becomes Canongate once you pass The End of the World pub - makes for great, free entertainment. Not to be missed is 'Dom', an art gallery and also the oldest complete house still extant in Edinburgh.

Stop in for a pint in The End of the World Pub. This is where the old city gate was, hence, The End of the World.

Have fun!

Thank you. That's exactly the sort of stuff I needed. I've been to Edinburgh a few times but it was usually to sit exams or go to conferences. Was a bit disappointed when friends DP chose Edinburgh for surprise weekend but feeling more excited already

Like the sound of pub with live music. Seem to remember doing that sort of thing in a previous life....

Expat, having virtually lived in the Royal Oak (many moons ago - I play the fiddle) can I just say that it is in Infirmary Street and if nappybaglady goes looking for Sandy Bells then she'll never find it as it is "officially" called the Forest Bar (although I think the last paint job it had, it maybe does say Sandy Bell's on it somewhere)!!!

Ahem, my in depth knowledge of Edinburgh folk music pubs is perhaps a little more than it should be

Go down the Grassmarket, pubs etc fun. Well I have had a ggod few nights in a lot of them. Its my hoem city and I do miss it, have great fun, and say hi to auld reikie for me!

Thanks, mawbroon, I only know it by site. I cross that street every weekday and never notice the name.

It's just before the junction, nappy.

Sandy Bells is now called that, however. I just went by it on Thursday after drooling over some Start-Rite shoes for DD in a shop next to Napier's. Oooo.

Grassmarket's good. A bit touristy. Don't know many natives who drink there, but then again, I'm married a Leither and live just round the corner from some ace pubs down by The Shore. Cheap as well.

I'm a native, and we ALWAYS ended up there!

DH was a tradesman, so Grassmarket wasn't his scene.

I went there w/some folks in town for the day a few months back, and hated every minute of it b/c I knew I was being ripped off. Plus, the bar staff were poncy. Ugggh.

You could always hit The Oxford and hopefully run into Ian Rankin - yep, he's still a regular there. Cheap pints, too.

BUT, nappy, if you want a non-smoking pub, the White Hart in the Grassmarket is now all non-smoking, in advance of the ban.

I suppose The Dome would be out too?

I still quite like it, like the pub on the corner of St Andrew Square, again poncy but good wine etc.

IF you are staying in Leith, near the shore, there's a wee pub in Bernard Street as you head towards Constitution that is the oldest unaltered pub in all Edinburgh - it even has a wee historical plaque outside. Lovely atmosphere as well.

King's Wark pub in Bernard Street does an awesome, inexpensive lunch as well - about £6/person.

OOh yes vote here for the Kings wark, fab cooked breakfast I remember!

The STanding Order is just that - standing room only!

Went to The Dome once, but was pregnant so had a soda and lime. The other folks I was with were drinking. It was dead in there. And it was Saturday, too.

Didn't have anything to eat, but apparently it's a good restaurant.

Nappybaglady's on a budget, so trying to think of some places that aren't too pricey.

Keep 'em coming

How far is Arthur's Seat? Is it easy to get to on public transport or should we just sit in a pub?

Thought of another cheap place with atmosphere and not too far out: The Guildford Arms. Just off Prince's Street on the East End. Go up the hill from the Burger King and you'll find it tucked just off the left.

There's no bus up to Arthur's Seat, unfortunately. But there are some easy walk ups.

You can get a bus to the base, but some of the routes have changed. Check the Lothian Bus website to see how close you can get to it.

If you plan on using the bus for more than two journeys, might be a good idea to buy a 'Day Saver' ticket. They're £2.50 now. The drivers don't have change, so make sure you have exact. Then you can just keep jumping on and off buses. Otherwise, it's now 80p per journey.

I love the museum of childhood which is free and takes a while to get round. Apologies if it's already mentioned.

have a great time nappybaglady, I love Edinbugh

Sorry, I meant bus to the base. Am rapidly developing middle age spread but still manage to drag myself up a hill from time to time. Thought it might be a nice stroll to blow away the cobwebs.

Thanks for all comments so far.

There are buses that go along the road at the base, but I don't know their numbers anymore as it's not a bus I take. And, well, okay, the last time we went we drove the car up there.

There is a church on the Royal mile where you can while away a few hours doing brass rubbing fairly cheap . Cockburn St has some interesting "alternative" shops and leads up to the Royal mile. Lots of closes (alleies) to explore in the old part of town.

Jenners on Princes St has a fab toy dept. at Christmas for window shopping. BTW Princes St is mainly chain stores that you find everywhere. But Rose street behind itis full of pubs .

Princes St gardens are nice for a walk in dry weather and the Carousel and German Market might be there in Nov. Cornerstone cafe is under St johns Church at the end of Princes St. (good cheesecakes and hot chocolate & veggy)

I would also suggest that you take a walk down the Royal Mile but make sure that you go down all the little closes as there are some fantastic little courtyards tucked away and a couple of free museums (one I think is the writers museum and the other is called something like the "Peoples museum"). I think there are also several pubs tucked away in these closes too. The Jingling Geordie for example - is that still there?

I lived in Edinburgh for 15 years but was priced out with the ridiculous house prices. We live in West Lothian now, but I do sometimes quite miss Edinburgh. Just walking around is great, you don't need to spend a lot of money

Sandy Bells'!!
That brings back a lot of memories.Should do seeing as I spent most of 85-87 in there,unfeasibly pissed with my mad Irish folky bf!!We were supposed to be studying for degrees......

Edinburgh's ace-have a great time!

I had a Saturday Job in the Cornerstone Cafe and loved all the little streets and Princes street at Christmas.

Well we had our weekend away and had a great time. Stayed at thr TravelInn on Morrison Street. Cheap and cheerful. Went to a fantastic Chinese restaurant called Panda Inn on the road that goes between the back of the castle and the old Royal Infirmary (is that posh flats now?). Chinese looked a bit small and grotty but was v friendly an d fab food.

Spent saturday window shopping and brunching. Did a little bit of tourist stuff in the old town. Went for posh meal at Dubh Prais restaurant which is on High Street, near the Radisson Hotel. It does modern scottish food and was absolutely fab.

Had sunday brunch at Always Sunday on the Royal Mile before heading home to the little darlings. Edinburgh was great (although it looks as though all we did was eat and drink)and it was very refreshing to have a little time away and a lie-in.

Thanks for all the advice posted