CURRENT MISSION

Bake bread. Shop locally. Cook new recipes. Food. Hiking. Mountains......and while I'm alive, I'll make tiny changes to earth.

ABOUT ME

Me? A laidback guy, with a love of mountains and the outdoors, easy going, a bit shy initially, love cooking (and eating!) good food, good wine, hiking, caving, real ales, country pubs, etc! I am more of a "going out to quieter pubs where you can chat" rather than loud pubs/bars where you have to shout to attempt conversation" kind of person.

Other interests include current affairs; arthouse cinema; reading; Random Acts of Kindness, attempting to learn French (J'aimerais apprendre le français, et je peux vous aider à apprendre ou à améliorer votre anglais en échange?); organic food and WWOOF; Slow Food; Fairtrade; ethical consumerism; eco-tourism and adventure travel; wildlife and conservation, member of John Muir Trust; True Travellers Society (TTS); and Help Exchange (cultural exchange for working holiday makers - free board and lodging in exchange for voluntary work on farms, etc worldwide - a bit like WWOOF).

Want to spend time in the Scottish Highlands doing something useful? Trees for Life, so far, has planted 750,000 trees using a volunteer workforce. People come for a week in spring or autumn and live in simple bothies or chalets, a great way to spend time in a beautiful part of the country doing useful work. To volunteer to help plant trees contact Trees for Life (0845 458 3505, www.treesforlife.org.uk or for 1 day volunteering: www.carrifran.org.uk/volunteer-your-time/

Love good food - it's not just 'fuel', but a vital component of life, to be enjoyed by all the senses, and preferably, in the company of people you love or enjoy. To quote Nell Nelson "It's also so nice to
cook for somebody because you have taken time to think about what you are going to cook and you've given up your time to cook and then you eat together which is one of the nicest things you can do."

"It's also something that transcends all countries and backgrounds. I think eating is an important ritual and a nice thing to do."

Badgers!

I am also quite fond of Booja-Booja Ginger Wine Truffles and Valrhona Cao Grande Lait, but as
chocolate makes me chubby (); I try to avoid temptation (not had much temptation avoidance success so far).

Butt I am quite quiet, a bit old and boring fart really; so if you want a more interesting and fun host then maybe look at some of the other couchsmurfing people in Edinburgh as there are some really much more
interesting people there for you to choose from than me.....

PHILOSOPHY

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Fill your mind and belly with good things.

Leave your home
Change your name
Live alone
Eat your cake

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Just hosting some people so fart I guess, hopefully might become a better host with practice....tips and constructive criticism always welcome!

Mi rifiuto di dormire nel castello infestato. Ho paura dei fantasmi.

So far I have hosted people from: Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungaria, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, New Zeeland, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Smurfland*, Spain, Turkey and US of A - maybe I can add your country to the list? :)

*not really! :)

What kinds of CouchSmurfing experiences have you had in your lifetime?
You can briefly discuss the types you enjoyed most, or maybe even relate a story!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

see above

Haggis!

Interests

I enjoy being in the great outdoors - hill walking, knitting, sea kayaking, etc and would also love to travel more.

Good sense of humour. Politically centre/left of centre (certainly not right wing anyway!) Guardian/Independent reader and enjoy a good
discussion. Smurfs. Enjoy meeting people from other countries and learning more about them and where they are from.

List anything that you are interested in.

Snow badgers. Cow surfing. Frying Pan Tennis.

• cats
• dogs
• wildlife
• chickens
• fish
• rabbits
• arts
• books
• architecture
• modern art
• photography
• beauty
• music festivals
• festivals
• dancing
• dining
• seafood
• cooking
• recipes
• breakfast
• chocolate
• wine
• indian food
• cheese
• beer
• cocktails
• coffee
• picnic
• vegetarian
• delicatessens
• organic food
• running
• coach
• walking
• partying
• drinking
• pub crawls
• crafts
• gardening
• yachting
• boating
• shopping
• politics
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• eating out
• volunteer work
• socializing
• blogging
• knitting
• music
• live music
• folk music
• jazz
• blues
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• fishing
• hiking
• backpacking
• kayaking
• spelunking
• camping
• surfing
• scuba diving
• sports
• tennis
• swimming
• tourism
• volunteering
• tours
• ecotourism
• adventure travel
• wwoof
• beaches
• parks
• rivers
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Favourite books: 'In Praise of Slow' by Carl Honore; 'The Totem Pole' by Paul Pritchard and 'Last Chance to See' by Douglas Adams plus many more...

Music - mostly 'indie' stuff like the Kings of Leon, Amy Macdonald, Band of Horses, Be Good Tanyas, Killers, Frightened Rabbit, Frazey Ford, Great Lake Swimmers, James, Hidden Orchestra, the Honey Badgers, Phantom Band, Iron and Wine, Nina Simone, King Creosote, Razorlight, Ramones, Tunng, The XX, Burp, Green Day, Elliott Smith, Glasvegas, Kid Canaveral. Mumford and Sons, Malcolm Middleton, Gas Light Anthem, Admiral Fallow, The Drums, The Low Anthem, The Last Battle, Vampire Weekend, Constipated Chipmunks, etc, also some Jazz, as well as 'World' music (especially African eg: Tinariwen, Ali Farka Toure, Amadou et Mariam, Ladysmith Black Mambazo etc), Folk (Peatbog Faeries, Shooglenifty, Seth Lakeman, Blazing Fiddles, Fiddler's Bid, Crooked Still, etc)

I've just had the craziest week,
Like a party bag of lies, booze and then deceit.
And I don't know why I want to voice this out loud,
It's therapeutic somehow.

I put one foot forward and ended up thirty yards back.
And am I losing touch or am I just completely off the track?
And I don't know why I want to voice this out loud,
It's therapeutic somehow.

Films: American Beauty; Juno; Le Diner de Cons; Hable Con Ella; Badlands; Grizzly Man; Touching the Void; Das Leben der Anderen; Amores Perros; Hallam Foe; Once; The Lookout; After the Wedding; Saving Face; The Edge of Heaven; Let the Right One In (aka Lat den ratte komma in); Turtles can Fly; Zombie Badgers from Mars; The Wire (TV); Tribe (Bruce Parry) (TV); Shutup and Sing.........

P.S. Some Scottish bands for your listening pleasure:

â

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Smurfs

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach. Learn. Share. ? Well, I have no talents of any description, although I can speak English and cook basic meals if those skills are useful to you!?

Otherwise I can just give some tips of good places to go in Scotland and Edinburgh: (in my humble opinion):

Welcome to Edinburgh!

For couchsurfing events/meetings, parties, etc in Edinburgh see the CS Edinburgh group.

What's On: Events in Edinburgh: July/Aug 2011
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wed, 20 July: Passenger: gig at The Caves, Edinburgh £6

July: Jazz and Blues Festival.

August: Fringe, Edge Festival, Book Festival, Politics Festival etc.

Want to see what else is on in Edinburgh? Try the List magazine (you can search/browse events listings online for free)

More events in Edinburgh and Scotland at:
visitscotland.com/sightsandactivities/eventcalendar/mareventsedinburgh.org/events/

Live Music Events in Edinburgh and Glasgow:
---------------------------------------------------------

See the Edinburgh Gig Guide for small local pub gigs. For bigger gigs see the venue websites for the HMV Picturehouse; Liquid Rooms; Corn Exchange, Edinburgh Playhouse, Usher Hall, Queens Hall, The Caves, Cabaret Voltaire etc or check out this page.

Coming up in the next few months:

Open mic nights in Edinburgh - best ones are the Listening Room on Sunday nights at the Blue Blazer pub (free); Out of the Bedroom at their new home, the Montague Bar on Tuesday nights (free) and Unpeeled at the Jazz Bar on the first Thursday of every month (£5).

See the Out of the Bedroom website for more open mic nights in Edinburgh plus line-up and times for the above.

Regular folk music sessions can be found at the Royal Oak, Captain's Bar, Sandy Bells and Tass Bar while the Antiquary has one every Thursday at 9pm.

Recommended music festivals in Scotland:
-----------------------------------------

Knockengorroch

Insider Festival June, Cairngorms.

Hebridean Celtic Festival Fàilte gu Fèis Cheilteach Ìnnse Gall, (aka Heb Celt Fest) Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. July.

Tartan Heart Festival, August - near Inverness.

Food Glorious Food!
---------------------------
Places to eat: Good cafes and restaurants in Edinburgh:
A good street for something to eat is West Nicolson street - at the Pear Tree Pub end there is the Mosque Kitchen (£5 for a large portion of vegetarian or meat curries: lunchtimes only) and at the opposite end is the excellent Bonsai (Japanese) and Sadivino (Italian cafe: lunch only).

Another great spot to try good Scottish food (and beer!) from artisan producers is the Edinburgh Larder on Blackfriars Street, just off the Royal Mile. Homebaked cakes, excellent coffee (from Artisan Roast), a great selection of sandwiches including many vegetarian options and you can buy a jar of delicious homemade chutney to take away. They are open for breakfasts (served until 12), lunch and on Friday and Saturday evenings too - book via 5pm.co.uk and get 15% off the evening menu. A must try is the baked egg with Craster cheese - deelishus!
They are also licensed, so you can try a Scottish beer with your lunch or dinner. :)

For vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, in Tollcross there is Mezbaan (South Indian food) which recently got a rave review in the Independent. Inspired by this review I recently ordered a takeaway and can confirm that the food is excellent, particularly the vegetarian South Indian specialities. Try the idli (steamed rice cakes) and the Masala
Dosa - yum! For those who eat meat the Gosht Khaas Bemisal Chaman is quite a mouthful to pronounce but a tasty mouthful to eat. :-)
www.mezbaan.co.uk

Also recommended in that area is Kampong Ah Lee (Malaysian) on South Clerk Street - delicious Malaysian food at bargain prices.

Tasty Kurdish food (kebabs!) can be found at Hanam's who have recently moved from Tollcross to a bigger place on Johnston Terrace near the Castle:
http://edinburghmenus.com/directory/hanams_eh12pw/

Those perennial favourite cuisines Indian and Chinese can be found at Mother India on Infirmary Street (Old Town, next to Royal Oak pub) and Wine and Wok (Frederick Street, New Town). The cool thing about both
of these restaurants is that they serve their dishes in 'tapas style' small portions so you can try loads of different dishes in one meal. Great idea!

Great vegetarian restaurant in Edinburgh? Try David Banns, St Marys Street, Old Town: http://www.davidbann.co.uk/images/food.pdf ; Black Bo's (in the Old Town) is also worth a look (and their bar is a great place to go for a drink).

Good seafood restaurant in Edinburgh: try Fishers in the City, Thistle Street, New Town; Other good restaurants: Barioja Tapas bar on Jeffrey Street (next to Iggs): http://www.restaurant-guide.com/barioja-tapas-bar.htm; Urban Angel on Hanover Street (organic, local, fairtrade); Martin Wishart, Leith (2 Michelin star so ££££££££ but the set lunch is good value):
http://www.martin-wishart.co.uk/main.html ; Tom Kitchin also a Michelin star chef @Kitchin in Leith - again the set lunch is great value, Tom is a big proponent of using the best quality seasonal, local ingredients (hooray!); 'Chop Chop' excellent Chinese dumpling restaurant on Morrison Street near Haymarket and also now down in Leith; La Garrigue, (French) 31 Jeffrey Street: http://www.lagarrigue.co.uk/; Bella Mbriana, bottom of Broughton Street (Italian), Bonsai (Japanese/Sushi) West Richmond Street, The Dogs, Hanover Street (bistro with bargain prices for Edinburgh, try the wild mushroom and pearl barley risotto - yum!) and Sea Dogs on Rose Street. More good
Edinburgh restaurant, cafe, food shop and coffee bar
recommendations here:
www.finewinediary.com/restaurants/edguide.shtml

BURP! Oops, pardon me!

Some good cafes and coffee shops in Edinburgh:
---------------------------------------------------------------

Let them eat cake!

Top 3 cafes for lunch: Sadivino ; Peter's Yard ; Spoon.

Top 3 for coffee: Wellington Coffee (Hanover Street, City Centre/New Town); Artisan Roast (Broughton Street); Kilimanjaro (Nicholson street) - more on all these below:

Elephant House (self-proclaimed 'birthplace of Harry Potter', food is average (and a bit pricey for what it is) but you go for a nice view of the castle from the tables at the back and the Harry Potter connection if that's your thang.

A better bet for great cake is the Patisserie across the road from Elephant House (Cellar Door Patisserie, George IV Bridge) - it's tiny (but does takeaway) and their carrot cake is one of the best in Edinburgh.

Peter's Yard on middle meadow walk does wonderful cardamon buns, good coffee and excellent bread. Ice-cream in summer too and outside seating. If you are in a hurry (or buying some cardamon buns or bread to bring back to the flat, hint, hint) their new takeaway behind the main cafe is a good option.

Starbucks on Princes Street has their usual crap coffee but great views of the Castle (it's up the stairs next to the herbal remedies place!); Urban Angel (great place for breakfast/brunch/snack or just a coffee):
www.urban-angel.co.uk/www/menus/ ; Sprio, St Stephens Street, Stockbridge - run by people from Milan so you know you will get a decent cup of coffee (which is not easy to do in Edinburgh!); the Scottish Storytelling Centre Cafe is on the Royal Mile and a great spot for people watching (only open during the day). Fruitmarket Gallery Cafe (Market Street, next to Waverley Station) also has a decent cafe with good cakes as does the cafe in the National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street - interesting building and good for afternoon tea and scones.

Cheap and cheerful:

Bonsai 'Japanese Bar Bistro' has a £4.95 lunch special or order a la carte - the ika geso (battered squid with lemon and sea salt, yum) and the agenazu (aubergine with a hot chilli miso dressing) are both
highly recommended as is the spicy tuna temaki-zushi and the prawn tempura. Yum!

For a budget eat-in meal during the day I would go for Spoon, Bonsai or Kalpna (Indian vegetarian restaurant) or the wonderful Sadivino on West Richmond Street (Italian/Spanish). Falko bakery (see below) has a
few tables, so you might be lucky, otherwise just buy a slice of cake and come back to the flat to enjoy it :-) (bring some for me too!).

More ideas at: http://edinburghlove.com/favourites/
including some places near me: Cumberland Bar (10 mins walk from me); Italian Ice Cream @ Alonzi Newsagent (15 mins walk from me); The Bakehouse Company (15 mins walk from me) and Crombies the butchers (15 mins walk from me).

Live music pubs and bars:
----------------------------------

Some good night time places (pubs with live music):
Jazz Bar on Chambers Street (live music every night and weekend afternoons): www.thejazzbar.co.uk/Gallery.php ; Hendersons Wine Bar on Hanover Street (free live music every night, vegetarian food):
www.hendersonsofedinburgh.co.uk/winelist.html ; Antiquary Pub on St Stephen Street, Stockbridge (informal folk music session every Thursday night 9pm until midnightish):
www.bestpubs.co.uk/layout0.asp?pub=105763 .

Live music in Edinburgh? See the Edinburgh gig guide at:
www.gigguide.co.uk/edinburgh.htm (and see also recommended places above: eg: Jazz Bar; Hendersons; Antiquary; etc). Other good venues:
Cabaret Voltaire; Liquid Rooms; The Caves (all have websites).

Other Pubs and Bars:
------------------------------

With so many pubs in Edinburgh choosing just one is almost impossible but there is usually a 'best' one depending on your priorities.

Eg:

Best for live folk music: Royal Oak (most nights) Antiquary (Thursdays)

Best for live jazz: Jazz Bar

Best pubs for other live music: Southsider (Once a month on Saturdays when 'The Offenders' are on); Scotsmans Lounge (Cockburn Street); Hendersons Wine Bar (Hanover Street); Captain's Bar; Barony Bar (Broughton Street, Sunday nights).

Best for Cocktails: Bramble Bar (Cnr Hanover St and Queen Street); Dragonfly (off Grassmarket)

Best for drinking outside: Cumberland Bar beer garden (Cumberland Street); Pear Tree beer garden (near George Square); Dalriada (Portobello Beach); Oloroso roof terrace (Castle Street); Patio 'garden' at The Dome (George/Rose Street), Castle Arms (near the
Castle, terrace at the back overlooks Victoria Street).

Best for cheapest (drinkable) pint: Standing Order, George Street.

Best for real ale in a nice pub: Cloisters (Tollcross); Cumberland (New Town); Guildford Arms (Off East end of Princes Street behind
Burger King); Blue Blazer (Tollcross) Kay's Bar (New Town).

Best for pub crawls: (variety of good pubs on one street/small area):
Stockbridge (Hectors, Stockbridge Tap, Avoca, Baillie, Antiquary, St Vincent); Broughton Street (start at Basement or Outsider and work your way downhill).

Best for drinking after 1am: Jazz Bar.

Best for food: Caley Sample Room; Iglu; Avoca (Stockbridge); Black Bo's (Old Town, vegetarian); Cambridge Bar (burgers); Mercat; The Dogs (latter
is more of a bistro than a bar though)

Best for wine: Ecco Vino (Cockburn Street, Old Town); Bon Vivant (Thistle Street, New Town).

Best for Vodka: Secret Polish Vodka Bar (upstairs at the Arcade Bar) entrance in the alley/close off Cockburn Street.

Best for skittles or a pint after walking up Arthur's Seat: Sheeps Heid Inn, Duddingston.

Best for Swedish meatballs (and nice friendly atmosphere): Pearces Bar (Elm Row); Boda Bar (Leith Walk)

Best before/after a film: Cameo Bar.

Best avoided: too many to mention!

Other good pubs and bars in Edinburgh: Bramble
(Queen Street); Blue Blazer (Tollcross); Cloisters (Tollcross); Guildford Arms and Cafe Royal (next to each other on West Register Street, which is behind Bugger King at the Waverley Station end of
Princes Street); Stockbridge Tap; Hector's and Avoca (all near me in Stockbridge); Under the Stairs (Old Town, off Candlemaker Row). The Pond, Salamander Street in Leith.

More pub ideas here:
http://www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=1251&post=957711

or..choose by area: Pick a pub from one of these and you won't go far wrong:

Old Town/City Centre:

Bow Bar (real ale, whisky, traditional pub)
Black Bo's (cozy and different, beer garden)
Jazz Bar (cozy, live music every night)
Jolly Judge (nice small Scottish pub in touristy area)
Holyrood 9A. (burgers and beers)

New Town/City Centre:

Bramble (funky basement bar, good cocktails)
Cumberland (real ale, great beer garden, log fire)
Guildford Arms (excellent real ale selection, nice ceiling)
Cafe Royal (real ale, impressive interior)
Kenilworth (Rose street, real ales, island bar)

Tollcross:

Cloisters (real ale)
Blue Blazer (real ale)

Stockbridge:

Antiquary (especially on Thursdays for the folk session)
Hectors (cozy with candles)
Stockbridge Tap (real ale)
Baillie (real ale, real fire)

Leith Walk/Leith/The Shore:

Boda (One of the 'Swedish' pubs)
The Pond
Sofi's (One of the 'Swedish' pubs)
Victoria (One of the 'Swedish' pubs)
Joseph Pearce's [Elm Row](One of the 'Swedish' pubs)
Malt and Hops (The Shore - real ale, cozy)
King's Wark (The Shore - good food too, try the chowder)
Bond No9 (Commercial Quay - stylish bar on the site of a former whisky bond building - free live jazz on Thursday nights)

For more suggestions and info check out this guide to Edinburgh pubs all the ones they includes are good ones but they leave out lots too! Otherwise, consult the Good Pub Guide whose Edinburgh section recommends: Cafe Royal; Guildford Arms and Bow Bar amongst others.

Beer:
----------

"More than 70 new small brewers have opened in the past year, according to 2009 Camra Good Beer Guide. Such is the proliferation that the UK now has 550 breweries – more than at any point since 1945". That is great - so support them - please DON'T order that crap chemical swill produced by massive corporations. Yuck! Try a local beer from a small brewery, it's an adventure it's fun and it will taste nicer. Some good Scottish breweries: Orkney Brewery (Try Northern Light); Black Isle Brewery (based near Inverness, organic beer, they sell at Edinburgh Farmers Market, try Yellowhammer or Red Kite); Cairngorm Brewery (try Trade Winds or the excellent Wild Cat); William Brothers, Alloa (try Grozner or Fraoch); Harviestoun (try Bitter and Twisted or Schiehallion); Isle of Skye Brewery (try Red Cuillin); The Highland Brewing Company (from Orkney despite the name - try my favourite - Orkney Best or try the Scapa Special - Champion Beer of Scotland 2008!); Knop Beers, a new Edinburgh based (but brewed near Stirling) micro-brewer whose 2 beers are the delicious California Common and Musselburgh Broke. Last but not least, Edinburgh's own Stewart Brewery (try Edinburgh Gold or Holyrood - a deserved winner at the World Beer Awards 2010). There are many more good Scottish breweries and some great English ones too. :)

Bottled beers from most of these breweries can be purchased in Edinburgh - try Peckhams (Bruntsfield or Stockbridge); Edinburgh Wine Merchants (Stockbridge);
Oddbins; Vino; Cornelius Beer & Wine on Easter Road or Peter Green in Marchmont. To try the cask versions visit a pub! Cloisters or Blue Blazer in Tollcross; Bow Bar on Victoria Street; Cumberland Bar in the New Town; Halfway House (Fleshmarket Close, Old Town near Waverley Station) or the Guildford Arms; The Stockbridge Tap (amongst others)....
If you are really keen try the Real Ale Trail:
http://www.scotlandsrealaletrail.com/

Hic! Burp! Ooops, sorry pardon me!

Shopping in Edinburgh:
---------------------------------
(mostly food shops coz that's the only kind of shopping I like)

Some good Edinburgh shops and delis (I like to support small local shops rather than the supermarkets where possible): Herbies Deli, Raeburn Place, Stockbridge:
www.herbieofedinburgh.co.uk/ (best brie in Edinburgh, plus fab pesto, cold roast beef, bread etc); 'One World' Fairtrade shop St Johns Church, West End of Princes Street: www.oneworldshop.co.uk/ ; Mad
Jacks [handmade crafts and gifts] on Elm Row (top of Leith Walk); Valvonna & Crolla Deli also on Elm Row: www.valvonacrolla.co.uk/ ;
Edinburgh Farmers Market (every Saturday morning; Castle Terrace):
www.edinburghcc.com/farm_market.htm ; Real Food on Broughton Street, Broughton and Brougham Street, Tollcross:
http://www.nurseryandschoolguide.co.uk/id77.html ; Ian Mellis cheese shops (Stockbridge, Morningside and Victoria Street, Old Town);
Demijohn (wonderful olive oils, vinegars and much more) Victoria Street; Stoats porridge vans (Meadows; St James, Farmers Market, or @ Juice Almighty
on Castle Street): www.stoatsporridgebars.co.uk/ [try the Belgian white chocolate and roasted hazelnut porridge - yum!] Falko Konditormeister
baker - 7 Bruntsfield Place, Marchmont (great bread and amazing cakes!):
www.FoodwithLust.com/ ; Peter's Yard: Middle Meadow Walk (great pastries, cakes [try the delicious cardamon buns or the parsnip cake - much yummier than it sounds!), also excellent bread and their own homemade Swedish Ice-cream:
http://www.petersyard.com/img/32/petersyard_sundayheraldreview.jpg ;
Eddies Seafood Market in Marchmont/Bruntsfield (Edinburghs best fishmonger); The greengrocers (fruit and veg shops) on Argyle Place in Bruntsfield (there are 2 or 3 of them); The Manna House, on Easter
Road (excellent local baker, great bread):
www.manna-house-edinburgh.co.uk/ Earthy - new local food market on Ratcliffe Terrace: www.earthy.co.uk; Clarkes on Bruntsfield Place (excellent cheeses, fruit and veg direct from Paris, good bread,
unsalted butter, free-range eggs,), Peter Green, Warrender Park Road, Marchmont - good selection of wines and beer.

Favourite places in Edinburgh:
----------------------------------------

Arthurs Seat - watch the sunset/sunrise or just go for the view on a clear day; then head to the Sheeps Heid Inn (the oldest pub in Edinburgh) for a post walk pint. :)

Water of Leith riverside walk :
(One of the best bits is near the centre: Stockbridge colonies to Dean Village and the gallery of modern art)

Royal Botanical Gardens:
(Why not buy some food and wine in Herbies or Peckhams and go for a picnic in the gardens - watch out for the cheeky wee squirrels!)

Stockbridge - 10 mins walk downhill from Princes Street near the Botanic Gardens - a 'village' in the city with riverside walks and some of the best cafes (Herbies, Maxis) delis (Herbies, Ian Mellis cheesemonger) and pubs in Edinburgh (Hectors, Avoca, Antiquary, Stockbridge Tap) (+lots of other good small, independent shops, Oxfam (2nd hand) book and music shops, wine shops and a 24 hour co-op). With the little river and the Botanical gardens nearby it's a good place just to wander around: some great photos (not mine!) of Stockbridge here:

Edinburgh Farmers Market:
Castle Terrace, Saturdays from 8:30 am to 2pm ish.
(The earlier you go the better the choice!)

River Almond walk and Cramond village.

Hermitage of Braid (Morningside). A wooded gorge with a river and lots of trails through the forest. Bus 23 from near me will take you there.

Spiegel Garden (George Square Gardens), Assembly in Princes Street Gardens and Spiegeltent (at the Book Festival; Charlotte Square) during the August festivals.

Some ideas for things to do in and around Edinburgh:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Spend a sunny afternoon walking around the Botanic Gardens, take a picnic lunch - and some peanuts to feed the friendly squirrels. :)

Walk up Arthurs Seat, Salisbury Crags, Calton Hill or Blackford Hill to watch the sunset or sunrise.

Spend a rainy afternoon exploring the National Museum of Scotland (it's free) If the sun comes out you get great views of Edinburgh from the roof terrace.

Go on an alternative walking tour of Edinburgh - for a look at the dark side there is the Burke and Hare Murder Tour or Tim Bell's Trainspotting Tour down in Leith. For some lighter entertainment how about Graeme E. Pearson's musical walking tour of Edinburgh? Get a wee taster of Graeme's walking tour here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQBOBbGswy8&feature=smurf

Those with a strong stomach may be fascinated by an afternoon at the Surgeons' Hall Museum.

Go for a few beers and see some live jazz at the Jazz Bar (Chambers Street).

Go for afternoon tea and cakes (yum!) at the National Portrait Gallery cafe (Queen Street).

Go for lunch at Sadivino or Spoon. (yum! yum!)

Walk the water of Leith footpath from Stockbridge to the Gallery of Modern Art where you can enjoy tea and cake or wine, cheese and oatcakes in their tearoom/cafe with sunny garden.

Edinburgh castle is not the only castle in town - check out Craigmillar and Lauriston too, or go on a day trip to the East Coast and visit Tantallon and Dirleton.

On a clear day, climb the steep spiral steps of the newly restored Nelson Monument on Calton Hill for stunning views of Edinburgh and beyond! (£3)
Be there at 1pm to watch the time ball drop! :)

Take a 25 minute bus ride out to the Pentland Hills on Mcewans bus 100/101/102 (from St Andrew Square bus station or George Street bus stop: £1.45 return), walk the hills and valleys and then enjoy a pint of local beer and some chips in the Flotterstone Inn. Burp!

Take the train out to North Berwick (30 minutes from Edinburgh, £5.30 day return) for walks along the coast to Tantallon Castle and Seacliff Beach.

Take the badger bus (First Bus 124 or X5 from George Street/York Place) out to Aberlady or Gullane for walks along the sandy beaches with views across the sea to Edinburgh, followed by lunch or afternoon coffee and cakes in the fantastic Falko bakery/coffee shop in Gullane (or their gorgeous homemade ice-cream in summer!) Yum! (closed on Tuesdays). Then suitably refreshed, head on round the coast to Yellowcraig and then through the woods to Dirleton - a pretty village with an interesting castle and gardens. From here you can get the bus back to Edinburgh.

Take the bus to Roslin (Lothian Bus #15 from George Street/Lothian Road, 40 mins journey, £1.20 each way) for the famous chapel, a ruined castle hidden in the forest and woodland walks along the River North Esk.
http://lothianbuses.com/downloads/timetables/r15.pdf

A wander around the Edinburgh Farmers Market on a Saturday and then back to the flat for lunch in the garden with fresh local bread, cheeses, strawberries or whatever else looks good in the market.

Into photography? Get snap happy on one of the Edinburgh Photo Trails (Old Town and New Town) or do them both!

Take the bus or train to South Queensferry and then the 'Maid of the Forth' boat out to Inchcolm Island with it's 12th century abbey.
http://www.maidoftheforth.co.uk/inchcolm.shtml
If you are driving there don't forget to stop at the wonderful Craigies farm shop, deli and cafe on the way back for a bite to eat and to stock up on tasty local produce - including Scottish soft fruit in summer (strawberries, raspberries, etc). http://www.craigies.co.uk/delicafe.htm

Head over the Forth to Fife (a car helps) and do the
Elie chain walk.

Take a daytrip to Glasgow. By the way, if you are going across to Glasgow for a day trip (or
longer) check out Calista's fabulous list of great cafes in Glasgow: :)
www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=1252&post=793717#post799275
Thanks Calista! That is great!

Some ideas if you want to do something different in Edinburgh:

Discover the secret underground badger vaults of Edinburgh.

Explore Mary Kings Close.
(Expensive though at almost £10!)
Or take a trip down into the South Bridge vaults.

Go on a ghost walk murder and mystery tour.

Try and solve the mystery of Gilmerton Cove.
Tour info here.

Chill out in the Edinburgh Kyoto Friendship Garden.

Raining? Go to a screening of a classic film at the luxury 46 seat cinema in the Scotsman Hotel.

Or take advantage of this 2 for 1 ticket offer and explore the unusual Surgeons' Hall Museum

Go for a meal with a difference at the Aghtamar Lake Van Monastery in Exile.

Photos of Edinburgh: For some stunning photographs of Edinburgh see my Flickr Gallery of my favourite photographs of Edinburgh here - NB: These are NOT my photos but are my favourites from Flickr photographers displayed using Flickr's 'Gallery' feature.

FREE Walking Tours of Edinburgh:
----------------------------------------------
There is also a 'Free' guided walking tour of Edinburgh which leaves everyday at 11am from in front of the Starbucks by the Tron Kirk on the High Street/Royal Mile (they ask for tips at the end, as it's aimed at budget backpackers around £2 or £3 seems the average although you can give more or less) - more info at: http://www.newedinburghtours.com
They do a pub crawl too but it's £10, I might give you a free one for the price of a pint or 2 if you ask nicely ;) hint hint - or you could post a message in the CS Edinburgh group and see who is up for some beers. ;)
http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=1251

To read what people think about the various Edinburgh attractions, museums, tours etc check out the useful reviews here. Currently top-rated 5 are: Cadies & Witchery Tours, Rabbie's Trail Burners, Camera Obscura, Royal Yacht Britannia and Highland Explorer Tours. Useful for ideas but as with any online review site - take the reviews with a pinch of salt!

Favourite outdoors places near Edinburgh:
---------------------------------------------------------

Pentlands Hills (30 mins bus ride); The East Neuk fishing villages, Fife; Sea Cliff beach and Tantallon castle near North Berwick (which is a 30 minute train ride from Edinburgh); Gullane Beach and Yellowcraigs Beach (about an hour by bus (124/X5) from Edinburgh); Roslin Glen (30 mins by bus or 20 minute drive, woodlands, river gorge, ruined castle and some kind of a chapel or something). Speaking of which, Rosslyn Chapel is a 40 minute bus ride from Edinburgh on the number 15 bus from St Andrews Square - there is one every half hour during the day. More info here.

And now for a short film...

Danny Bhoy - Visitors Guide to Scotland:

(click on the link for an alternative guide to visiting Scotland)

Now, why not take a break from reading all this crap what I wrote and enjoy some photos of Edinburgh and photos of Scotland.

Favourite outdoors places in Scotland:
---------------------------------------------------

Glencoe valley
Glen Etive
Glen Nevis valley
Trossachs
Isle of Mull
Iona
Cuillins and Quirang / Trotternish (both on the Isle of Skye)
Isle of Arran (north part around Lochranza)
Glenelg and Arnisdale
Knoydart.
Wester Ross and Torridon
Torridon
Inverpolly (north of Ullapool)
Fisherfield
Sandwood Bay
Stromness (Orkney)
Plockton.
Applecross.

For some stunning photographs of Scottish Scenery see my Flickr Gallery of my favourite Scottish Landscape photographs here - NB: These are NOT my photos but are my favourites from Flickr photographers displayed using Flickr's 'Gallery' feature.

For walking routes in many of the above areas, see the Walk Highlands web site.

Favourite mountains and hills in Scotland:
-------------------------------------------------------

Bidean nam Bian. (munro) via the Lost Valley of Glencoe.
Suilven.
The Cobbler (Ben Arthur)
http://www.scottishhills.com/html/modules.php?name=Hills&group=2&showBy=area&hill=43
An Teallach.
Liathach.
Ladhar Bheinn. (Knoydart)
Buachaille Etive Mor (Glencoe).
Tarmachan Ridge (Near Killin).
Stac Pollaidh: (Inverpolly, north of Ullapool)
Ben An (wee hill in the Trossachs with great views!)

Note/tip: When in Scotland never refer to Scotland as 'England' - it upsets the locals! :)

Favourite places in England:
-------------------------------------
(that neighbouring country)

Lake District (Cumbria)
York (the city of)
Yorkshire Dales.
Bath.
Cornwall. (especially St Ives and Porthcurno beach)

For bargain priced accommodation in the Lake District (Cumbria) check out the camping
barns network> of basic but functional accommodation in beautiful areas for only £7 per night.
Or take a tent and wild camp for free!

The famous Scottish weather:
---------------------------------------

Check the Met Office website for a current Weather forecast for Edinburgh (for today and the next 5 days).

If you are going hiking in the mountains then you can get a more detailed 3 day mountain weather forecast from MWIS for example for the West Highlands and the East Highlands (Cairngorms).

And yes sometimes it is even warm and sunny in Scotland! :)

Warm and sunny!? Yes indeedy...quick find yourself a beer garden, beach or other outside drinking space, try these: The Hub (near the Castle) or Castle Arms across the road (outside space at the back overlooking
Victoria Street); Pear Tree (near Edinburgh uni); Dalriada (pub by the beach at Portobello, live folk music at weekends); Cumberland Bar (New Town, good beer and a beer garden with a willow tree); The Shore in Leith (waterside pubs); Pleasance
courtyard and Spiegelgarden (during August festival only).Edinburgh Festivals:/www.lakeshoreimages.com/images9/chipmunk4.jpg" />

Other annual Edinburgh events: -
-------------------------------------------
Historic Scotland free weekend: (usually late April) free entry to all Historic Scotland properties (Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and many more);

Beltane Fire Festival: (30th April) - (Friday 30th April 2010) Calton Hill.

Edinburgh Doors Open Day.
Was Saturday 26th September and Sunday 27th September in 2009.
2010 dates tbc

St Andrews Day: (Nov 30) Another chance to get free entry to Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace plus usually a free ceilidh on Royal Mile or in Princes Street Gardens. Woohoo!

And of course check out the fantabulous Couchsurfing Edinburgh group http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=1251 to see if there are
any fun and friendly CS meetings, parties, pub nights, ceilidhs, or other events going on during your stay in Edinburgh! Great!

Recommended walks in and near Edinburgh:
-----------------------------------------------------------

Water of Leith riverside walk; Arthurs Seat (great views); River Almond from Cramond (and Cramond Island if the tide is out!); Blackford Hill and Hermitage of Braid; Pentlands Hills (30/40 mins by bus from city centre); Roslin Glen (40 mins by bus from city centre);
North Berwick coastal walk to Tantallon Castle and Sea Cliff Beach (30 minutes train ride to North Berwick, trains every hour from Waverley); Aberlady Nature Reserve, Gullane Beach, Yellowcraigs and Dirleton coastal walk (First Bus #124 or X5 from Edinburgh); Elie chain walk, Fife coast.

For more ideas/details this book is recommended (or if you are couchsurfing with me I have a copy which can be borrowed): Edinburgh: 40 Town and Country Walks.

Voted by readers as their 'Favourite UK City' every single year for the past ten years in the annual 'Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited Travel Awards': when you visit the beautiful Scottish
capital (that's Edinburgh!) you get 2 cities for the price of 1: The medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town, (both UNESCO World Heritage sites) and each with very different architecture. The best way to explore them is on foot......
City centre walks in Edinburgh: take a self guided walk around the Old Town; New Town or Royal Mile by printing out these pages:
Edinburgh New Town: http://www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk/edinburgh/newtown.html
Edinburgh Old Town: http://www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk/edinburgh/oldtown.html
Edinburgh Royal Mile: http://www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk/edinburgh/royalmile.html

Guardian Edinburgh Travel Guide:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/edinburgh
Travel Awards: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/nov/04/escape?page=all

More ideas and tips for walks in and near Edinburgh:
www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/united-kingdom/edinburgh/tips/walk

Walking too slow for you? Hire some wheels! (2 not 4, it's more green) Peter is the bike hire guy with great advice on where to go and what to see: www.cyclescotland.co.uk/1rentals.htm
Remember you can usually take a bike on the train so go forth and explore!

Had enough walking and cycling? Get on the water - no not swimming (brrrrrrrrrr!) - take a boat trip: get the train or bus to South Queensferry (15 mins
from Edinburgh) and take a trip out to Inchcolm Island to see the abbey. Great views of the Forth rail bridge; Pentland Hills and towards Edinburgh. www.maidoftheforth.co.uk

Here is a recent(ish) article/ guide to Edinburgh with some tips and info:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2007/07/25/edinburghcityguide.xml

Want to see some great photos of Scotland? Try the Flickr Scotland photo blog.

Badgers!

Some more good tips on the best places to visit in Scotland, (most of which I agree with) can be found here and here.

So much more than deep fried Mars bars and Haggis: Some good Scottish food & drink to try:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, believe it or not Scotland produces some fantastic food and drink including artisan chocolates; cheese and bread; excellent beef; lamb and venison; superb seafood and great beer.

Also try: Langoustines, diver caught West Coast scallops, raspberries, blackberries (brambles); shortbread (homemade or 'Shortbread House of Edinburgh' brand, available from Jenners on Princes Street), Hebridean lamb, Shetland lamb, Highland beef, single malt whisky (Highland Park and Talisker are good), Fraoch Heather Ale, (apparently it's "probably the oldest style of ale still produced in the world"), Lanark Blue cheese, Stovies, Heather honey, Porridge (Oats/Oatmeal) Breakfast of Champions!, Cairn O' Mhor Scottish fruit wines and Orkney fruit wines, Cullen Skink (a tasty fish soup made from cream, smoked haddock and potatoes); Arbroath Smokies (traditionally smoked haddock) and Tablet (VERY sweet, like fudge /pure sugar):

Other good Scottish experiences/ things to try and places to see:
----------------------------------------------------------------

Top tip: Be different. Be original. Discover and explore. EVERYBODY goes to Loch Ness, Inverness and Skye, probably Fort William too. Nice as they are (well maybe not Fort William!) there are MANY even more beautiful places to see for anyone prepared to make a bit of effort and venture off the usual tourist trail!

Go to a Ceilidh (pronounced Caylee):
http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=7560
(a social event, typically with Scottish music and dancing - great fun!)

Go wild camping in the Highlands & Islands. Camp up high on a mountain for stunning views and amazing sunrises and sunsets.

Wild camping is free of course, but if you prefer the 'luxury' of showers and toilets then here are some good campsites (but watch out for the evil midges from late May to September!):

West Coast:
Badrallach, Dundonnell: http://www.ukcampsite.com/highlands/badrallach-bothy-camp-site.htm
(Also has a great wee bothy for only £6 a night!)
Northern Lights, Dundonnell:
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=37&c=18
Gairloch:
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=13&c=18
Poolewe:
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=4683
Arisaig: http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=71&c=17
If it's windy then this one is much more sheltered:
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=70&c=
Applecross:
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=10&c=18
Knoydart:
Glencoe/Kinlochleven:
Invercoe: http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=6&c=
http://www.invercoe.co.uk/touring.htm
(Handy for Glencoe Citylink bus stop to/from Glasgow)
Caolasnacon (Halfway between the villages of Glencoe and Kinlochleven on the loch shore)
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=249&c

Southern Highlands:
Beinglas Farm (near Drovers and Loch Lomond) Only an hours drive from Glasgow so gets very busy at weekends!
http://www.beinglascampsite.co.uk/camping.asp
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=518&c=43
Comrie Croft near Crieff (not quite in the Highlands but nice woodland camping):
http://www.comriecroft.com/camping.html
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=641&c=
By the Way (Tyndrum) [Also has cabins and a hostel, Real Food Cafe nearby is good for eats)
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=524&c=15
http://tyndrumbytheway.com/Camping.php

Islands:
Mull: Calgary Bay (no showers, only toilets but stunning location)
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=193&c=33
Arran: Lochranza
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=211&c=55

East Highlands (Cairngorms):
Lazy Duck: Fantastic small campsite and hostel surrounded by Caledonian Pine Trees. Fresh eggs from the chickens for breakfast! There is a local bus from Aviemore.
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=512&c=25
http://www.lazyduck.co.uk/campsite.html
Rothiemurchus:
http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=73&c=25

Stay in a mountain bothy (it's free): http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/

Stay in a real Scottish Highlands Castle for only £18 per night:http://carbisdale.org/ (Carbisdale Castle SYHA hostel)

Go to a folk music session in a pub (In Edinburgh try Antiquary,
St Stephen Street on a Thursday or Royal Oak and Sandy Bells most nights)

Go to one of the smaller (less commercial) music festivals in
Scotland: (Wickerman, Connect, Outsider, Hebridean Celtic Festival (Heb Celt Fest), Knoydart Festival, Isle of Rum Festival, Hydro Connect (Inverary Castle), Isle of Skye festival).

Go and see Fingals Cave on Staffa and walk amongst the puffins on
Lunga in June/July: http://www.turusmara.com/puffins.html Magical.

Or go to another remote Scottish island (Harris) for the beautiful white sand beaches and craggy hills.
More pictures of the stunning white sand and turquoise blue water of the beaches of Harris (Outer Hebrides) can be found: here,
here,
here,
here,
here,
here,
here
and here.

Visit Skara Brae on Orkney.

Take the train from Fort William to Mallaig (voted one of the worlds most
scenic rail journeys) and then get a little boat across the sea to the wild beauty of Knoydart
and the most remote pub on the British mainland or take another little boat or the ferry across to the Small Isles. These include community owned Eigg which has a great beach with stunning views of the wild Isle of Rum where you can stay in a castle for only £15 a night or in a remote bothy on a beautiful beach - for free!

Galloway Forest Park - Britain's largest forest park with 300 square miles of hills, forests, lochs and rivers. If this place was in England it would probably be almost as popular as the Lake District - but becasue it's in Scotland and everyone is rushing past to visit Glasgow or the Highlands - hardly anyone goes there. Which is good in a way because it remains beautiful and unspoilt and uncrowded. Sure it's not as 'spectacular' as the Highlands - it's a different landscape, but still a lovely one. Take a tent and a backpack and wander around for a few days - it's great.

Things to avoid in Scotland:
Midges! Deep fried Mars bars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep-fried_Mars_bar
(yuck) or deep fried pizzas (double yuck!); Neds; Tennents lager; The Daily Mail; tartan tat; people with excessive flatulence; midges.

Some other useful links:

Visit Scotland: (official tourist board smurf site):
http://www.visitscotland.com/
Adventure Scotland: Outdoor fun ( Adventure sports in Scotland ):
http://adventure.visitscotland.com/

Pubic Transport:
---------------------

TRAINS: Scotrail (trains): http://www.firstgroup.com/scotrail/index.php
Tip: Check for advance single (one way) fares which are usually cheaper if you can get them: eg: Edinburgh to Inverness £10.30; Edinburgh to Oban £13.20; Glasgow to Fort William £12.10)
http://www.scotrail.co.uk/content/fares-and-tickets#advance-purchase,advance-singles

BUS (COACH) :Citylink (coach/bus): http://www.citylink.co.uk/
Megabus/Megatrain (cheap bus / train, from £1): http://www.megabus.com/uk/

FERRIES: Caledonian MacBrayne: (ferries) http://www.calmac.co.uk/

If you are travelling around Scotland there is a Citylink Explorer (bus) Pass which also gives you 50% off Caledonian MacBrayne ferry tickets and free SYHA membership. See: http://www.citylink.co.uk
3 days travel out of 5 £35
5 days travel out of 10 £59
8 days travel out of 16 £79
http://www.citylink.co.uk/Waystosave.html

Scotrail (trains) also does a Travelpass and Rover tickets:
http://www.firstgroup.com/scotrail/content/travelinfo/ticketsandfares.php

For tips on finding cheap train and coach tickets see:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-train-tickets and
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-coach-train-ticket-deals

If you are leaving/arriving via Glasgow Prestwick Airport then Scotrail offer 50% off travel to Glasgow Prestwick airport from any station in Scotland. Presenting your flight documents at the station
desk will entitle you to 50% off. This offer is not available online.
Just be careful with booking early morning or late evening flights as the bus and train service can finish before the last flights arrive!

Post bus: To reach the more remote areas :)
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usscotfax/trv/postbuses.html

Hitchiking is also a good (free) way to get around the Highlands and Islands if you are comfortable with doing that.

Highland and Island Hostels:
--------------------------------------
(as there are not so many couchsurfing hosts in the Highlands and Islands)
Independent hostels: http://www.hostel-scotland.co.uk/
SYHA hostels: http://www.syha.org.uk/SYHA/web/site/home/home.asp

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, what else, insert random words here: plop, bunny, silverfish, eeyore, ineptitude, bounce, skippy, fart.

Haggis:
-----------

Aah yes, the famous haggis: The wild haggis (Latin name Haggis Scotia) is a small furry creature, with the unique adaptation to mountain life of having shorter legs on one side of its body than the other. This enables it to run around mountains whilst neither descending or ascending. Of course, it can only do this in one direction. Whilst this is enough to escape from most natural predators, human hunters soon learned to simply run around the mountain in the opposite direction.

Also, both ends of the haggis look identical, which makes it impossible for a predator to know which way the haggis is going to start to run. Unfortunately, whilst this confuses the predator, it sometimes confuses the haggis and they have been known to sit on their own faces and suffocate themselves. Mind you, if your face looked like your arse, ... :)

Still reading this bumph? Blimey, you win the special 'bronze badger' award for stamina! You must be really bored today to plough through all this malarkey!
So, as you have probably had enough reading by now; then if you are wired for sound here's a free Edinburgh Guide audio podcast for your
ipod /mp3 player of choice - from Visit Scotland:
http://www.visitscotland.com/sitewide/edinburghpodcast

Sorry some of the links are not 'clickable' (is that a word?) Anyway, just cut and paste them if you want.

Need more info on any of the above? Google is your friend. :) (or just ask me) Wikipedia Edinburgh page has some good info on the city too, check it out.

img>

Random tips:
-------------------

Always wash your hands after chopping chillies!

Never pee on an electric fence!

Banging two pistachio nut shells together gives the impression that a very small horse is approaching.

Save money at Christmas by returning last year's cards to the sender with the simple inscription "Same to you".

Kiedy nas odwiedzisz?

Remember you're a womble.

Why do bunny rabbits have floppy ears?

P.S. I am not a Scottish, so if you are expecting me to greet you in a Scottish accent wearing a kilt and offer you haggis for supper - you will be dissapointed. :) Oche aye the Noo!

Upon request* I can however welcome your arrival into my home by performing a silly dance to bagpipe music and offering you a tot of whisky. *There may be a small fee for this service.

Hey! Coughsurfing was featured in a recent article in the Observer (UK national Sunday newspaper) Check it:
"Pay for our holidays? You have to be joking!"

"From couchsurfing to house-sitting, bagging a cheap trip has never been easier. "
www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/mar/16/budget.couchsurfing

Free wifi in Edinburgh - a useful list of pubs and cafes in Edinburgh with free wi-fi (great if you have a laptop with you when you travel):
http://www.list.co.uk/places/wi-fi/where:Edinburgh/
Edinburgh public libraries now have free wi-fi too.

Encore, Encore...We want more, We want more.....
----------------------------------------------------------

For loads more Edinburgh info check out the wikiTravel Edinburgh guide here: http://wikitravel.org/en/Edinburgh Wicked!

Great!

Moving to Edinburgh?
----------------------------------------------

Well you will probably be looking for a roof over your head and a job to pay the rent, so here are some 'boring but useful' websites for Edinburgh flats, flatshares and jobs:

Gumtree: http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/cgi-bin/frame.pl?content_url=http%3A//edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/edinburgh-flatshare_234_1.html
http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/short-term-flatshare_579_1.html
Click Flatshare: http://www.clickflatshare.co.uk/Edinburgh/?f=1&n=0
http://www.professionalaccommodation.com/notices/professionalaccommodation.asp?citychangename=Edinburgh&nbcat=wanted&fuzzysearch=
The List magazine: http://www.list.co.uk/flatshare/currpub.php
LettingWeb: http://www.lettingweb.com/Dir_Property_Txt-2_LocType-1_ID-00QP_Edinburgh.htm
Citylets: http://www.citylets.co.uk/edinburgh-index.htm
ESPC: http://www.espc.com/EspcPublic/UniversalPages/RentalDetailedSearchCriteria1.aspx
http://edinburgh.freeexchange.co.uk/pages/5010.html
http://www.accommodationforstudents.com/notices/studentaccommodation_available_edinburgh.asp
Couchsurfing Edinburgh Flatmates group:
http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=7111

Also another place to look is in the shop called Real Food on Broughton Street - there is a noticeboard with many adverts for rooms to rent. There is also a noticeboard at the Elephant House Cafe on George IV Bridge in town. The address of Real Food:
http://www.google.co.uk/local?hl=en&lr=&q=real+food&near=Edinburgh&sa=X&oi=locald&radius=0.0&latlng=55950152,-3187530,6473474559337719961
and of Elephant Cafe: http://www.elephant-house.co.uk/elephant.htm

Beware of scammers, always try to view a property before taking it and do not pay deposits or rent via Western Union or similar services. You can check if the owner owns the property by downloading a report from the land registry website for £3. See this
article for some great tips on renting a flat.

Which areas of Edinburgh to live in?

These are all safe, central areas but not necessarily the cheapest:

To the south of the city centre: Bruntsfield, Marchmont, Viewforth, Morningside, Grange, Newington, Sciennes, Polwarth, Merchiston. (Bruntsfield and Marchmont are the main student areas)

To the North of the city centre: Stockbridge, Inverleith, Bellevue, Broughton, Hillside.

To the West of the city centre: Roseburn, Saughtonhall.

Central: West End/Haymarket, New Town, Old Town.

My 2 favourite areas to live in Edinburgh are Bruntsfield/Marchmont and Stockbridge as both have good local shops, pubs and parks/ outdoor spaces, a 'village atmosphere', are safe and within easy walking
distance to/from city centre and good bus services.

Stockbridge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockbridge,_Edinburgh
Bruntsfield: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruntsfield,_Edinburgh

How much is that doggy in the window? Er no, how much is rent in Edinburgh? Well... Edinburgh is the most expensive city in Scotland but also has a great quality of life. :) If you want to go and live in Dundee it will be cheaper but it may also be shit.

In the areas of Edinburgh listed above, expect to pay around 300 per month for a room in a shared flat, 450 to 550 for a 1 bedroom flat and 600 to 700 for a 2 bedroom flat.
Apart from students (who are excluded if everyone in the property is a student), you need to add council tax (allow £50 per month per person but it varies a lot). Council tax is paid per property so it works out cheaper in a 3/4/5 bedroom /person household than in a 1 or 2 bedroom place. There is a discount of 25% if you live alone. Also allow for bills (gas, electricity, phone) which will obviously be higher in winter than in summer especially if you like to have the central heating constantly set to 'tropical'.

Well as for jobs in Edinburgh - maybe you could try these websites?

http://www.s1jobs.com/
http://scotrecruit.com/
http://www.scottishjobs.com/
http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/1986_1.html
http://www.list.co.uk/job/index.php
http://jobs.scotsman.com/
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/Internet/performJCPSearch.do?action=none
http://www.GoodMoves.org.uk/
http://www.EnvironmentJob.co.uk/

For general useful info on living in Scotland/ Edinburgh:

< http://www.scotlandistheplace.com >
< http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libraries
/livinginedinburgh/livinginedinburgh.html >
Edinburgers.
Freecycle Edinburgh.

Phoning home: Homesick? Missing your brother/ sister / boyfriend / cat? Don't phone home using BT unless you want to go bankrupt! (Well, maybe not with the cat, they are not very talkative on the phone are they?)

Instead, use this useful International CallChecker to find the cheapest call prices when making international calls from the UK. Choose the providers marked in green as you don't need to set up an account with these. You can then make calls for as little as 0.5p per minute from a UK landline by dialling an 0844 access number before dialling the international number you want.

Eg: Phone calls from UK to Australia: 27.5p/min charge with BT vs 0.5p/min using the callchecker cheapest provider (DiscountDial). BT is 55 times more expensive!!

You can also use the 0844 access numbers to call with a mobile but you will pay the standard (UK) cost per minute charged by your UK mobile provider.

If you want a landline in your rented flat, again avoid BT as they have a minimum 12 or 18 month contract. Use

Countries I’ve Visited

Botswana, Lesotho, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

South Africa, United Kingdom

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