After dodging volcanic ash from Iceland, I was in Edinburgh during 21 Apr - 5 May 10 to visit my niece, who was doing a semester at the university. I was extremely lucky to even get there and back. I had booked a flight from Dallas to London Heathrow several weeks in advance. It happened to be the first one to not be cancelled in a week. Coming back, my flight from Edinburgh to London Heathrow got cancelled, but there was an earlier flight to London Gatwick. I jumped on it and then took the coach to Heathrow. I had 20 whole minutes to spare before my Heathrow to Dallas flight left!
I really liked Edinburgh. It was very clean, cosmopolitan, and cheaper than London. We also did an outstanding 5-day tour of the islands of Mull, Iona, Staffa and the Isle of Skye with Rabbies Tours. If you get a chance to go to the Isle of Staffa, don't pass it up. Also, I highly recommend the Ashlyn Guest House in Edinburgh. It is a very nice place to stay out by the Royal Botanic Garden. Downtown is about a 30 minute walk but the Lothian bus stops right by the front door and a day pass for unlimited rides is only 3 GBP.
My itinerary was:
21 Apr 10 .. Depart Albuquerque
22 ............ Arrive Edinburgh
23 ............ Royal Botanic Garden, Hanover Street, downtown, East and West Princes’ Street Gardens, The Mound and west end of Royal Mile
24 ............ North Bridge Area, east end of Royal Mile, Scottish Parliament, Dynamic Earth, Arthur’s Seat, Holyrood area, Princes’ Street
25 ............ Ashlyn GH area, path to Firth of Forth, North Bridge area, Cockburn Street, John Knox House, Cranston Street, Market Street, Bank Street
26 ............ Start of Rabbie’s 5-Day Iona, Mull & Isle of Skye Tour - Callander, Loch Lomond, Loch Fyne, Rest and Be Thankful Pass, Inveraray, Kilchurn Castle, St. Conan’s Kirk, Crucachan, Loch Awe and Oban
27 ............ Ferry to Isle of Mull, Isle of Staffa, Isle of Iona, Ferry from Iona to Mull, Duart Castle and Ferry from Mull to Oban
28 ............ Castle Stalker, Three Sisters area, Glencoe Lochan, Fort Williams, Loch Garry, Eilean Donan Castle and Portree on Isle of Skye
29 ............ Isle of Skye: Glen Sligachan, Dunvegan, Neist Point, Old Man of Storr, Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock, Quiraing, Flora MacDonald Memorial, Uig, Fairies Glen and back to Portree
30 Apr 10 .. Plockton, Fort Augustus, Caledonian Canal, Loch Ness, Commando Memorial, Spean Bridge, Loch Taggan, Cairngorms National Park, Dalwhinnie, Drumochter Summit, Pitlochry, Forth Bridges and Edinburgh
1 May 10 ... Canongate Kirk, Peoples Story, Regents Road, Calton Hill and St. Andrews Square
2 .............. Firth of Forth, Leith, Museum of Childhood and Waverley Train Station
3 .............. Stirling Castle
4 .............. Royal Botanic Garden and University of Edinburgh
5 May 10 ... Depart Edinburgh