There are so many things to see in the beautiful and interesting city of Edinburgh and we will focus on the attractions which cannot be missed if you are lucky enough to get there.

First and foremost there is the Edinburgh Castle which is magnificent both in the light of day and also when it is illuminated at night giving it an added enchanted, almost magical touch. The castle is a treasure chest of historical jewels which unravel a veil of exciting stories of old. If you are really lucky and you visit Edinburgh in the summer which is really the best time to do so then you will see the city in its full glory during the Edinburgh Festival and at the castle you will be able to book to see the Edinburgh Military Tattoo which is a once in a lifetime multi-sensory entertainment experience.

As far as the Edinburgh Festival is concerned, everything, including accommodation needs to be booked well in advance. CheapHotels.org is a good website if you are looking for budget hotels in Edinburgh. Via this site you will be able to find a cheap hotel in the city center of Edinburgh.

Once you have left the castle in all its glory behind you, the Royal Mile awaits you leading from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House which is the official home of the British monarch in Scotland and consequently closed to the public during the summer months. This famous mile, also known as the “High Street” is actually made up of several streets full of interesting shops, restaurants, pubs and hotels along the way, each one telling a new and interesting tale. You need at least two days to really appreciate the Royal Mile but if you don’t have much time then you should choose which of the main attractions along the way interest you the most and focus on visiting them. The main attractions of the Royal Mile are the Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyrood, St. Giles Cathedral. Mary King’s Close, Camera Obscura, Tolbooth Kirk and the Heart of Midlothian.

Art lovers must visit the National Gallery of Scotland which holds a very impressive collection of European sculptures and paintings. The foundation stone was laid by Prince Albert in 1850 and it was opened in 1859.

For something nice to do outside then the Royal Botanical Gardens is the place to go. It has all different types of flowers and plants from exotic orchids to heather. It is a very colorful experience and should not be missed. You can find these spectacular gardens to the north of the city centre.

For something a little different and also extremely interesting you might pay a visit to the Lady Victoria Colliery and /or Prestongrange which are two mines that make up the Scottish Mining museum whose aim is to educate people about the Scottish mining industry which is an important part of Scottish history. At the mines you can see actual machinery that was used by the miners and you get a real feel for the tough work the miners had to do.

There are an endless number of attractions to see in Edinburgh – the only question remains is how to fit it all in, in one trip.

Cassie

The Eagle of the Ninth filming is going on all around Windyhill cottage at the moment so you may well see some famous people in the area.

The Eagle of the Ninth is a forthcoming film adaptation of the 1954 historical adventure novel of the same name by Rosemary Sutcliffe. Directed by Kevin Macdonald from a script by Jeremy Brock, the film is set in the second century AD and tells of a young Roman officer’s search to discover the truth about the disappearance of his father’s legion in the north of Britain. The story is based on the legend of the Ninth Legion.

The film stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland and Mark Strong. Filming began on August 24, 2009 and will take place in Hungary and Scotland.

Hi mark

Yes we had a wonderful time at the cottage.

Will definitely be in touch next year to try and arrange another break.

Many thanks

Paul

HI Mark,

Sorry to not get back sooner.

We had a fantastic time at the cottage, so much so that we’ve booked again for the same week next year. The cottage is one of the best we’ve stayed in and the visitors book was a mine of useful information about things to do & see in the area. The highlight of the week was climbing Stac Polly in low cloud cover and coming across a pair of golden eagles soaring in the white out on the top .

Ali

Hi Mark

Whilst we were there we did the glenlivet distillery tour which was excellent. It was free, lasted about 40 mins and we got a free whisky at the end. More info on the distillery site.

I’m more than happy to sign your guest book to tell people how lovely your cottage was inside and out. Compared to a lot of holiday cottages it was well maintained, the kitchen was well equiped and I thought the cost was very reasonable. There was also a huge amount of communal space – you could consider having a sofa bed in the smaller of the lounges to accommodate a couple more people when neccessary?

Thanks and best wishes with your business.

Kate

Hi Mark

We had a great time, that is the third time we have been up and our second time at windyhill. The weather could not have beem better.

Regards Margaret

Dear Mark

Sorry meant to email you but forgot. We had another great stay – the house
was lovely, clean and well equipped.

We did the usual things for us in NW Scotland – hill walking and climbing
(at Reiff).

I’m sure we’ll be back!

Regards
Sarah & John