Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GARDEN
Royal Botanic Garden
(
www.rbge.org.uk
;
20a Inverleith Row; admission to glasshouses £4.50; 10am-6pm
Mar-Sep, to 5pm Feb & Oct, to 4pm Nov-Jan)
Just north of Stockbridge is the lovely Roy-
al Botanic Garden. Twenty-eight beautifully landscaped hectares include splendid Victori-
an
palm houses
, colourful swaths of rhododendrons and azaleas, and a world-famous
rock garden
. The Terrace Cafe offers good views towards the city centre.
Take Lothian Bus 8, 17, 23 or 27 to the East Gate, or the Majestic Tour bus.
Cramond
With its moored yachts, stately swans and whitewashed houses spilling down the hillside
at the mouth of the River Almond, Cramond is the most picturesque corner of Edinburgh.
It is also rich in history. The Romans built a fort here in the 2nd century AD, but recent ar-
chaeological excavations have revealed evidence of a Bronze Age settlement dating from
8500 BC, the oldest-known site in Scotland.
Cramond, which was originally a mill village, has a historic 17th-century church and a
15th-century tower house, as well as some rather unimpressive Roman remains, but most
people come to enjoy the walks along the river to the ruined mills and to stroll along the
seafront. On the riverside, opposite the cottage on the far bank, is the
Maltings
(
0131-312 6034;
www.cramondassociation.org.uk
;
Riverside, Cramond; admission free;
2-5pm Sat & Sun Apr-Sep, daily during Edinburgh Festival)
, which hosts an interesting
exhibition on Cramond's history.
Cramond is 5 miles northwest of the city centre; take bus 41 from George St (west-
bound) or Queensferry St to Cramond Glebe Rd, then walk north for 400m.
NEIGHBOURHOOD
EDINBURGH FOR CHILDREN
Edinburgh has a multitude of attractions for children, and most things to see and do are child-friendly. Kids under
five travel for free on Edinburgh buses, and five- to 15-year-olds pay a flat fare of 70p.
The Edinburgh Information Centre (
Click here
)
has lots of info on childrens events, and the handy guidebook
Edinburgh for Under Fives
(
www.edinburghforunderfives.co.uk
)
can be found in most bookshops. The List (
Click here
) magazine has a special kids section listing children's activities and events in and around Edinburgh.
The week-long Imaginate Festival (
Click here
) of childrens theatre, dance and puppetry takes place each year in
late May/early June.
There are good, safe
playgrounds
in most Edinburgh parks, including Princes Street Gardens West, Inverleith
Park (opposite the Royal Botanic Garden), George V Park (New Town), the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links.
