myguideBritain Blog

A Wizard Weekend in Edinburgh.

December 6th, 2007

A young cousin of mine recently introduced me to the Harry Potter phenomenon and since then I have rapidly worked my through the first few books in the series and watched a couple of the movies along the way. Needless to say I am now hooked. So when it came to planning this years annual November familiarization trip decided that it was vital for the team to head north of the English border to Scotland’s Capital city. Although Edinburgh doesn’t feature in the Harry Potter movies as do so many sights closer to home (Gloucester Cathedral, Oxford’s colleges and many sights in London), it is in the city’s cafes and coffee shops where Joanne Rowling first began scribbling down her notes on the young wizard called Harry and the magical world of Hogwarts. We would take this opportunity to remind ourselves just why Edinburgh is so inspiring.

From our offices here in South Wales the quickest and most cost effective route to Edinburgh was via air, and as our plane dipped through the clouds and touched down in Edinburgh I could already feel the atmosphere of the city. The airport was small and convenient and we were through in minutes with our luggage in hand. We hopped on board the city link bus to the centre and immediately I was reminded of the beauty of the city as the 20 minute journey to Princes Street threw up more stunning sights and architecture than I have seen on city tours in other destinations. Each house is full of character with little alcove windows and turrets poking out in all directions. Edinburgh is also one of Britain’s most historic cities and as the bus rolled through the 18^th century Georgian quarter with its grand townhouses, long wide avenues and garden squares I had to remind myself that this was considered the new town!

Once in the city I promptly lost two members of the party… to the shops. Princes Street itself is alive with the bustle of any metropolitan capital city and, as I am assured by the girls, is prime shopping territory. It retains that feel of history though with impressive architectures from various eras popping up all around in including the St John’s Church, the Grecian Style National gallery and the dominating Scot Monument. While the ladies shopped I also got the opportunity to wander through the Princes Street Gardens which offer a relaxing retreat in the heart of the city. It is also a great place from which to admire one of our main targets in Edinburgh and somewhere that we all wanted to visit. I quickly rounded up the troops as it was time to head to Edinburgh Castle.

The Castle keeps watch over the city from its vantage point perched on an ancient volcanic rock and casting ominous shadows through the streets of the old town and along the Royal Mile. It was a cold and damp November morning but the castle was perfectly content shrouded in mist and spattered by drizzle. It oozes history having witnessed an endless barrage of plots, attacks and battles having homed a procession of treacherous monarchs throughout the centuries. Once inside, the castle is other worldly. St Margaret’s Chapel is Edinburgh’s oldest building located in the heart of the castle grounds, the Palace across the courtyard is still home to the Scottish Crown Jewels, and don’t forget to visit the Scottish Stone of Destiny steeped by myths and tales and only since the 1990s returned to its rightful place in Scotland. I was also astounded by the commanding views from the Castle battlements from where you can see right out over the city and its various sights taking in everything from Arthur’s Seat to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

A 10 minute stroll later and we were back at the Bruntsfield hotel and exhausted after a long day of experiencing Edinburgh. That evening I tucked in to a delightful meal (chicken stuffed with Haggis) in the hotel restaurant and a had a tot of scotch to see me off. Still reflecting on the magical city of Edinburgh I headed for the cosy retreat of my bed and the next chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I used to ask myself where Joanne Rowling got her ideas, and now I know.

Entry Filed under: Cities, Literature, Scotland