I happened to be in Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival when thousands of performers from all over the world converge and host hundreds of different kinds of shows every day. It’s crowded, yes, but also a great time to be in the Scottish capital especially if you love the performing arts. I also did a day-trip to a part of the exceedingly beautiful Scottish Highlands. In one way, the highlands reminded me of Ladakh — you just point your camera anywhere and shoot — it’s likely to be a great picture. No, this is not the bridge that the Hogwarts Express crossed on the way from King’s Cross to Harry Potter’s school. But it looks quite like it. Many bridges on the Scottish Highlands look similar
If you’ve watched ‘Skyfall’, that’s the very road James Bond and M took to reach Skyfall, where the climactic fight takes place
On a night in February 1692, 38 members of the resident MacDonald Clan — including women and children — were murdered in Glencoe, as they slept by troops of the Clan Campbell. This was done under orders from the government allegedly for failing to pledge allegiance to the new monarchs, William III and Mary II. This action remains controversial to this day — and if you’ve watched the Game of Thrones (part of which was shot in Scotland), you’ll know that “the North remembers”. GOT’s Red Wedding bears a strong resemblance to the theme of the Glencoe Massacre. The two green hills here are part of three hills next to each other that are known as the “Three Sisters Of Glencoe”, supposedly crying in grief for the murdered people. The several waterfalls on the hills, especially after a spell of rain, signify tears
Loch Ness, the residence of Nessie, the elusive Loch Ness Monster. I did not take the boat ride, during which they tell you all sorts of stories about the monster. Instead, I sat by the lake, had some beef burger and beer for lunch, walked around, and bought a used book and a tweed bow tie
Scottish Highland Coos (that’s how the Scottish pronounce ‘cows’). These animals are now only kept as pets, much like dogs. They’re not used for dairy products because it’s not economically viable as they do not produce much meat or milk based on their size. Despite their scary horns, they are very friendly and will happily munch a carrot if you feed them
The Earl of Marchmont is a pub in Marchmont, Edinburgh, which is where I stayed. Almost every evening, I walked down to this neighbourhood pub and tried a new Scotch. The friendly bartender would help me choose one for the evening based on my preferences from the hundreds of single malts they had in their collection. I would note down the names and characteristics of each Scotch I tried, so that I would remember later which one I liked the most
Dean Village is a picturesque area in Edinburgh
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a huge performance arts festival, which takes place for the most part of August and features performances by local and international artistes. Thousands of shows and exhibitions take place during this time and the variety is mind-boggling. These are two of the shows I attended. The first one (top) here was called ‘Chokeslam’, which was a one-person act where the Canadian performer shared her love for professional wrestling and shared personal stories on how it impacted her life. It was both enjoyable and touching, and I loved it. The second one (above) was by two US artistes. In the show, named Show and Tell, they reminded the audience about the exercise kindergarten kids do where they bring something from home and tell the class about it. It was a unique show that made you think
Arthur’s Seat is the top of an extinct volcano that overlooks Edinburgh. You can hike up it
This cute building in Edinburgh is called Queen Mary’s Bath House. Whether Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1567) actually used to bathe here is unknown
Pleasantly surprised to come across a golf ball used by Robert Louis Stevenson at a museum
Prestonfield House is a beautiful hotel in Edinburgh with huge grounds and an attached golf course. A friend and I went one evening to soak in the opulence (and get a little drunk)
Barbecue in the Meadows, a huge green space in Edinburgh, on a rare sunny afternoon
A pub by the Meadows which says it was established in 1456. And a church that looks beautiful and old