Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, and still it feels like a small town. A very pretty one. In the sun especially, it is beautiful enough to stop for. Have a look at the photos and the report below. You can get around the city in several ways. There are trams, buses and taxis. During the day, buy an all-day ticket for 3.5 pounds. 
At night, when you are with a group of a few people, take a taxi back from the party: mine cost 8-10 pounds, which next to the night bus fare (3 pounds) was a very good deal. Edinburgh has no metro, but a tourist does not feel it, because the center is fairly small. In the earlier post I mostly showed the area around Princes Street, where the Christmas market was. One more photo from there (St David Street), and we move a little higher up, toward the beautiful castle.
You can walk to the castle from Princes Street. Find the parallel street called “Lawnmarket”, then just climb up along it.
On the way you cannot miss the red phone boxes, a nice touch that gives me a kick every time. What was once in everyday use is now only a tourist attraction, and a symbol people associate with Britain. 
Walking toward the castle you also pass “St. Giles Cathedral”. Next to the one in Mallorca it does not make anything like the same impression. It reads more as a curiosity, in the style of an ordinary church.
Time was short, so there was no chance to go inside the cathedral. Maybe next time.
Edinburgh Castle
We finally got to what I think is one of the biggest draws here. The castle!
Go inside, of course. A ticket is 16 pounds, but in good weather it is hard to deny yourself that pleasure. :D
Inside, the medieval feel comes through. A good-looking place. The whole time I could not shake the impression that I had seen all this somewhere before. Did I once play a game that took its ideas from here? 
There was a lot of open space inside, where you could simply walk around. 
You could go into many of the rooms, but usually photos were not allowed, and where they were, there happened to be nothing much to hold your attention. Outside was decidedly better. 
One surprise: from a distance the castle looked enormous, and once you were inside everything suddenly seemed small.
In exchange the views were unforgettable. Watch out, because next comes the photo I am happiest with out of everything I shot on this trip.
That is about it for the castle. True, the photos do not show how much there was to see. The rooms lay out the whole history of Scotland, with armor and other pieces on display. A real treat for anyone interested in history.
The whisky museum in Edinburgh
The museum of Scotch whisky – “The Scotch Whisky Experience”. There are several entry options, and the basic adult ticket costs 14 pounds.
The tour lasted about an hour, with a chance to learn how whisky is made and to taste the real, unblended thing. Scotch whisky is made in four main regions. Each region has its own taste, and during the tasting you could pick whisky from one region only. The taste is hard to judge, because at first I was honestly shocked at how mercilessly bad it was. Then, with each tiny sip that followed – the whisky started to taste good. One more thing. Get used to one region, then try another. The new one tastes exactly as awful as that first sip.
For the tour and the commentary you could choose Polish, which was a big surprise. You got a special handset, dialed a number on it, and heard the message about a given exhibit. Part of the tour took place inside a special barrel, where you listened to the story along with various physical effects.
I have to admit I was very impressed by how professionally it was run. A very interesting experience, and the only thing left wanting was another glass of real Scotch whisky. :D
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
The last thing we saw was the Camera Obscura. An adult ticket costs up to 13 pounds. Several floors of different attractions, most of them familiar from physics or other subjects at school or university. Many did not surprise me, but a few made a good impression and put a smile on my face.
One thing matters. On the top floor there are viewing points with special binoculars, for watching what goes on in the city. Get up there before it gets dark. In my case the dark got in the way of both the watching and a few extra photos.
What else is there to see?
There was not enough time to see everything. At night we did the Scottish pubs, got a feel for the place, and met native Scots working in IT. We also dropped into a club to dance, though the clubs were no different from the Polish ones. “The Edinburgh Dungeons” would certainly be one to see. I did not get in, and people say it is one of the better spots.
That is probably all for this article. Go ahead and write or comment, I will gladly answer your questions. :)
