Bolanette87
01-14-2009, 07:33 AM
I promised you all a little report from our trip to Edinburgh! So, here we go!
My Mum paid for Robert and myself to have a night in the luxury Edinburgh hotel ‘The Witchery’, staying in the Old Rectory suite. She also arranged (and paid- God bless her!) for us to have a meal in their Secret Garden dining room- Which has won several awards in the past. Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities, but I hadn’t been in years, so this was a lovely treat! Robert had never been to Scotland before, so it was a big adventure for him….
So, on Monday January the 12th, we got a taxi to the train station and boarded our train to Edinburgh. We arrived a little early, and headed off to explore the shops on Princes Street. We decided it would be plain rude to not inspect the Disney Store, so we duly went and had a good look round. From here we headed to several more shops, until we decided it was time for lunch. Having a luxurious meal booked for later on, we decided to just go for something simple for lunch- So we went for a Pizza Hut…. The waiter in the Pizza Hut was simply marvellous and friendly, so we had a thoroughly enjoyable lunch. After this, we felt quite full, so we decided to cross the road, and head to the National Gallery of Scotland for a slow wander round:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0027.jpg
No pictures were allowed inside the gallery, but I can assure you all that it is well worth a visit! Lots of fantastic paintings and sculptures… Entry is free, but we paid a small donation.
We then decided to begin to walk up the steep hill towards the Castle, the Royal Mile, and the Witchery:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0031.jpg
It was too early to check in yet, so we had a wander down the Royal Mile and looked in a few of the shops:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0033.jpg
Several people were walking around in costumes, advertising the Edinburgh ghost tours- We were laughing at one of them who said to us: “I can tell you two are in love! But it won’t work, because she is going to cheat on you…” (to Robert) “….With me!”… We laughed and took his leaflet for the ghost tour, which did look interesting, but we didn’t have the time to fit it in this trip.
By now I was incredibly excited about checking in, so we went along to the Witchery and checked in- The staff were very lovely and friendly, and a lovely girl came to help us with our bags (I felt sorry for her as mine weighed a tonne!). She informed us that we were staying her favourite room, so this made us even more excited! We were led to large wooden door, which led to a steep spiral staircase. After climbing many of these steps, we reached our suite. Wow! It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen! The whole room was covered in velvets and sumptuous fabrics, and decorated in a fabulously gothic, romantic style. Old Scottish military uniforms were placed in various corners of the room, along with antique books and other old relics (We weren’t too keen on the Ram’s head on one of the shelving units, so we erred away from that corner a bit!). We had a glorious daybed covered in pillows, and our actual bed was simply jaw dropping. Classical music was playing, and there was Champagne (which I took home for my Mum seeing as how we don’t drink) and Mineral water chilling in a large ice bucket on the beautifully laid out table. There were also cookies, chocolate, and ‘Witchery’ slippers for us too. We were given a brief tour of the room, shown how to order breakfast, and then left to enjoy our time there in peace:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0060.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0066.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0068.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0077.jpg
I instantly went to run a bath in the ‘tub for two’… I adored the bathroom- My favourite feature of our suite. Simply stunning. The smellies provided by the Witchery were wonderful and made the whole room smell gorgeous…. We then changed into our complimentary dressing gowns, and enjoyed some of the still mineral water and cookies, whilst listening to some jazz music on the CD player. After this, we got changed back into our normal clothes so we could open the velvet curtains and see the view down into the city. We couldn’t resist trying on some of the old Military gear, so we played soldiers for a bit!
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0129.jpg
After this, we simply relaxed and enjoyed being in such a fantastic suite. Before long though, we had to tear ourselves away as we had our dinner reservation at seven thirty. We got changed, and wandered down to the Secret Garden. We were shown down a stone staircase lit with candles to simply the prettiest restaurant I have ever seen. Completely candlelit and simply the most romantic setting for dinner with the one you love:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0160.jpg
Menus were brought over promptly, and we ordered a large bottle of Speyside Mineral Water (My new favourite thanks to this trip!). After placing our order with our very obliging and lovely waitress, we chatted, and enjoyed seeing various other dishes coming out of the kitchen (The seafood platter for two looked absolutely amazing!). The food we had, well, words cannot describe how lovely it was. The best dining experience of my life, made all the more lovely by the fact we were enjoying fantastic Scottish produce. To start, Robert had Sliced breast and potted leg of borders Partridge with a beetroot salad and Cumberland sauce:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0165.jpg
I had the Scallops with ginger and lemongrass, and they were spectacular. Huge, fresh, juicy scallops served in the shell. Absolutely divine.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0166.jpg
For mains, Robert ordered a medium rare Aberdeen Angus Ribeye. He was slightly sceptical at first as ribeye is far from being his favourite cut of steak, but this was something special. There was very little fat on the steak, and the meat was of such good quality. I don’t eat red meat, but I tasted this and asked for more. It was stunning!
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0168.jpg
I ordered the Barbary Duck (which was a replacement for the Mallard on the menu) and it was the best duck dish I have ever eaten. The meat was slightly pink, so perfectly cooked. The truffle cream that came with dish was out of this world.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0169.jpg
I also ordered a side of buttered sugar snaps and they were fantastic. Perfectly cooked and utterly scrummy! Puddings were next, and these were my highlights of the meal. Robert ordered the Chocolate Torte with Milk Chocolate Sorbet, which he really enjoyed.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0173.jpg
I was seriously indulgent and ordered the Pudding Selection. This has got to be the most wonderful dessert I have ever eaten in my life.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0174.jpg
On my plate, I had a small amount of every dessert, which was: Pannatone bread and butter pudding, Rhubarb Trifle, Pistachio Biscotti, Chocolate Torte, Milk Chocolate Sorbet, Iced Pistachio Parfait, and Vanilla Ice Cream in a Brandy Snap Basket.... Bizzarely, my favourites were the two I didn’t expect to enjoy- I don’t like trifle, but the Rhubarb trifle was delicious. And I’ve never eaten any form of bread and butter pudding before (My Mother has a thing against bread in desserts) but the Pannatone bread and butter pudding was to die for. Simply incredible. Overall, a wonderful experience that I shall remember forever.
After dinner, we retired back to the Old Rectory, changed into our robes, and collapsed to watch TV on our daybed. We then retired to bed, and I had the most wonderful nights sleep- The bed was so amazingly comfortable! I want it back!
We woke up the next day and listened to some music together, before there was a knock at the door. Breakfast time! A lovely smiling lady came in with our hamper of goodies, which we requested to unpack ourselves.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0184.jpg
My word! What a breakfast (I shall add pics to the Food Pics thread later)! We had Croissants, Pain au chocolat, cold cut meats and cheese, a fruit plate, ruby grapefruit, cereal, a pot of coffee, orange juice and milk. We hadn’t ordered everything available either! We enjoyed our lovely breakfast together, and then had another bath before getting ready to check out. We didn’t want to leave at all! The Witchery is an amazing place and I hope we can return someday.
After checking out, we headed to the Castle. The Witchery is literally moments away from the Castle, so we didn’t have far to walk:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0214.jpg
We had an absolutely fantastic day exploring the Castle. The weather was perfect (Not hot, not cold, not windy, not rainy. Just perfect!) and we had a great explore.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0225.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0234.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0245.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0774.jpg
We saw everything there was to be seen, and also dined in the Queen Anne Café, which was absolutely wonderful (Again, pics shall be added to the UK Community Board’s Food Pics thread.). The restaurant was a courtyard with a glass roof, simply beautiful and a great place to eat!
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0288.jpg
Robert had a Scotch Beef Burger and Chocolate and Pistachio Brownie, while I had Seabass and Dark Chocolate Cake. After the Castle, we looked in some of the shops along the Royal Mile, where I bought a cuddley Aberdeen Angus (I love Aberdeen Angus’!). We then headed down to Princes Street again, stopping to photograph a Police Box to tell my younger brother we’d seen a Tardis!
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0782.jpg
On Princes Street, we purchased an ‘Edinburgh’ Mickey Mouse magnet from the Disney Store, and Robert bought some books from Waterstones. We then headed to Waverely Train Station to get our train home.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0787.jpg
All in all, we had an absolutely wonderful time in Edinburgh, and we can’t wait to plan a return visit! I have lots more pics from the trip on facebook, so if you’d like to see them but don’t have a profile, feel free to PM me for the links!
Bob xoxoxoxox
My Mum paid for Robert and myself to have a night in the luxury Edinburgh hotel ‘The Witchery’, staying in the Old Rectory suite. She also arranged (and paid- God bless her!) for us to have a meal in their Secret Garden dining room- Which has won several awards in the past. Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities, but I hadn’t been in years, so this was a lovely treat! Robert had never been to Scotland before, so it was a big adventure for him….
So, on Monday January the 12th, we got a taxi to the train station and boarded our train to Edinburgh. We arrived a little early, and headed off to explore the shops on Princes Street. We decided it would be plain rude to not inspect the Disney Store, so we duly went and had a good look round. From here we headed to several more shops, until we decided it was time for lunch. Having a luxurious meal booked for later on, we decided to just go for something simple for lunch- So we went for a Pizza Hut…. The waiter in the Pizza Hut was simply marvellous and friendly, so we had a thoroughly enjoyable lunch. After this, we felt quite full, so we decided to cross the road, and head to the National Gallery of Scotland for a slow wander round:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0027.jpg
No pictures were allowed inside the gallery, but I can assure you all that it is well worth a visit! Lots of fantastic paintings and sculptures… Entry is free, but we paid a small donation.
We then decided to begin to walk up the steep hill towards the Castle, the Royal Mile, and the Witchery:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0031.jpg
It was too early to check in yet, so we had a wander down the Royal Mile and looked in a few of the shops:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0033.jpg
Several people were walking around in costumes, advertising the Edinburgh ghost tours- We were laughing at one of them who said to us: “I can tell you two are in love! But it won’t work, because she is going to cheat on you…” (to Robert) “….With me!”… We laughed and took his leaflet for the ghost tour, which did look interesting, but we didn’t have the time to fit it in this trip.
By now I was incredibly excited about checking in, so we went along to the Witchery and checked in- The staff were very lovely and friendly, and a lovely girl came to help us with our bags (I felt sorry for her as mine weighed a tonne!). She informed us that we were staying her favourite room, so this made us even more excited! We were led to large wooden door, which led to a steep spiral staircase. After climbing many of these steps, we reached our suite. Wow! It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen! The whole room was covered in velvets and sumptuous fabrics, and decorated in a fabulously gothic, romantic style. Old Scottish military uniforms were placed in various corners of the room, along with antique books and other old relics (We weren’t too keen on the Ram’s head on one of the shelving units, so we erred away from that corner a bit!). We had a glorious daybed covered in pillows, and our actual bed was simply jaw dropping. Classical music was playing, and there was Champagne (which I took home for my Mum seeing as how we don’t drink) and Mineral water chilling in a large ice bucket on the beautifully laid out table. There were also cookies, chocolate, and ‘Witchery’ slippers for us too. We were given a brief tour of the room, shown how to order breakfast, and then left to enjoy our time there in peace:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0060.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0066.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0068.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0077.jpg
I instantly went to run a bath in the ‘tub for two’… I adored the bathroom- My favourite feature of our suite. Simply stunning. The smellies provided by the Witchery were wonderful and made the whole room smell gorgeous…. We then changed into our complimentary dressing gowns, and enjoyed some of the still mineral water and cookies, whilst listening to some jazz music on the CD player. After this, we got changed back into our normal clothes so we could open the velvet curtains and see the view down into the city. We couldn’t resist trying on some of the old Military gear, so we played soldiers for a bit!
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0129.jpg
After this, we simply relaxed and enjoyed being in such a fantastic suite. Before long though, we had to tear ourselves away as we had our dinner reservation at seven thirty. We got changed, and wandered down to the Secret Garden. We were shown down a stone staircase lit with candles to simply the prettiest restaurant I have ever seen. Completely candlelit and simply the most romantic setting for dinner with the one you love:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0160.jpg
Menus were brought over promptly, and we ordered a large bottle of Speyside Mineral Water (My new favourite thanks to this trip!). After placing our order with our very obliging and lovely waitress, we chatted, and enjoyed seeing various other dishes coming out of the kitchen (The seafood platter for two looked absolutely amazing!). The food we had, well, words cannot describe how lovely it was. The best dining experience of my life, made all the more lovely by the fact we were enjoying fantastic Scottish produce. To start, Robert had Sliced breast and potted leg of borders Partridge with a beetroot salad and Cumberland sauce:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0165.jpg
I had the Scallops with ginger and lemongrass, and they were spectacular. Huge, fresh, juicy scallops served in the shell. Absolutely divine.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0166.jpg
For mains, Robert ordered a medium rare Aberdeen Angus Ribeye. He was slightly sceptical at first as ribeye is far from being his favourite cut of steak, but this was something special. There was very little fat on the steak, and the meat was of such good quality. I don’t eat red meat, but I tasted this and asked for more. It was stunning!
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0168.jpg
I ordered the Barbary Duck (which was a replacement for the Mallard on the menu) and it was the best duck dish I have ever eaten. The meat was slightly pink, so perfectly cooked. The truffle cream that came with dish was out of this world.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0169.jpg
I also ordered a side of buttered sugar snaps and they were fantastic. Perfectly cooked and utterly scrummy! Puddings were next, and these were my highlights of the meal. Robert ordered the Chocolate Torte with Milk Chocolate Sorbet, which he really enjoyed.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0173.jpg
I was seriously indulgent and ordered the Pudding Selection. This has got to be the most wonderful dessert I have ever eaten in my life.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0174.jpg
On my plate, I had a small amount of every dessert, which was: Pannatone bread and butter pudding, Rhubarb Trifle, Pistachio Biscotti, Chocolate Torte, Milk Chocolate Sorbet, Iced Pistachio Parfait, and Vanilla Ice Cream in a Brandy Snap Basket.... Bizzarely, my favourites were the two I didn’t expect to enjoy- I don’t like trifle, but the Rhubarb trifle was delicious. And I’ve never eaten any form of bread and butter pudding before (My Mother has a thing against bread in desserts) but the Pannatone bread and butter pudding was to die for. Simply incredible. Overall, a wonderful experience that I shall remember forever.
After dinner, we retired back to the Old Rectory, changed into our robes, and collapsed to watch TV on our daybed. We then retired to bed, and I had the most wonderful nights sleep- The bed was so amazingly comfortable! I want it back!
We woke up the next day and listened to some music together, before there was a knock at the door. Breakfast time! A lovely smiling lady came in with our hamper of goodies, which we requested to unpack ourselves.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0184.jpg
My word! What a breakfast (I shall add pics to the Food Pics thread later)! We had Croissants, Pain au chocolat, cold cut meats and cheese, a fruit plate, ruby grapefruit, cereal, a pot of coffee, orange juice and milk. We hadn’t ordered everything available either! We enjoyed our lovely breakfast together, and then had another bath before getting ready to check out. We didn’t want to leave at all! The Witchery is an amazing place and I hope we can return someday.
After checking out, we headed to the Castle. The Witchery is literally moments away from the Castle, so we didn’t have far to walk:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0214.jpg
We had an absolutely fantastic day exploring the Castle. The weather was perfect (Not hot, not cold, not windy, not rainy. Just perfect!) and we had a great explore.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0225.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0234.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0245.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0774.jpg
We saw everything there was to be seen, and also dined in the Queen Anne Café, which was absolutely wonderful (Again, pics shall be added to the UK Community Board’s Food Pics thread.). The restaurant was a courtyard with a glass roof, simply beautiful and a great place to eat!
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0288.jpg
Robert had a Scotch Beef Burger and Chocolate and Pistachio Brownie, while I had Seabass and Dark Chocolate Cake. After the Castle, we looked in some of the shops along the Royal Mile, where I bought a cuddley Aberdeen Angus (I love Aberdeen Angus’!). We then headed down to Princes Street again, stopping to photograph a Police Box to tell my younger brother we’d seen a Tardis!
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0782.jpg
On Princes Street, we purchased an ‘Edinburgh’ Mickey Mouse magnet from the Disney Store, and Robert bought some books from Waterstones. We then headed to Waverely Train Station to get our train home.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/Bolan_Babe/2009_0113Edinburgh0787.jpg
All in all, we had an absolutely wonderful time in Edinburgh, and we can’t wait to plan a return visit! I have lots more pics from the trip on facebook, so if you’d like to see them but don’t have a profile, feel free to PM me for the links!
Bob xoxoxoxox