Help me plan the final details of our Scottish honeymoon!
September 4, 2012 10:37 AM Subscribe
My almost-husband and I are leaving for our Scottish honeymoon in less than a week. Hooray! I think I've finally nailed down most of the details—after many, many hours of scouring the Interwebs—but I do have some things I'm hoping that the Mefites over the pond or seasoned UK travelers can help me with. Mostly transit-based questions within (warning: I'm one of those people who absolutely must plan these kinds of ridiculous details in advance, to prevent myself from stressing out and becoming a complete nutjob), but also a few less-important (but more fun) bonus questions, just because.
I've been keeping an eye on the Scotland-based questions here for a while now, but my most-important questions are transit based, and the bonus (what-should-we-do where-should-we-eat) questions are geared heavily toward our personal preferences. Note: We will not have a car for any portion of our trip.
Heathrow: (1) We'll be flying Logan–Heathrow–Edinburgh (and back again). For each trip, we have about a 2 hour layover at Heathrow. On the way there, we're staying in the same terminal, but have to go through customs, and on the way back we have to change terminals. Is the 2 hour layover likely to be a problem? (Let's assume that everything runs on time, because if it doesn't, I'm guessing the answer is almost definitely "yes.")
(2) It's not clear to me whether we're going to have to pick up out checked luggage during the layover. (We booked our flights together through British Airways [second leg on the return operated by American Airlines], so I'm guessing not.) Yes? No? I'll ask the airline if need be, but I trust Mefites' experience more than random airline reps.
(3) Heathrow's website mentions dedicated, free transfer buses between terminals, but there are lots of other things mentioned, and it's a little confusing. Is this thedroid bus we're looking for?
Glasgow: Where can we find a decent dinner on the cheap? We'll be staying (just for one night, before heading up to Mallaig) not too far from Glasgow Central Station, but assuming we're not too tired after the flight, we'd also like to walk over to the Necropolis—so anything in either area would be helpful. (Note: I'm vegetarian [although I will eat fish], and something more substantial than a salad would be nice. I am not above just ordering several appetizers.)
Edinburgh: We'll be staying here for a week, and plan on taking the Lothian buses most days between Leith and the city center (Google Maps tells me it's about a 40 minute walk, and we'll be doing enough walking around the city that we're probably not going to want to take that walk, as well). The whole exact-change thing isn't exactly exciting to us, and it looks like day passes are available, but those only make sense monetarily if you'll be on a bus at least three times (so, they probably won't be useful for us). I saw something about a RIDACARD weekly pass, but it seems like that's only for residents. Is that correct? (If not, where can we pick them up? Similarly, where can we get the daily passes from, if we decide those do make sense?)
Bonus points (not at all essential, but it'd be great to have your recommendations!):
—Decent, reasonably priced food in Mallaig and/or Armadale (we have some ideas/plans, but we'd still love your recommendations).
—I'm a bookbinder, so I'd love to know about any awesome book-arts-related things to see in Edinburgh (I already know about the sculptures that kept popping up for a while, and we plan to hunt some of them down, if they're still around).
—Good, cheap Indian buffets (there are lots in Boston, but I don't know how common they are in the UK) and/or vegetarian-friendly places in Edinburgh.
—My fiancé likes whisky. I do not. (Although, to be fair, I did have a Scotch one time that I almost enjoyed.) Is it worth it for me to go on a tour of The Scotch Whisky experience with him, despite this? The price seems a bit steep to me, but we're homebrewers, so it might still hold my interest. Or is there perhaps another distillery in Edinburgh I'm not aware of that offers cheaper tours? (Better yet, is there a beer brewery we could tour instead?)
As always, thanks in advance for your help, Hivemind!
I've been keeping an eye on the Scotland-based questions here for a while now, but my most-important questions are transit based, and the bonus (what-should-we-do where-should-we-eat) questions are geared heavily toward our personal preferences. Note: We will not have a car for any portion of our trip.
Heathrow: (1) We'll be flying Logan–Heathrow–Edinburgh (and back again). For each trip, we have about a 2 hour layover at Heathrow. On the way there, we're staying in the same terminal, but have to go through customs, and on the way back we have to change terminals. Is the 2 hour layover likely to be a problem? (Let's assume that everything runs on time, because if it doesn't, I'm guessing the answer is almost definitely "yes.")
(2) It's not clear to me whether we're going to have to pick up out checked luggage during the layover. (We booked our flights together through British Airways [second leg on the return operated by American Airlines], so I'm guessing not.) Yes? No? I'll ask the airline if need be, but I trust Mefites' experience more than random airline reps.
(3) Heathrow's website mentions dedicated, free transfer buses between terminals, but there are lots of other things mentioned, and it's a little confusing. Is this the
Glasgow: Where can we find a decent dinner on the cheap? We'll be staying (just for one night, before heading up to Mallaig) not too far from Glasgow Central Station, but assuming we're not too tired after the flight, we'd also like to walk over to the Necropolis—so anything in either area would be helpful. (Note: I'm vegetarian [although I will eat fish], and something more substantial than a salad would be nice. I am not above just ordering several appetizers.)
Edinburgh: We'll be staying here for a week, and plan on taking the Lothian buses most days between Leith and the city center (Google Maps tells me it's about a 40 minute walk, and we'll be doing enough walking around the city that we're probably not going to want to take that walk, as well). The whole exact-change thing isn't exactly exciting to us, and it looks like day passes are available, but those only make sense monetarily if you'll be on a bus at least three times (so, they probably won't be useful for us). I saw something about a RIDACARD weekly pass, but it seems like that's only for residents. Is that correct? (If not, where can we pick them up? Similarly, where can we get the daily passes from, if we decide those do make sense?)
Bonus points (not at all essential, but it'd be great to have your recommendations!):
—Decent, reasonably priced food in Mallaig and/or Armadale (we have some ideas/plans, but we'd still love your recommendations).
—I'm a bookbinder, so I'd love to know about any awesome book-arts-related things to see in Edinburgh (I already know about the sculptures that kept popping up for a while, and we plan to hunt some of them down, if they're still around).
—Good, cheap Indian buffets (there are lots in Boston, but I don't know how common they are in the UK) and/or vegetarian-friendly places in Edinburgh.
—My fiancé likes whisky. I do not. (Although, to be fair, I did have a Scotch one time that I almost enjoyed.) Is it worth it for me to go on a tour of The Scotch Whisky experience with him, despite this? The price seems a bit steep to me, but we're homebrewers, so it might still hold my interest. Or is there perhaps another distillery in Edinburgh I'm not aware of that offers cheaper tours? (Better yet, is there a beer brewery we could tour instead?)
As always, thanks in advance for your help, Hivemind!
As a US person clearing customs at Heathrow, the wait time wasn't too bad. If it takes an hour, you still have a half hour before your connecting flight starts boarding.
I would HAUL ass from the plane to Customs though. You don't want to get jammed up behind a bunch of people. Pee on the plane.
I don't believe you'll have to deal with customs on the return until you get to Logan, because you'll still be within Great Britain on your Edinburgh-Heathrow return. So..yay!
If you plan on changing your name after the wedding, wait until you return, unless you want a bunch of grief about your passport.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:52 AM on September 4, 2012
I would HAUL ass from the plane to Customs though. You don't want to get jammed up behind a bunch of people. Pee on the plane.
I don't believe you'll have to deal with customs on the return until you get to Logan, because you'll still be within Great Britain on your Edinburgh-Heathrow return. So..yay!
If you plan on changing your name after the wedding, wait until you return, unless you want a bunch of grief about your passport.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:52 AM on September 4, 2012
(3) I've never taken buses to transfer between terminals. The Heathrow Express (the one that also takes you all the way to Paddington Station in London) is free to use between terminals.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 11:04 AM on September 4, 2012
posted by ClarissaWAM at 11:04 AM on September 4, 2012
Someone may come along and correct me, but I believe you have to take your checked luggage through customs yourself and them re-check.
As a rule, vegetarian food in the UK is not a problem. Worst case, there will be a cheese and tomato sandwich, but generally there are better options than you see in the US.
posted by hoyland at 11:16 AM on September 4, 2012
As a rule, vegetarian food in the UK is not a problem. Worst case, there will be a cheese and tomato sandwich, but generally there are better options than you see in the US.
posted by hoyland at 11:16 AM on September 4, 2012
I don't know if they still do it but the Edinburgh mosque do an amazing lunch for your curry needs. My Edinburgh Uni mates took me along and it was great fun and very cheap.
My favourite Glasgow restaurants are all in the West End (Stravaign/the Ubiquitos Chip etc.) but for close to the Central Rail station try the Merchant City (its an area, not a restaurant). There's some great veggie food in Glasgow. And Scotland is the capital of curry (well... after India).
Double check when you check-in at the airport but your luggage should go all the way through to Edinburgh if you booked it through BA (even if American Airlines are operating the flight it should be "code share", it's part of the "One World Alliance" if you've booked with a travel agent they should've booked your bags the whole way through). When I flew Canberra-Melbourne-Singapore-London-Manchester (in one go) my luggage went all the way through to Manchester (I flew Qantas Australia to UK, then swapped to BA for internal flights) (or rather, it should've arrived in Manchester... make sure you have the address where lost luggage can be sent... as someone who knows).
posted by jujulalia at 11:36 AM on September 4, 2012
My favourite Glasgow restaurants are all in the West End (Stravaign/the Ubiquitos Chip etc.) but for close to the Central Rail station try the Merchant City (its an area, not a restaurant). There's some great veggie food in Glasgow. And Scotland is the capital of curry (well... after India).
Double check when you check-in at the airport but your luggage should go all the way through to Edinburgh if you booked it through BA (even if American Airlines are operating the flight it should be "code share", it's part of the "One World Alliance" if you've booked with a travel agent they should've booked your bags the whole way through). When I flew Canberra-Melbourne-Singapore-London-Manchester (in one go) my luggage went all the way through to Manchester (I flew Qantas Australia to UK, then swapped to BA for internal flights) (or rather, it should've arrived in Manchester... make sure you have the address where lost luggage can be sent... as someone who knows).
posted by jujulalia at 11:36 AM on September 4, 2012
Just to verify, there are two different processes.
The first is Immigration and Passport Control. You and your hand-luggage get in line, present your passports, answer the questions, THEN you proceed through, claim your bags, and go through the green line (nothing to declare).
Now, it's possible that you'll do Immigration and Passport Control at Heathrow, but deal with luggage in Scotland.
You might want to call BA to be sure. Not having to deal with the luggage would be HUGE to me.
I didn't check a bag when I went to London in April, so I'm kind of fuzzy on those details.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:36 AM on September 4, 2012
The first is Immigration and Passport Control. You and your hand-luggage get in line, present your passports, answer the questions, THEN you proceed through, claim your bags, and go through the green line (nothing to declare).
Now, it's possible that you'll do Immigration and Passport Control at Heathrow, but deal with luggage in Scotland.
You might want to call BA to be sure. Not having to deal with the luggage would be HUGE to me.
I didn't check a bag when I went to London in April, so I'm kind of fuzzy on those details.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:36 AM on September 4, 2012
1) Last year I flew Edinburgh--Heathrow--SFO and had 2 hours/had to change terminals. It was totally fine. I had time to get a sandwich and everything.
2) I didn't have checked luggage so I dunno!
3) That looks like what I remember. But I just asked someone and they pointed me in the right direction.
Glasgow: I had a super delicious vegetarian sandwich (and delicious beer) at Mono which is also a record store/sometimes music venue. The Necropolis really is great if you're not too tired.
Edinburgh bonus questions: Kalpna is a supposedly delicious vegetarian Indian restaurant. Unfortunately it happened to be closed when I tried to go. I 2nd Henderson's. For book arts, you might want to check out Analogue Books. If you like coffee the Wellington Cafe had great ... coffee.
posted by grapesaresour at 11:42 AM on September 4, 2012
2) I didn't have checked luggage so I dunno!
3) That looks like what I remember. But I just asked someone and they pointed me in the right direction.
Glasgow: I had a super delicious vegetarian sandwich (and delicious beer) at Mono which is also a record store/sometimes music venue. The Necropolis really is great if you're not too tired.
Edinburgh bonus questions: Kalpna is a supposedly delicious vegetarian Indian restaurant. Unfortunately it happened to be closed when I tried to go. I 2nd Henderson's. For book arts, you might want to check out Analogue Books. If you like coffee the Wellington Cafe had great ... coffee.
posted by grapesaresour at 11:42 AM on September 4, 2012
These are more cafes than restaurants but are vegetarian/vegan and in the end of town you want from the Necropolis.
13th Note
Mono
These are about 80 yards apart so you can sample both.
There are also a number of Indian Restaurants in the Merchant City area that will have buffets and serve vegetarian food.
posted by stuartmm at 11:52 AM on September 4, 2012
13th Note
Mono
These are about 80 yards apart so you can sample both.
There are also a number of Indian Restaurants in the Merchant City area that will have buffets and serve vegetarian food.
posted by stuartmm at 11:52 AM on September 4, 2012
Best answer: I flew Logan > Heathrow > Glasgow just last month!
(1) No, the layover should not be a problem. You will have to haul ass on the return trip.
(2) I just flew Logan > Heathrow with AA, then BA to Glasgow and I did NOT have to pick up my checked baggage. I expect it's the same on the way home, but I guess you should also ask the airline.
As an aside, I did not have a great experience with the AA flight - there is no communication between them and BA, which meant I couldn't check in online, and when a mistake was made with the booking (long story - our fault not the airline's!) it was a frantic experience trying to get it changed. You will need to leave yourself more time at the airport if you can't check in online.
(3) If you just look for signs for the AA terminal (Terminal 3), they will eventually lead you to a shuttle. You basically get shepherded there. I don't know about the picture - the shuttle parks between two big walls of dark glass doors, and the doors open on one side to let people out, then on your side to let you in. I did not get a good look at the actual shuttle. Like I (and others) said, just follow the signs! Very easy!
Glasgow: I am seconding Mono - I have been there a couple of times and the food is always super delicious! It is not displayed, but it's all vegan and SO GOOD. Also, you're in luck! The same company has a number of restaurants/bars, one of which, Stereo, is right around the corner from Central station, down a little alley! Same food! I have also eaten there twice. It is SO GOOD! Did I say that already? Yum!
Have only been to Edinburgh for a day, so I don't feel qualified to answer the others. I hope you have a GREAT time and the weather cooperates!
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 11:57 AM on September 4, 2012
(1) No, the layover should not be a problem. You will have to haul ass on the return trip.
(2) I just flew Logan > Heathrow with AA, then BA to Glasgow and I did NOT have to pick up my checked baggage. I expect it's the same on the way home, but I guess you should also ask the airline.
As an aside, I did not have a great experience with the AA flight - there is no communication between them and BA, which meant I couldn't check in online, and when a mistake was made with the booking (long story - our fault not the airline's!) it was a frantic experience trying to get it changed. You will need to leave yourself more time at the airport if you can't check in online.
(3) If you just look for signs for the AA terminal (Terminal 3), they will eventually lead you to a shuttle. You basically get shepherded there. I don't know about the picture - the shuttle parks between two big walls of dark glass doors, and the doors open on one side to let people out, then on your side to let you in. I did not get a good look at the actual shuttle. Like I (and others) said, just follow the signs! Very easy!
Glasgow: I am seconding Mono - I have been there a couple of times and the food is always super delicious! It is not displayed, but it's all vegan and SO GOOD. Also, you're in luck! The same company has a number of restaurants/bars, one of which, Stereo, is right around the corner from Central station, down a little alley! Same food! I have also eaten there twice. It is SO GOOD! Did I say that already? Yum!
Have only been to Edinburgh for a day, so I don't feel qualified to answer the others. I hope you have a GREAT time and the weather cooperates!
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 11:57 AM on September 4, 2012
For vegetarian food in Edinburgh, I absolutely recommend David Bann, I loved loved loved our dinner there. A bit more on upscale, but not at all overpriced.
posted by PardonMyFrench at 12:10 PM on September 4, 2012
posted by PardonMyFrench at 12:10 PM on September 4, 2012
Kalpna all the way for veggie Indian in Edinburgh, it's not just curry-in-a-dish. Mother India is not strictly veg but is very good too (K and MI are quite close to each other near the centre of town). Britannia Spice at Leith is also fantastic, decorated like the inside of a ship with waiters dressed like sailors. Plus what everyone else said. Oooh you are going to have fun.
If you like castles, Tantallon castle is close to Edinburgh and is sensational (and spectacular)... like a jungle gym for grown ups. (Much better than Edinburgh castle for my money - EC is extortionate and full of tourists but you kind of have to go)
Not sure about the weekly bus pass, but you can get the daily one from the driver.
posted by superfish at 12:40 PM on September 4, 2012
If you like castles, Tantallon castle is close to Edinburgh and is sensational (and spectacular)... like a jungle gym for grown ups. (Much better than Edinburgh castle for my money - EC is extortionate and full of tourists but you kind of have to go)
Not sure about the weekly bus pass, but you can get the daily one from the driver.
posted by superfish at 12:40 PM on September 4, 2012
When you travel back through LHR your luggage will have been checked through to your final destination. You just get off the first plane and follow the signs for connecting flights. You cannot miss these and they'll take you to the busses that ferry you to the other terminal. Once you get to the next terminal you may have to contact your airline's desk because they may not take your luggage if they don't know you're there and ready to board your connecting flight. Your check-in information will explain this if it is required. All of this was really a non issue the last time I did it. Just beware that T5, which is where you'll arrive, is nothing like the other terminals. Be prepared to do a lot of walking from the terminal area to your gate on the way back at the other terminal...
Indian food is about as common in the UK as Mexican food is in the US....you can get as much Indian food as your heart desires pretty much anywhere in the UK.
posted by koahiatamadl at 12:56 PM on September 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
Indian food is about as common in the UK as Mexican food is in the US....you can get as much Indian food as your heart desires pretty much anywhere in the UK.
posted by koahiatamadl at 12:56 PM on September 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
Hi. Frequent LHR user here, for the past 10 years or so, mostly to and from NA, sometimes connecting on elsewhere.
Two hours is enough of a layover if nothing goes wrong. Heathrow delights in finding new ways to go wrong for travellers, though. My rule for the last few years I lived in London was three hours. Never assume that your flights in and out of Heathrow are going to run on time, basically.
I'll second Ruthless Bunny's comment about hauling ass to Passport Control, too. All you need is one large plane to arrive a little late, and they'll get jammed up like you wouldn't believe.
posted by Kreiger at 1:56 PM on September 4, 2012
Two hours is enough of a layover if nothing goes wrong. Heathrow delights in finding new ways to go wrong for travellers, though. My rule for the last few years I lived in London was three hours. Never assume that your flights in and out of Heathrow are going to run on time, basically.
I'll second Ruthless Bunny's comment about hauling ass to Passport Control, too. All you need is one large plane to arrive a little late, and they'll get jammed up like you wouldn't believe.
posted by Kreiger at 1:56 PM on September 4, 2012
I did the same exact flight, BA and all. Luggage was carried though to the final destination. I recall we had tight turnarounds, but not much morethan that, other than we had enough time to get where we needed to go. It was a pretty low-stress experience both ways.
I wish I could remember more about the bus (we also rode from Leith), but I can tell you we used the bus more than we thought, so ended up with the day passes after the second day. These were purchased from the driver. Drivers were super helpful and nice, which was great because we live in the suburbs and aren't regular mass transit users.
One day we actually ended up buying the double decker tourist bus tickets. The ones with the audible tour... They had hop-on hop-off daily passes, and this was pretty good for seeing the sights and getting to the major tourist spots. This is not normally my thing, but I would recommend it here.
I know you're not asking for food recommendations for Edinburgh, but our aunt took us to this fabulous place that is probably not well known to tourists, so I wanted to give it a mention. I remember there being a number of veg options. http://www.urban-angel.co.uk/
We did not do the whisky experience, as it just seemed too gimmicky and we were going to visit a working distillery on another leg of our trip. But, my husband is a home brewer and we really enjoyed learning the process, which begins like beer brewing. so it could be worth checking out for that purpose. Neither one of us were whisky fans, but after the tastings, he now loves the stuff, and I will drink it when the occasion is right. Go figure.
posted by smalls at 3:12 PM on September 4, 2012
I wish I could remember more about the bus (we also rode from Leith), but I can tell you we used the bus more than we thought, so ended up with the day passes after the second day. These were purchased from the driver. Drivers were super helpful and nice, which was great because we live in the suburbs and aren't regular mass transit users.
One day we actually ended up buying the double decker tourist bus tickets. The ones with the audible tour... They had hop-on hop-off daily passes, and this was pretty good for seeing the sights and getting to the major tourist spots. This is not normally my thing, but I would recommend it here.
I know you're not asking for food recommendations for Edinburgh, but our aunt took us to this fabulous place that is probably not well known to tourists, so I wanted to give it a mention. I remember there being a number of veg options. http://www.urban-angel.co.uk/
We did not do the whisky experience, as it just seemed too gimmicky and we were going to visit a working distillery on another leg of our trip. But, my husband is a home brewer and we really enjoyed learning the process, which begins like beer brewing. so it could be worth checking out for that purpose. Neither one of us were whisky fans, but after the tastings, he now loves the stuff, and I will drink it when the occasion is right. Go figure.
posted by smalls at 3:12 PM on September 4, 2012
Best answer: Lothian Buses:
I take the bus every day from Leith into town, and you're right, you probably don't want to walk it, especially if you're walking through the day too. And yeah, the exact change thing is a pain in the arse. I have a Ridacard - there's nothing on this page to suggest that they're for residents only. When you do your sums, bear in mind there's a £3 one off charge for the card itself, so the minimum you could spend would be £20 - still cheaper than 7 day tickets, though.
You can buy the day tickets for £3.50, either from the driver as you get on the bus, or you can buy them in advance as scratchcards, which are easier to not lose over the course of a day (the ones you get on the bus just look like a little paper bus ticket and are sooo easy to throw away/scrunch up in a pocket back and never see again). Even if you think now that you might only make two bus trips per day, it can actually be really handy to have a day pass or Ridacard so you feel free to take short trips and cut down a little on your walking in town. For example, if you go to Kalpna, as suggested above, WHICH YOU MUST, you could jump on a bus on the Bridges heading south and save yourself a walk that would otherwise be 20-30 minutes.
Both the Ridacards and the scratchcard day tickets are available from the Travelshops in the city centre - I use the one next to Waverley Station, where they're well informed, if not particularly cheerful! The travelshops also have lots of timetables you can pick up.
The biggest tip of all for anyone travelling on Lothian buses is to download the EdinBus app, which is free and amazing and fantastic. It tells in you in real time how long there is to wait until every single bus arrives at every single stop in Edinburgh, which means you can sit in the pub until your bus is just a couple of minutes away and then dash out just in time to catch it. It's based on satnav thingies on the roof of the bus, not the timetables, so is pretty accurate even when there's heavy traffic or roadworks. There are always roadworks in Edinburgh. Everywhere. (Looking at their website: EdinBus, which was developed by a third party, is for iPhone, looks like there's one called My Bus Edinburgh for Android which I've not tried).
Other stuff:
You could try and fix up a tour of the Caley Brewery. They even do one which includes an Indian buffet! They have to be booked in advance, though, so get on the case now. That's the only one of the old Edinburgh breweries that's still going in the city.
Get yourself along to Owl and Lion in the Grassmarket, which describes itself as "an artistic endeavor led by Master Bookbinder Isabelle Ting". It's also near the many secondhand bookshops of West Port, which a lovely corner of town for a bibliophile to while away some time (coincidentally it is the same part of town that's also known as the Pubic Triangle because of the number of strip clubs and brothels, but doesn't feel at all threatening during the day). Make sure you pop into Edinburgh Books to say hello to Clarence the Water Buffalo and get lost in its labyrinthine book-lined basement.
I'll probably think of more once I've posted this, but that'll do for now. Feel free to MeMail me if you have any questions!
posted by penguin pie at 3:22 PM on September 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
I take the bus every day from Leith into town, and you're right, you probably don't want to walk it, especially if you're walking through the day too. And yeah, the exact change thing is a pain in the arse. I have a Ridacard - there's nothing on this page to suggest that they're for residents only. When you do your sums, bear in mind there's a £3 one off charge for the card itself, so the minimum you could spend would be £20 - still cheaper than 7 day tickets, though.
You can buy the day tickets for £3.50, either from the driver as you get on the bus, or you can buy them in advance as scratchcards, which are easier to not lose over the course of a day (the ones you get on the bus just look like a little paper bus ticket and are sooo easy to throw away/scrunch up in a pocket back and never see again). Even if you think now that you might only make two bus trips per day, it can actually be really handy to have a day pass or Ridacard so you feel free to take short trips and cut down a little on your walking in town. For example, if you go to Kalpna, as suggested above, WHICH YOU MUST, you could jump on a bus on the Bridges heading south and save yourself a walk that would otherwise be 20-30 minutes.
Both the Ridacards and the scratchcard day tickets are available from the Travelshops in the city centre - I use the one next to Waverley Station, where they're well informed, if not particularly cheerful! The travelshops also have lots of timetables you can pick up.
The biggest tip of all for anyone travelling on Lothian buses is to download the EdinBus app, which is free and amazing and fantastic. It tells in you in real time how long there is to wait until every single bus arrives at every single stop in Edinburgh, which means you can sit in the pub until your bus is just a couple of minutes away and then dash out just in time to catch it. It's based on satnav thingies on the roof of the bus, not the timetables, so is pretty accurate even when there's heavy traffic or roadworks. There are always roadworks in Edinburgh. Everywhere. (Looking at their website: EdinBus, which was developed by a third party, is for iPhone, looks like there's one called My Bus Edinburgh for Android which I've not tried).
Other stuff:
You could try and fix up a tour of the Caley Brewery. They even do one which includes an Indian buffet! They have to be booked in advance, though, so get on the case now. That's the only one of the old Edinburgh breweries that's still going in the city.
Get yourself along to Owl and Lion in the Grassmarket, which describes itself as "an artistic endeavor led by Master Bookbinder Isabelle Ting". It's also near the many secondhand bookshops of West Port, which a lovely corner of town for a bibliophile to while away some time (coincidentally it is the same part of town that's also known as the Pubic Triangle because of the number of strip clubs and brothels, but doesn't feel at all threatening during the day). Make sure you pop into Edinburgh Books to say hello to Clarence the Water Buffalo and get lost in its labyrinthine book-lined basement.
I'll probably think of more once I've posted this, but that'll do for now. Feel free to MeMail me if you have any questions!
posted by penguin pie at 3:22 PM on September 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh wait, you did ask for food in Edinburgh! I just reread the bonus section. Not sure if this is what you had in mind as a bookbinder related thong, but the Literary Pub Tour was fabulous. I can't get the site to load because my ipad is crappy, but google it and you'll be good. This was recommended to me by another Mefite.
posted by smalls at 3:23 PM on September 4, 2012
posted by smalls at 3:23 PM on September 4, 2012
Oh, and where are you staying in Leith? If it's one of the hotels or holiday apartments in Newhaven or Western Harbour, you'll be close to a little clutch of restaurants around the lovely Newhaven Harbour which would be worth a visit if you enjoy fish rather than just tolerate it: the fabulous Thai restaurant Port of Siam (which is tiny - book in advance) and Loch Fyne, a fish restaurant located in the beautiful old fish market building, probably best to book in advance on weekends (Newhaven Harbour is also home to a reasonable pizza place and a dreadful Brewer's Fayre chain pub). There's also The Haven Cafe, a fabulous wee cafe with delicious home baking, which is easily overlooked because it's in the most unprepossessing location, opposite a flour factory.
If you're up near the Shore, you're into Michelin-starred pricey pricey restaurants, but the very popular Chinese restaurant Chop Chop is nearby and looks to have a decent selection of veggie and tofu dishes. I can vouch for its garlicky aubergine (egg plant) thingy being amazing.
posted by penguin pie at 3:45 PM on September 4, 2012
If you're up near the Shore, you're into Michelin-starred pricey pricey restaurants, but the very popular Chinese restaurant Chop Chop is nearby and looks to have a decent selection of veggie and tofu dishes. I can vouch for its garlicky aubergine (egg plant) thingy being amazing.
posted by penguin pie at 3:45 PM on September 4, 2012
We stayed at the Brunswick in Glasgow when we were there (all too briefly) a couple of years ago. It's in the Merchant City, and its attached restaurant (.pdf of menu) was pretty damn good. Their smoked haddock fish and chips was fantastic. We walked from there to the Necropolis without trouble.
posted by rtha at 4:12 PM on September 4, 2012
posted by rtha at 4:12 PM on September 4, 2012
Seconding Mono for food (and it's also the coolest indie record store in the world).
Glasgow's pretty safe and all, but I wouldn't want to wander around the Necropolis in the evening.
posted by scruss at 5:10 PM on September 4, 2012
Glasgow's pretty safe and all, but I wouldn't want to wander around the Necropolis in the evening.
posted by scruss at 5:10 PM on September 4, 2012
Best answer: I couldn't tell from your question whether you've already got rail travel around Scotland booked, but in case you haven't you should seriously consider a Freedom Of Scotland or Highland Rover ticket. These give you use of trains, buses and ferries in the described areas for a certain number of days out of a total stay (like 4 days out of 8) and they are a fantastic deal.
Seconding the use of buses in Edinburgh. Day tickets are very cheap really and they're basically worth it if you plan to take the bus twice (to and from Leith) just to not have to deal with loose change through the day. You'll also find that you may want to do that journey twice if you want to pop back to where you're staying to change or similar, plus Edinburgh is very hilly, so it can be handy if you're a bit footsore to hop on a bus going up the hill. The bus service in Edinburgh is very regular, so this can often be a good option. Seconding the recommendation for the Edinbus app. I'd caution getting a RIDACARD - they're easy enough to buy, but the application form only has UK address fields on it, so you may not be able to get one. There are contact details on the Lothian Buses website to ask that question.
If you're a bookbinder, you should visit the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish Poetry Library. Note that with the National Library you need to register to actually access the collections, but there are exhibitions on all the time.
The Scotch Whisky Experience is slightly tourist-trappy, but the actual experience is quite fun, you go around in a barrel of whisky seeing the history of whisky distillation in Scotland, then do a tasting session and then get to see an absolutely enormous collection. There aren't any distilleries in Edinburgh itself and the nearest one is Glenkinchie about 15 miles out of the city - it's a bit of an arse to get to without a car. The Caledonian Brewery does tours, but you need a minimum of five people - maybe you could rope some Mefites in?
posted by Happy Dave at 2:12 AM on September 5, 2012
Seconding the use of buses in Edinburgh. Day tickets are very cheap really and they're basically worth it if you plan to take the bus twice (to and from Leith) just to not have to deal with loose change through the day. You'll also find that you may want to do that journey twice if you want to pop back to where you're staying to change or similar, plus Edinburgh is very hilly, so it can be handy if you're a bit footsore to hop on a bus going up the hill. The bus service in Edinburgh is very regular, so this can often be a good option. Seconding the recommendation for the Edinbus app. I'd caution getting a RIDACARD - they're easy enough to buy, but the application form only has UK address fields on it, so you may not be able to get one. There are contact details on the Lothian Buses website to ask that question.
If you're a bookbinder, you should visit the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish Poetry Library. Note that with the National Library you need to register to actually access the collections, but there are exhibitions on all the time.
The Scotch Whisky Experience is slightly tourist-trappy, but the actual experience is quite fun, you go around in a barrel of whisky seeing the history of whisky distillation in Scotland, then do a tasting session and then get to see an absolutely enormous collection. There aren't any distilleries in Edinburgh itself and the nearest one is Glenkinchie about 15 miles out of the city - it's a bit of an arse to get to without a car. The Caledonian Brewery does tours, but you need a minimum of five people - maybe you could rope some Mefites in?
posted by Happy Dave at 2:12 AM on September 5, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks so much to everyone who has responded; every one of your has been helpful in some way. It's been a long time since either of us have traveled internationally (about 10 years for each of us; we were basically just kids), and this is the first real vacation I've ever had to plan, so I've probably been going a bit overboard worrying about how we'll get from place to place. The process of travel tends to stress me out, but once there I love to explore.
We will definitely rush on to Passport Control ASAP, and I'll call the airline to confirm about the luggage. (Honestly, we'd love to not check anything, but including handles and wheels, it looks like our suitcases are just barely above the maximum dimensions for this trip, although I think they'd be fine within the US.) Name changing isn't happening until after the honeymoon. We've already booked our train tickets, and did know about the Highland Rover, etc., but thanks for the tip!
As for Leith, we're renting a flat near The Shore, about a 10 minute walk from the Ocean Terminal (Not that shopping is our thing… but the flat looks gorgeous.) We'll be skipping the super-pricy restaurants if we ever eat out in that area (poor recent M.S. grad ahoy!). The plan is more lunches out and breakfast and dinners cooked ourselves, so that probably means that most of our eating out will not be in Leith.
Finally, thanks for all the food and book-arts recommendations! (And coffee—I can't believe I neglected to mention our love of good, non-charred-to-a-crisp black coffee.) We'll definitely be checking some of those out... particularly Kalpna, apparently. The Edinburgh portion of our trip is very much unscheduled, unlike the earlier part, so I'm sure we'll stumble across plenty of stuff on our own, but it's always great to have personal (rather than just guidebook) recommendations.
posted by divisjm at 5:28 AM on September 5, 2012
We will definitely rush on to Passport Control ASAP, and I'll call the airline to confirm about the luggage. (Honestly, we'd love to not check anything, but including handles and wheels, it looks like our suitcases are just barely above the maximum dimensions for this trip, although I think they'd be fine within the US.) Name changing isn't happening until after the honeymoon. We've already booked our train tickets, and did know about the Highland Rover, etc., but thanks for the tip!
As for Leith, we're renting a flat near The Shore, about a 10 minute walk from the Ocean Terminal (Not that shopping is our thing… but the flat looks gorgeous.) We'll be skipping the super-pricy restaurants if we ever eat out in that area (poor recent M.S. grad ahoy!). The plan is more lunches out and breakfast and dinners cooked ourselves, so that probably means that most of our eating out will not be in Leith.
Finally, thanks for all the food and book-arts recommendations! (And coffee—I can't believe I neglected to mention our love of good, non-charred-to-a-crisp black coffee.) We'll definitely be checking some of those out... particularly Kalpna, apparently. The Edinburgh portion of our trip is very much unscheduled, unlike the earlier part, so I'm sure we'll stumble across plenty of stuff on our own, but it's always great to have personal (rather than just guidebook) recommendations.
posted by divisjm at 5:28 AM on September 5, 2012
+1 for Kalpna.
Britannia Spice has never thrilled me, but Suruchi, just along the road is good. ('The list' is essential local Edinburgh info)
For great, innovative food at very good price, personal fave is The Dogs.
It is worth walking down (ie from Edinburgh to Leith) Leith Walk at least once, it's an adventure in itself! You'll also pass a number of good food shops; from the sounds of things you might like some of the Chinese supermarkets.
As a bookbinder you may be interested in The Police Museum which has a book bound in a rather unusual 'hide'...
Although not specifically bookbindery, the National Museum of Scotland is fascinating. (IMHO you wont miss much if you choose not to pay the extortionate entry for Edinburgh Castle.)
posted by BadMiker at 6:52 AM on September 5, 2012
Britannia Spice has never thrilled me, but Suruchi, just along the road is good. ('The list' is essential local Edinburgh info)
For great, innovative food at very good price, personal fave is The Dogs.
It is worth walking down (ie from Edinburgh to Leith) Leith Walk at least once, it's an adventure in itself! You'll also pass a number of good food shops; from the sounds of things you might like some of the Chinese supermarkets.
As a bookbinder you may be interested in The Police Museum which has a book bound in a rather unusual 'hide'...
Although not specifically bookbindery, the National Museum of Scotland is fascinating. (IMHO you wont miss much if you choose not to pay the extortionate entry for Edinburgh Castle.)
posted by BadMiker at 6:52 AM on September 5, 2012
Best answer: As a follow-up for anyone consulting this thread in the future:
—Getting around Heathrow was simpler than expected. I really should not have been worried. Our luggage went straight through on both legs of our trip, but we did have to check into the AA portion at Heathrow on our return trip—annoying, but our first flight was close to on time, so although we didn't have more than 10 minutes of down time, the layover wasn't a problem in this case.
—The RIDACARD is great. Supposedly you can still get one if you're not a resident, but we were asked for our UK address specifically when filling out the form, so that's what we used.
—In Glasgow we ate at Stereo, and in Edinburgh we tried Henderson's, David Bann, Kalpna (twice!), and Wellington Coffee, amongst others. David Bann and Kalpna were particular favorites.
—Owl & Lion is my new favorite place on earth. The National Museum of Scotland was also incredible (it was already on our list, actually, but since it was mentioned here...). Edinburgh Castle was interesting, although not incredible, which is more or less what we expected—we didn't make it to Tantallon, unfortunately—and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh was stunning. (Pay for the glasshouses; it's worth it.)
That's obviously not a summary of everything that was stunning, delicious, and lovely in our travels, but they are definite recommendations for anyone else visiting Edinburgh, etc.
posted by divisjm at 11:04 AM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]
—Getting around Heathrow was simpler than expected. I really should not have been worried. Our luggage went straight through on both legs of our trip, but we did have to check into the AA portion at Heathrow on our return trip—annoying, but our first flight was close to on time, so although we didn't have more than 10 minutes of down time, the layover wasn't a problem in this case.
—The RIDACARD is great. Supposedly you can still get one if you're not a resident, but we were asked for our UK address specifically when filling out the form, so that's what we used.
—In Glasgow we ate at Stereo, and in Edinburgh we tried Henderson's, David Bann, Kalpna (twice!), and Wellington Coffee, amongst others. David Bann and Kalpna were particular favorites.
—Owl & Lion is my new favorite place on earth. The National Museum of Scotland was also incredible (it was already on our list, actually, but since it was mentioned here...). Edinburgh Castle was interesting, although not incredible, which is more or less what we expected—we didn't make it to Tantallon, unfortunately—and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh was stunning. (Pay for the glasshouses; it's worth it.)
That's obviously not a summary of everything that was stunning, delicious, and lovely in our travels, but they are definite recommendations for anyone else visiting Edinburgh, etc.
posted by divisjm at 11:04 AM on September 25, 2012 [2 favorites]
Oh hooray - so glad you liked Owl and Lion, Kalpna and the Ridacard! *Warm glow* Enjoy newly-wed life :)
posted by penguin pie at 3:13 PM on September 25, 2012
posted by penguin pie at 3:13 PM on September 25, 2012
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posted by something something at 10:49 AM on September 4, 2012