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Week ending Saturday May 29 2010
Looking down from Calton Hill towards the Edinburgh skyline with (from left to right) the Dugald Stewart Memorial, the crown of St Giles Cathedral, the spire of the church of Tolbooth St John and the castle. Picture: P Tomkins.
Experience the other Edinburgh
by Tony Green
THE tourist path to Edinburgh is a well beaten one and the Scots have become expert in cultivating an image of their capital that would meet any American tourists expectations, complete with tartan carpets, haggis for breakfast and stags head over the fireplace. The Royal Mile, which leads from the new parliament building to the castle, is lined by shops offering kilts, saltires and Tam oshanters, complete with ginger hair. There is, however, another Edinburgh. As much as the Scottish capital is proud of its past, since devolution Edinburgh has been embracing the future and redefining its style and culture. The best way to get there is by train. It is not the fastest method but the most civilised. However romantic it sounds, do not take the Caledonian Sleeper service. Even for travellers not cursed with claustrophobia, the prospect of spending the night in what roughly equates to a bunk bed in a cupboard will result in a severe attack of cabin fever. Any hope that you can while away the time taking in the lowland landscape is soon scuppered by the fact that each cabins window is too small. Passengers arrive obscenely early in the morning, long before they can check into most hotels and while street cleaners are still clearing up the detritus from the night before. It is an experience best avoided. The east coast main line is the better option, offering breathtaking views of England the further north it travels. The National Express franchise was taken back by the government in November 2009. With all eyes on the service, a lot of effort has been made to ensure that it doesnt fail. All carriages are in the process of getting new livery and freshened up. It is a very relaxing way to travel. Once across the bridge at Berwick upon Tweed, it is clear that you are in a different country. It is not long before the train arrives at Edinburgh Waverley, in the heart of the city small enough to take in most sights by walking. The Scottish capital is firmly on the style map. The reassuring presence of a branch of Harvey Nichols confirms that. In this temple of consumerism, there are five floors dedicated to the latest fashions direct from the catwalks of Milan, New York, Paris and London. Last year, Italian designer label Missoni opened up the first of their hotels in Edinburgh showcasing their interior designs. The bedrooms are a delight and the interiors not as overstated as a flick through the Missoni catalogue might suggest. The bathrooms are chic, the beds are vast and comfortable, although the amount of time you may want to stay there is limited. The lure of the bar and the restaurant is too strong. Edinburgh doesnt suffer from a shortage of chic eateries. The 2010 Michelin Guide lists several restaurants and more and more of them have been awarded a star. Naturally, the selection is wider than what that particular bible can offer and the city has made combining culture with cuisine something of a speciality. The Museum of Scotland is a good example of the modern architecture the city has embraced and the top floor houses another of the citys best restaurants, the Tower affording great views of the handsome skyline, dubbed the Prague of the north. Visitors to the National Gallery of Scotland can dine in the basement looking out to the Princess Street gardens and perhaps reflect upon the fact that it was once a loch where suspected witches were drowned. Next door to the nearby Traverse Theatre, which always offers the best contemporary plays, the Atrium restaurant is another example of the best in the capital. Specialising in new writing, the Traverse itself never fails to disappoint audiences and any visitor should check to see what is on and think about making a booking. It is a safer bet than the scores of drama students that head for the city in the summer. Even either side of the famous fringe festival, you dont have to walk far through the city centre before you are accosted by an eager thespian offering evening entertainment. This is a glimpse of the traditional Edinburgh. But if you know where to look, there are more refined, contemporary and even cosmopolitan pleasures on offer, showing this historic city to have one eye fixed on the future.
TRAVEL
TONY Green travelled to Edinburgh by East Coast train from London Kings Cross. Advance returns, booked online, from Guildford to Edinburgh start from 36 Standard Class or 144 First Class: book via www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com, call 08457 225225 or visit any staffed station. Hotel Missoni: 1 George IV Bridge 0131 220 6666 Harvey Nichols: 30- 34 St Andrew Square 0131 524 8650 Traverse Theatre: 10 Cambridge Street 0131 228 1404 Museum of Scotland: Chambers Street 0131 225 7534 National Gallery of Scotland: The Mound 0131 624 6336 Tower restaurant: Chambers Street 0131 225 3003 Atrium restaurant: 10 Cambridge Street 0131 228 8882
The Missoni hotel was opened last year by the Italian designer label.
ADVERT NOT FOUND Urn: 0100575 Revision: 0 Section: ROP Size: 8 cols x 10.0 cm's Name: House A/C Fillers Ma
