Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
1
Surgeons' Hall Museums
Housed in a grand Ionic temple designed by William Playfair in 1832, this museum
provides a fascinating look at surgery in Scotland from the 15th century - when barbers
supplemented their income with bloodletting and amputations - to the present day. The
highlight is the grisly exhibit on the bodysnatchers Burke and Hare, which includes Burke's
death mask and a pocketbook bound in his skin.
(
www.museum.rcsed.ac.uk
;
Nicolson St; adult/
child £5/3;
MUSEUM
10am-5pm daily Apr-Oct, noon-4pm Mon-Fri Nov-Mar;
all South Bridge buses)
2
The Meadows
PARK
This mile-long stretch of lush grass criss-crossed with tree-lined walks was once a shallow
lake known as the Borough Loch. Drained in the 1740s and converted into parkland, it's a
great place for a picnic or a quiet stroll - in springtime its walks lie ankle-deep in drifts of
pink cherry blossom, and there are great views of Arthur's Seat.
(Melville Dr;
all Tollcross,
South Bridge buses)
3
Blackford Hill
A patch of countryside enclosed by the city's southern suburbs, craggy Blackford Hill
(164m) offers pleasant walking and splendid views. The panorama to the north takes in Ed-
inburgh Castle atop its rock, the bristling spine of the Old Town, the monuments on Calton
Hill and the 'sleeping lion' of Arthur's Seat.
(Charterhall Rd;
VIEWPOINT
24, 38, 41)
