Neverending Top Ten #6.3: Edinburgh

Our annual boy's getaway took us north this year, including a day in Edinburgh, a place I've long wanted to visit but never had the chance. We drove up from Carlisle in the morning, and my first impression of Scotland was that the roads are amazing. Amazing in that I hardly saw another driver as we took the scenic route through the Borders, and even the motorways were a delight to drive on. The occasional lorry on the inside lane which you pulled out to pass, but none of the horrors you get round these parts. It's telling that on our return journey down the M6, within 30 seconds of passing the border back into England, the motorway was closed down to one lane and everybody started queueing again. Welcome home!

The highlight of Edinburgh for Sam was the Dungeon, where they put on a great educational show with quite a few scares. I was singled out as having the plague and almost ended up as lunch for the local cannibals, so not that different from a night out in Barnsley. After that, we explored the city and worked our way up to the castle, which has a spectacular view and amazing history, but is rather spoilt by the utter touristification of the place (Sam preferred the far less grand environs of Carlisle Castle, because it felt more real). Sadly, we didn't have time to climb up Arthur's Seat, though we did get down to the rather incongruous parliament building... which was taped off by police barricades as someone had thrown paint all over its weird 70s sci-fi film entrance. We also didn't have time to venture into the underground... but I guess that's something for next time. We'll definitely be back.

One curious observation about our time in the city... every charity shop we passed was closed. Some just for the day, or just for the afternoon. It was almost as though they'd heard we were coming and were saving their wares for someone else. I can't imagine who.

Here's a great tune about Edinburgh Castle by a native son... 

Edinburgh Castle hugging the sky

Cold grey stone, humourless and dry

Sitting like a cork on top of the town

One of these days I'm gonna blow you down

And here's some lads from up the road in Auchtermuchty...

Depending on your viewpoint

This place is blessed or cursed

And in the years I've lived here

I've seen the best and worst

An air of sordid passion

A look of dirty grace

But not right in your face

It's not that kind of place