We did a day-trip to Edinburgh after our last Scottish Worldcon in 2005. It was not enough time in that town. We planned for three days on this trip, and it was still not enough (but considering the cost of hotel rooms during Fringe season, too much). We picked a Travelodge near the Royal Mile, basic but adequate. It supplied a full English breakfast along with the requisite cereal, fruit, pancakes, etc., but no haggis. Is it unreasonable to expect haggis for breakfast? I remember having it in 2005, but that was a different hotel chain. We did find a way to assuage the craving, though.
Edinburgh was a study in contrasts to our experience of Glasgow. In the latter, we spent most of our time in the Clyde Waterfront Regeneration area, redeveloped from the old docks in the last forty or so years, without getting a sense of history. Edinburgh was nothing but historic! And the narrow streets paved with cobblestones were very hard on the feet. Nevertheless, we put in our fair share of walking to Fringe venues – but for one, we took a taxi to Leith.
The Fringe and the Fodder
Whisky and Witches was billed as an “immersive, theatrical whisky tasting” presented in the cellar of the Mother Superior bar. Leith is an arty, hipster area of Edinburgh – the main street, Leith Walk, is lined with restaurants, bars, creative repurposed secondhand stores, and art galleries. The Dog House bar had a neon sign advising, “Nae Bams.” Research revealed it translates roughly to “No idiots.”
The ambiance in the Superior cellar was appropriately spooky, decorated with many small lights and whisky bottles. We were treated to a tasting of five whiskies, some very old and rare, intermingled with folkloric stories and songs performed by Jane Ross and Christine Kammerer, tracing the history of distilling, especially by women, and why the mystery and connection to the natural world led some to be suspected of witchcraft. It was an effective fusion of entertainment for all the senses.
We got to Leith early for the show, thinking we would find something to eat there first. And, darned if we didn’t happen across a bao shop just around the corner! Steam Bunny is a hole-in-the-wall offering eight kinds (plus a special) of homemade bao including haggis (!) with cheddar and crispy onions. The others are a mix of traditional and trendy. We went with the chicken and mango, and the haggis.
We also had a very pleasant lunch at a restaurant called Eve, in a little courtyard seating area, away from the crowds on the Royal Mile. Blueberry pancakes and egg-and-bacon, much nicer than the steam-table breakfast versions at the hotel.
A Near Miss
Walking down Princes Street, a major shopping street, on our way home from seeing Into The Woods (a fabulous production by the MA/MFA students of the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art), we noticed a sign for the Willow Tea Room. Now, I have a happy memory of tea at an establishment of the same name the last time we were in Scotland, but I could have sworn it was in Glasgow.
On inquiry, the mystery was solved: there are Willow Tea Rooms in both cities. Both are filled with fittings based on the interior designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, but there’s one thing the Edinburgh establishment has over Glasgow: a killer view of the castle.
But alas, they close at 5:30, and we were too late in the day to repeat our previous experience. And they had haggis on the breakfast (and lunch) menu!
Oh, well. Our third show was a stand-up turn by Riki Lindhome, an actress, comedian, and songwriter, in the major Fringe venue called Pleasance. Another overheated scene, it crams maybe a dozen performance spaces around a central courtyard full of food stalls and picnic tables. A good place to grab a bite or a drink before or after your show, and fabulous for people-watching.
Stay tuned for Part 3!