The Column

New Jock City

Francis Begbie of Edinburgh

It was with some trepidation that I embarked upon my first proper trip to Scotland. Having always lived south of the border, I was long overdue to make a visit to our sister nation, however too much time spent reading Irvine Welsh and watching Rab C. Nesbitt had left me with quite negative expectations; I was half-expecting to step off the train and immediately undergo a violent assault for being English, before having all of my money stolen by a benefit-scrounging alcoholic, and then being forced to dance around a steaming haggis in a kilt, whilst pledging my allegiance to the tribe McAdder. And so it was, with my small-minded prejudices intact, that I made the journey north. Crossing the landscape in absolute darkness, I clambered over Hadrian’s Wall in my mind whilst slumped in a comfortable train seat, and finally arrived into Edinburgh Waverley station late evening.

Thankfully my arrival into the city was not quite as I had anticipated; I was not immediately struck by a Scotsman, but rather by the architectural beauty of the city and its sophisticated atmosphere. The central area has a graceful sense of balance to it, with the old medieval town on one side of the sprawling Princess Street Gardens, and the spacious new town on the other. The enormous castle is perched atop an extinct volcano at the southern end of the old town, and looks down on the gardens with a commanding presence. It is particularly impressive when lit up at night, and can be used as a homing device for first time visitors when navigating the city centre.

An old town close

The old town is primarily built along the tail of the extinct volcano on which the castle sits, and as such is quite a narrow area containing some remarkably high residential buildings. The famous Royal Mile is located in the old town, with intriguing steep streets (called closes or wynds) that lead away down the sides of it, each one imbued with an aura of darkness and mystery thanks to the height of the surrounding buildings. It is not surprising that so many writers have been inspired by Edinburgh, particularly this area of the old town. One could easily imagine a gruesome murder taking place here after dark and the perpetrator simply disappearing into the black depths of a close. There is also the remains of an underground city in this area which dates back as far as the 16th Century (depending on which source you believe) and which once housed some of the city’s poorest people.

The new town was constructed in the 18th century to combat two key issues; the problems of over-crowding in the old town, which was at bursting point, and the infestation of black rats from ships at Leith docks, which had spread a plague through the old town since the mid 17th century. The new town was the creation of a 22 year old architect called James Craig, who won a competition to design it in 1766. The area contains some fine examples of Georgian architecture, and it is a testament to the quality of the design that this area is still referred to as the new town, given that it was completed over 150 years ago. It follows a rigid grid system which is incredibly spacious and logical to walk around, and I can hardly remember visiting another city which is such a pleasure to wander through; it is a welcome contrast to the tedious enormity of London or the sweltering slum that is Athens.

Arthur‘s Seat (from street level)

To the east of Edinburgh Castle is Arthur’s Seat, another extinct volcano which towers over the city, offering the best vantage point in Edinburgh according to the tourist guide (it was too cold to climb up and see for myself). There is much uncertainty surrounding the name of Arthur’s Seat; some say it refers to Arthur of Camelot; others that it is named after a local hero by the name of Arthur; while another theory suggests it is an error in translation, and was actually called Archer’s Seat, in light of the fact that it was a key defensive position in the middle-ages. Viewed from the city centre, its rugged natural form is a stark contrast to the surrounding buildings; it challenges you to climb it.

Penguins conversing at the zoo

Fuelled by a tourist mentality (and the previous evening’s Scotch whisky) I found myself at Edinburgh Zoo one afternoon. The zoo is located on a steep hill near to Murrayfield Stadium and offers a panoramic view of the city from its upper areas. The temperature was not much above freezing on the day of my visit, and so it was extraordinary to see the lions (and other animals normally associated with a warm climate) playing outside happily. Fittingly, the zoo is the only one in the UK to house polar bears, and yet is also the only one to have any koalas, which is somewhat surprising. The zoo provides very spacious enclosures for the animals, and the jagged terrain of the hillside gives the attraction a natural atmosphere, more like an open wildlife park than a series of caged exhibits.

Edinburgh Castle

My lasting impression of Edinburgh is one of a thoroughly pleasant city which manages to be both modern and historic at the same time. The balanced layout of the city centre affords it a sense of calm which is rare in a busy modern city. Quite by coincidence, the weekend of my visit was also the occasion of a Scotland versus France rugby match. As such, the central area was heavily populated with French people, and when France won the game on the Sunday, they all went wild and spent the evening celebrating in bars and restaurants. I have always found the French (accent) to be very irritating, and so it is a testament to how much I enjoyed the city of Edinburgh that I was able to let their celebrations wash over me, and didn’t once feel the urge to bludgeon any of them to death down a dark close. Vive La Edinburgh!