Out & About in Edinburgh: A Whirlwind Visit

I recently took a whirlwind, thirty-six hour visit to Edinburgh to see my university friends Nic and Sarah who were visiting from South Africa. I flew up on the Tuesday morning from London City Airport and returned, thirty-six thousand steps later, on Wednesday evening.

There were so many interesting things to see as we pottered about. These were some of my favourites sights.

Six pigeon statuettes stand in front of a clock in Edinburgh

There are two things you'll see if you drive around the Scottish lowlands - heather and grouse. Naturally, I thought these little statuettes were grouse but I was wrong! Located on Leith Walk, they are pigeons and were sculpted by Shona Kinloch.

Don't you love the clock in the background? I love the standing clocks seen in towns and cities around the world.

Album covers hanging from the ceiling

We popped into Vinyl Villains for a look around. This tiny store was a collector's treasure trove, full of both vintage and current vinyl, CDs and even VHS tapes.

Pretty Houses in Edinburgh

We walked up Windsor Street and stopped to admire these pretty houses.

Greenside Parish Church, Edinburgh

I was very amused to see Greenside Parish Church because I went to Greenside High School in Johannesburg. Many suburb names in Jo'burg come from Scotland including Blairgowrie, where I lived, and Craighall, where I went to primary school.

Rooftops seen from Calton Hill, Edinburgh

We walked up Calton Hill, which I'll tell you all about in my next post, and enjoyed views for miles.

Tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots, National Museum of Scotland

On our second day, we visited the National Museum of Scotland where I saw a cast of the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots. The original lies in Westminster Abbey.

Scott Monument, Edinburgh

This was my second visit to Edinburgh and the first time I managed to get a decent photo of the Scott Memorial. I blame it on the unpredictable weather and the fact that monuments and buildings aren't whitewashed in Edinburgh like they are in London. It was established in 1994 that cleaning the Scott Monument would do more harm than good.

Did you know that the Scott Monument is dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, author of Waverley and Ivanhoe? I didn't until this trip. I thought it was the 'Scot monument' and a dedication to the people of Scotland.

Edinburgh Sign at Edinburgh Airport

Another sight I'd previously failed to capture - and I've been to Edinburgh airport three times - was the Edinburgh sign. Last time there were tons of people in front of it and none of them were my loved ones!

In the next posts, I'll tell you all about our trip up Calton Hill, a ghost tour, a very pretty street, and a visit to the Scottish National Gallery. In the meantime, you can read all about my previous visits to Scotland and the lovely towns we visited.

25 comments on "Out & About in Edinburgh: A Whirlwind Visit"
  1. Thank you on taking me on your tour to Edinburgh, a city I haven't visited for many years.

    We have always stopped short of the border in Northumberland and Newcastle. Both are well worth an adventure :-)

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    1. Cherie, as always I'm catching up months after the fact! I haven't been to either Newcastle or Northumberland yet but both are high on my list. I'm hoping to visit Newcastle next year!

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  2. So many beautiful photos from one of my favourite cities, Mandy. I am glad to see you had a great time with your friends. I lived down the Leith Walk and walked up and down a million times during my time in the city, but don't remember the lovely sculpture of pigeons by Shona Kinloch being there. It must be fairly new. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day :) Aiva xx

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    1. How marvellous it must have been to live in Edinburgh!

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  3. Thank you for sharing Edinburgh with us. I have only ever had two very fleeting visits, so all you are showing is new to me

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    1. My visits have been fleeting too - I'm glad I got to explore a little in depth on this trip

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  4. Not only are the terraced homes more beautiful to look at, they also allow for somewhat more dense housing without blocks of flats. Just adding some bushes out the front would make this part of Edinburgh greener.

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    1. They are indeed beautiful! The pavements are very narrow but luckily they have the green space of Calton Hill mere metres away!

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  5. Very busy and sweet visit to Edinburgh. I visited it a long time ago and really loved it despite the gloomy weather in summer

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    1. I imagine it's better in the rain and gloom than during heatwaves!

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  6. fine post and a number of excellent shots, i have had the pleasure of having a short visit over a decade ago so i am pleased to see some of the landmarks (such as the Scott memorial) through your eyes.

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    1. It's always fun to see places we've been to on other people's blogs!

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  7. The city view from the hill is really stunning. Thanks for

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    1. It's so beautiful. Thanks for popping by!

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  8. This is another wonderful trip you take us on, Mandy. I never was in Edinburgh and it looks lik a city full of history. I love your point of view of the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots. The details are stunning. I am looking forward to the rest of the tour.
    Have a wonderful day.

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    1. It is indeed a city drenched in history - I enjoyed learning a tiny bit more about that history on this trip.

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  9. I quite like overviews like this, Mandy, before I settle down and get organized with the particulars of a trip...which is what I'm doing now on Brittany. I was in Edinburgh once, in 2005, but was only there for a few hours while picking up our rental car for a week of castles. I'd go back in a heartbeat, if I had the chance, especially to see what you've shown here.

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    1. A week of castles sounds amazing! We did that in northern Wales, I loved it. You're so right, sometimes it takes a moment to organise photos of trips

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  10. I've never been to Edinburgh, only to the Highlands to a timeshare my late stepfather used to have. That dates me doesn't it - do timeshares even exist any more? Anyway, I have ancestors from Edinburgh and my brother visited and tried to find some of the houses they lived in from census records. Only one still remained. Enjoyed the post as it's great to see places you don't know!

    Oh and I have that album LAMF in the first row - I loved the Heartbreakers!

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    1. I love the idea of timeshare - I'm finally at a stage in life where I could consider it and now it doesn't seem to be a thing! Were you a punk, Mandy? I was a goth! Loved my dark and broody times (I only sold my Docs last year!!)

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  11. Mandy at Chateau Moorhen31 July 2024 at 18:21

    By the way, why did I think you were a 30-something? I was amazed to see 50th birthday, in fact I looked closer at the screen thinking it must have said 30! You certainly don't look 50. :-)

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    1. Heh! I think age and menopause are finally catching up with me now!

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  12. Your whirlwind trip to Edinburgh sounds delightful and packed with charming discoveries! From the quirky pigeon statuettes on Leith Walk to the historical sights like the Scott Monument and the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots, it seems you experienced a wonderful mix of old and new. The Vinyl Villains store and the scenic views from Calton Hill must have been highlights as well. Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures in your next posts.

    Read my new blog post.

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