Scotland! Aye!

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

This may or may not be inspired by my current whereabouts.

21 Scotland icons
Bases by myself for a change.
For everything else see my resource post.
Textless icons are not bases.
Please credit either eumelkeks or icondothat.
Comments are love, hotlinking is a no-go and credit is requested.


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Comments

[punkheid.livejournal.com]

:D!! Despite being born near Glasgow, I confess to not calling them hairy coos. (Highlan' coos.) Where did you hear the hairy? I really love the colours, so whipping a few. Thank you!

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

Our tour guide was from Glasgow and he said that everyone would call them hairy coos. Which was confirmed by some people living here. Anyway, maybe that means you're an Edinburger at heart? :D

[punkheid.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhh, such a cruel strike to the heart! I deserve some Glaswegian credit for the coos part at least! Actually, my dad is always telling me that I've become a traitorous East-coaster now that I've moved to Edinburgh. *weeps quietly into corruptive Edinburgh University bag*

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

I'm only here in Edinburgh for another week and I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME! I love this city so much.

[punkheid.livejournal.com]

Despite any and all protestations, me too. The atmosphere's amazing. Ahhh, so little time! Have you been to The Forest and Kilimanjaro and Blackford Pond and The Meadows and The Little Bead Shop and The Cameo and the Pentlands and Marchmont and Old College and St. Giles' Cathedral? There are so many places to see in Edinburgh. I wish you luck in spending your last week there happily :)

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

I walk past Kilimanjaro every day and it looks so cosy and inviting. Is it really good? I was in St Giles twice before but managed to see it again yesterday. The Meadows are awesome but I prefer Arthur's Seat for relaxation and the purpose of wandering around away from the city. Any tips? What do I have to do before I leave?

[punkheid.livejournal.com]

I really love it! The coffee machine is incredibly noisy, but if you're good at tuning out loud noises so that they just become a background hum, it's got a really good atmosphere for doing other things while eating/drinking - I always make earrings when I'm in there. The food is quite expensive, but the chocolate cake, and scones with clotted cream and jam are SO GOOD. And the milkshakes! And the iced coffee (basically a coffee milkshake), ahh. Oooh, and the cappucinos. And the soup is usually pretty tasty. I may have spent a large portion of last year living there <.< >.>

Have you been to any of the folk music pubs? Do you like Scottish folk music for that matter? If you do, and you haven't visited them yet, I think something you have to see is Sandy Bells or The Royal Oak on a Friday or Saturday night (though do you have either of those before you leave?), when they're filled with amateur folk musicians. Or you could go to Edinburgh Uni's Folk Society meeting, which is from around 8pm on Tuesdays in the Pleasance, and open to the public (though it's almost always just students, they're very welcoming). The Folk Society are usually better musicians (though with a smattering of awful singers), but both have fantastic atmospheres, with lots of banter, especially Folk Soc.

If you like wandering around in less city-centreish places, Blackford pond and the hill it's joined on to, Braids, are quite relaxing and quiet. The Pentlands are really stunning if you fancy a proper day trip away from the city (though it doesn't take very long to get out there, it can be proper hiking and so take a full day).

If you like hippies, The Forest Café is sometimes pretty amazing. In my first year at uni it was my absolute favourite place, but because it's just run by volunteers, the atmosphere changes all the time, and when I was last there it was a lot less exciting, much more clean-cut, with fewer strange objects hanging from the ceiling, and more matching furniture. It's impossible to tell if it's still like that though! It could be brilliant again... Have you been into Bedlam? If not, it's a red-doored theatre, who often have some interesting things on. They usually have The Improverts on Friday at 10pm - hilarious improvised comedy. I have an incredible affection for the Piemaker on Nicholson, particularly the pizza rolls and chocolate and coconut squares. And Chocolate Soup near St. Giles! If you randomly happen to love beads and jewellery making, there's a fantastic shop, the Bead Gallery, in Tollcross. OHHH! Do you like Indian food? If so, the Mezbaan in Tollcross is my favourite Indian restaurant ever, their vegetarian dishes are incredible, and the Rogan Josh is always getting rave reviews. Their paneer and peshwari naans are so delicious. The Red Fort is another Indian restuarant just off Nicholson Street, with all-you-can-eat lunch menus, and though I haven't actually eaten there, everyone is always telling me that it's epic.

What sort of things have you loved so far? Is there any specific sort of place you want to know more about (I sort of unintentially focused on food up there... Sorry...)

Alas, I'm actually living in Tokyo for the year XD Otherwise I'd've definitely offered to show you around any last places that you haven't seen yet! It would have been great - we seem to share a lot of fandoms, as well as love for Edinburgh.

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

I think I'll go to Kilimanjaro either tomorrow or on Thursday for some YUMMY. SCONES! ♥ Thanks for the tip. :D

As to pubs, I walked past the Royal Oak several times but there are so many pubs. If you don't know it's a treat...so thanks again for the tip. Will check it out before I leave.

I walk past the piemaker ever day and it's always empty, which is a bad sign, no? It's edible after all? And ZOMG all those other excellent tips! I wish I had had them two weeks ago! Woe.

[punkheid.livejournal.com]

I really hope you like it after I've built up your expectations like this :S Let me know what you think! I love scones! I miss them :( The Japanese don't have ovens, and I haven't seen scones for sale so far.

I'm shocked that the Piemaker is always empty! I don't know if I've ever seen it empty before o.O They must have changed their recipes or their prices or something. This is worrying. They're my late night stand-by!

I asked my girlfriend what things she would recommend, so here are some more:

The Botanic Gardens, a day trip to Roslyn Chapel, a walk from Bedlam theatre down to the Grassmarket (such a classic windy Edinburgh street), The Mosque Kitchen (a phenomenally cheap yet delicious Indian restaurant only open around lunch time, just off Nicholson Street, predictably behind the mosque. The lamb curry, rice, and daal are especially good), Calton Hill, the Sir Walter Scott monument.

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

NO OVENS? HOW DO YOU SURVIVE?

I went to the Kilimanjaro today and had a scone with cream and jam on your behalf. It was delicious. ♥

It is really weird about the Piemaker. I'm always so tempted to go in but even around 1pm, when everyone's getting lunch, there are like three forlorn creatures while Gregg's is overrun and people are queuing to get in. Crazy.

I did most of the touristy stuff when I was here before. Thrice. Yes, I really love the city. *lol* So castle, Botanic Garden, Scott's Monument - been there, done that. I did mostly free sights this time around, apart from my trip to the Highlands and Craigmillar Castle, which is such a lovely ruin. I need to come back and do all the stuff I've missed this time.

[punkheid.livejournal.com]

It is truly difficult! I have a toaster oven that can bake cookies and brownie-like things, but everything else would just burn to a crisp before it was cooked in the middle D: Although I have grown to adore Japanese food, I am deeply looking forward to baked goods once again. I do have a bread-maker at least!

Thank you :D And I'm really glad that you agree as to Kilimanjaro's foodstuffs' deliciousness.

Ahhh, Gregg's is another mystery - I think their food is revolting, but pretty much everyone I know is a diehard fan. It's bewildering. Are you too a Gregg's-lover? Perhaps those three lost souls are the only remaining sane people amidst the hoards of ravening Gregg's fans.

Ahaha, I see! I got the impression that you'd either been to Edinburgh before, or been there for ages. Craigmillar Castle sounds familiar, but I'm not sure whether or not I've actually been there... Hmm. If and when you do come back, the offer of Free Tourguide to Mostly Places to Eat will probably still be up, unless I have taken off unexpectedly to another country :)

[punkheid.livejournal.com]

Ah, and I meant to ask, how did you spend your last while there? Did you manage to pack in everything that you wanted to do?

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

Or...rather pushy, I know: are you in Edinburgh right now? Would you meet up with a fellow LJer? *tempts* I'm really non-creepy.