So, one 14-hour journey later and I’m in my room in Edinburgh. Ten minutes from all the action, self-contained (fridge, sink, kettle etc.), albeit with a shared kitchen and bathroom. For just £25 per night, I ain’t complaining. Thank you, Air BnB!
First impressions of Edinburgh? Well, I must confess that when I saw the hills on the way in, I wanted to jump out of the coach and go walking. They’re so beautiful. I’m even considering sacrificing a day of the festival to spend some time with nature.
The house I’m staying in is a converted country mansion halfway up a big hill. I didn’t anticipate just how many steps I would have to climb to get here. I’ll take pictures tomorrow. It was a bit scary tonight as I was coming up through a path in the middle of the woods. Y’know, like how scary movies start. I was utterly shattered by the time I reached the top. I can’t wait to see what the view’s like tomorrow though.
Also, it looks like the house was previously used as a probation centre:
Victoria, the host here, is lovely. She’s friendly and helpful, and was forgiving of my turning up late. There’s a really nice vibe around town – people helping each other out, and it feels like a safe place.
The only negative so far is the awful directions the man in the bus station gave me to find the right bus stop. Oh, and the locals clearly peeved-off with the disruption to their public transport, though I can’t say I blame them. That said, one local gentleman helped me when he saw me looking unsure as I boarded a bus. “You know this one goes east, don’t you?” he said. “Thank you, you’ve just saved me an extremely long journey!”
More interesting stuff tomorrow, hopefully…