Edinburgh question

[MrsScooby]

Our Princess cruise is scheduled to stop in South Queensferry on Sunday May 29, 2016.

We have a walking tour scheduled to meet in Edinburgh at 10 am and goes for 4-5 hours (done between 2-3 pm).

I was hoping to have time to grab a quick bite to eat after the tour and make a quick visit to Edinburgh Castle before we head back to the ship.

 

Our sail away time is scheduled for 7 pm. And we will have the Scotland Explorer Pass which should help make entrance into the castle a little quicker.

 

Out tour ends near Parish Church of St Cuthbert which doesn't seem too far from Edinburgh Castle on the map.

 

Can anyone recommend a place to grab some food before we head up to the castle?

 

And the best time to head to the train station for getting back to the port at a reasonable time?

 

I'm assuming the train is faster than a taxi to the port from what I read??

 

We might just skip the food stop and head to the castle for a quick look before heading to the port ...

 

Any advice is appreciated :)

 

There are 4 of us, 2 middle age parents and 2 college age kids, all pretty mobile.

Edited April 23, 2016 by MrsScooby

[Putterdude]

We had a small private tour arranged which picked us up at North Queensferry so I can't help you re transportation. However The Scotch Whiskey Experience which is located about 6 doors down from the castle on the right hand side has a restaurant on it's lower level that is amazingly well priced and has great food.

https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk/restaurant

[SPacificbound]

If you have the time I recommend walking the Royal Mile, the castle to the palace or vice-versa. Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities. :)

 

http://www.aboutscotland.com/edin/royal.html

[Host Bonjour]

There are many pubs and restaurants along the Royal Mile, which is the street you'll walk along up to Edinburgh Castle - depending upon what type of food you are interested in, you'll be sure to find something that interests you.

 

The Castle is wonderful, hopefully you'll have time enough to explore it after your walking tour which should be great...it's a lovely city and the Castle with it's location and history will cap off your day.

 

I was in Edinburgh over night and so time wasn't an issue for me, suggest a thread search on this board as this question comes up frequently - taxi or train back to port, I know you will find the answers there. If your stop is on a weekend day, train schedules will be slower so a taxi might be a better plan.

 

Have a wonderful time in delightful, unforgettable Edinburgh :)

[Thejuggler]

St Cuthberts Church has an excellent cafe.

 

It takes 15 minutes or so to walk to the Castle from the Church, all up hill, but its downhill to the station, but that will be about a 30 minute walk so a taxi from Castle to station may be a wise move.

[MrsScooby]

We had a small private tour arranged which picked us up at North Queensferry so I can't help you re transportation. However The Scotch Whiskey Experience which is located about 6 doors down from the castle on the right hand side has a restaurant on it's lower level that is amazingly well priced and has great food.

https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk/restaurant

 

The restaurant menu looks wonderful and just the type of place my family would love. I think we will have to save it for our next trip though because we will be so pressed for time on this one.

I'm putting it on my list anyway just in case we find ourselves with more time than expected.

Thanks!

[MrsScooby]

There are many pubs and restaurants along the Royal Mile, which is the street you'll walk along up to Edinburgh Castle - depending upon what type of food you are interested in, you'll be sure to find something that interests you.

 

The Castle is wonderful, hopefully you'll have time enough to explore it after your walking tour which should be great...it's a lovely city and the Castle with it's location and history will cap off your day.

 

I was in Edinburgh over night and so time wasn't an issue for me, suggest a thread search on this board as this question comes up frequently - taxi or train back to port, I know you will find the answers there. If your stop is on a weekend day, train schedules will be slower so a taxi might be a better plan.

 

Have a wonderful time in delightful, unforgettable Edinburgh :)

Thanks !

We'll be there on a Sunday and will have only a few hours before we have to head back to the port.

That's why I opted for the Scotland explorer Pass rather than timed tickets for the castle as I wasn't sure we would have enough time to visit.

[MrsScooby]

St Cuthberts Church has an excellent cafe.

 

It takes 15 minutes or so to walk to the Castle from the Church, all up hill, but its downhill to the station, but that will be about a 30 minute walk so a taxi from Castle to station may be a wise move.

 

Thanks!!

 

Ok, a café is more along the lines of what we were looking for, basically a quick snack and a place to rest our feet before the climb to the castle.

 

I didn't realize it was a 30 minute walk from the castle to the train station though...now I'm thinking we might be better off with just talking a taxi from the castle to the port.

 

We were originally thinking the train would be faster but I didn't account for walking distance.

[MrsScooby]

And I think the café at St Cuthbert's Church isn't open on a Sunday (according to their website) so I am back to square one.

 

TripAdvisor has a list a restaurants close to St Cuthbert's and I need one that doesn't need a reservation at around 3 pm on a Sunday afternoon in May.

[tartanexile81]

Hello MrsScooby,

 

First of all, I think you're being quite ambitious trying to visit the Castle after your tour ends. It is a large site but at least you would get a flavour and certainly enjoy the views. Is there no way to shorten your walking tour? What's included in that?

 

To get to the Castle from St Cuthbert's -

Walk up Lothian Road.

Turn left along Castle Terrace - NOT Kings Stables Road although on the map it looks the way to go!

At the junction, take a left. You're still on Castle Terrace.

Continue over and up the hill (Johnstone Terrace), and this leads up to the Castle. There is set of steps on your left which will take you right up, but you might want to keep on walking up Johnstone Terrace because at the top there are a few pubs - e.g. Ensign Ewart or Deacon Brodie's. There are also various cafes around there - usually down little alleys. The castle is only a minute or two away.

 

It takes me 15 minutes max to get back to Waverley Station. The quickest way is:

 

Down the Royal Mile from the Castle.

Turn left into Bank Street then take the steps in the corner down to Market Street. You will see the station.

 

There are 2 trains an hour back to Dalmeny (the name of the station for the port) on a Sunday. You will get times on Nationalrail.co.uk if you put Edinburgh and Dalmeny as the stations. You then need to allow a 15 minute walk back to the ship.

 

I have photos of the route to the station from the port on this board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2031574

 

If you decide to take a taxi they are all metered though should cost about £40 each way.

 

People from the CruiseForth Welcome Volunteers are going to be joining Caribbean Princess at Invergordon this year to give a presentation about the area, and I think I'm doing this one, the night before you arrive in Edinburgh. Looking forward to it :)

Edited April 26, 2016 by tartanexile81

[MrsScooby]

Hello MrsScooby,

 

First of all, I think you're being quite ambitious trying to visit the Castle after your tour ends. It is a large site but at least you would get a flavour and certainly enjoy the views. Is there no way to shorten your walking tour? What's included in that?

 

To get to the Castle from St Cuthbert's -

Walk up Lothian Road.

Turn left along Castle Terrace - NOT Kings Stables Road although on the map it looks the way to go!

At the junction, take a left. You're still on Castle Terrace.

Continue over and up the hill (Johnstone Terrace), and this leads up to the Castle. There is set of steps on your left which will take you right up, but you might want to keep on walking up Johnstone Terrace because at the top there are a few pubs - e.g. Ensign Ewart or Deacon Brodie's. There are also various cafes around there - usually down little alleys. The castle is only a minute or two away.

 

It takes me 15 minutes max to get back to Waverley Station. The quickest way is:

 

Down the Royal Mile from the Castle.

Turn left into Bank Street then take the steps in the corner down to Market Street. You will see the station.

 

There are 2 trains an hour back to Dalmeny (the name of the station for the port) on a Sunday. You will get times on Nationalrail.co.uk if you put Edinburgh and Dalmeny as the stations. You then need to allow a 15 minute walk back to the ship.

 

I have photos of the route to the station from the port on this board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2031574

 

If you decide to take a taxi they are all metered though should cost about £40 each way.

 

People from the CruiseForth Welcome Volunteers are going to be joining Caribbean Princess at Invergordon this year to give a presentation about the area, and I think I'm doing this one, the night before you arrive in Edinburgh. Looking forward to it :)

 

Hello !!

Yes I am starting to realize that I am trying to squish too much into our time in port.

Our tour is a photography walking tour that combines some instruction with photography with the history of Edinburgh.

I was hoping to squeeze in a quick look inside Edinburgh Castle before we head back to the port. The tour might end as early as 2:00pm and if so a quick visit to the castle might be feasible.

Your precise directions are a God-send. Thanks so much !!

 

The taxi price you quoted is double what I found on (World Taximeter). I can deal with a high taxi fare if it buys us more time in Edinburgh though. Funny I'm already planning my second trip to Edinburgh before I've even started my first trip LOL

 

I will look for you on the ship !!!

I'm Laurie :)

[tartanexile81]

Hello !!

Yes I am starting to realize that I am trying to squish too much into our time in port.

Our tour is a photography walking tour that combines some instruction with photography with the history of Edinburgh.

I was hoping to squeeze in a quick look inside Edinburgh Castle before we head back to the port. The tour might end as early as 2:00pm and if so a quick visit to the castle might be feasible.

Your precise directions are a God-send. Thanks so much !!

 

The taxi price you quoted is double what I found on (World Taximeter). I can deal with a high taxi fare if it buys us more time in Edinburgh though. Funny I'm already planning my second trip to Edinburgh before I've even started my first trip LOL

 

I will look for you on the ship !!!

I'm Laurie :)

 

Hi Laurie,

I feel really stupid as I gave you the price of a taxi from Rosyth on the other side of the Forth so yes, it would be about £20 each way from Hawes Pier. Really sorry about giving you incorrect information.

 

If you decide to go for a taxi, then you could pre-book to be picked up at the pier. There are various black cabs companies around the city

 

http://taxis-edinburgh.co.uk

 

There's also this mini-cab company with online bookings and which I see everywhere - http://www.capitalcarsscotland.co.uk/online-booking/

 

and über launched a few months ago in Edinburgh.

 

Sorry again, Rhona

[Putterdude]

If you are interested, we used David Frood who is an independent guise in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. He guided for year with the Great Scot until he decided to retire. David has an 8 passenger van, is a terrific guide, very knowledgeable and we were all extremely pleased with him. If you can put together a small group from your roll call he would be likely just what you need and his rate includes pick and return to Queensferry. Here is his email address.

 

d.frood@live.co.uk

[Crazy4Cruz'n]

Hello MrsScooby,

 

First of all, I think you're being quite ambitious trying to visit the Castle after your tour ends. It is a large site but at least you would get a flavour and certainly enjoy the views. Is there no way to shorten your walking tour? What's included in that?

 

To get to the Castle from St Cuthbert's -

Walk up Lothian Road.

Turn left along Castle Terrace - NOT Kings Stables Road although on the map it looks the way to go!

At the junction, take a left. You're still on Castle Terrace.

Continue over and up the hill (Johnstone Terrace), and this leads up to the Castle. There is set of steps on your left which will take you right up, but you might want to keep on walking up Johnstone Terrace because at the top there are a few pubs - e.g. Ensign Ewart or Deacon Brodie's. There are also various cafes around there - usually down little alleys. The castle is only a minute or two away.

 

It takes me 15 minutes max to get back to Waverley Station. The quickest way is:

 

Down the Royal Mile from the Castle.

Turn left into Bank Street then take the steps in the corner down to Market Street. You will see the station.

 

There are 2 trains an hour back to Dalmeny (the name of the station for the port) on a Sunday. You will get times on Nationalrail.co.uk if you put Edinburgh and Dalmeny as the stations. You then need to allow a 15 minute walk back to the ship.

 

I have photos of the route to the station from the port on this board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2031574

 

If you decide to take a taxi they are all metered though should cost about £40 each way.

 

People from the CruiseForth Welcome Volunteers are going to be joining Caribbean Princess at Invergordon this year to give a presentation about the area, and I think I'm doing this one, the night before you arrive in Edinburgh. Looking forward to it :)

 

Rhona,

 

We're planning on taking the train into Edinburgh to the Castle. Can you provide a little more details on how to get FROM the train to the Castle? Which exit from the train station to take & where to go from there (take the stairs you're talking about??) ? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks, Kim

[wheezedr]

On our cruise there was a shuttle bus into town for 5£ a person. Grabbed another couple and took the first taxi in line for 20£ for the four of us. Had a nice conversation , got dropped at a closer in location and then met them later on board for a drink. No real need to pre book.

[MrsScooby]

Hi Laurie,

I feel really stupid as I gave you the price of a taxi from Rosyth on the other side of the Forth so yes, it would be about £20 each way from Hawes Pier. Really sorry about giving you incorrect information.

 

If you decide to go for a taxi, then you could pre-book to be picked up at the pier. There are various black cabs companies around the city

 

http://taxis-edinburgh.co.uk

 

There's also this mini-cab company with online bookings and which I see everywhere - http://www.capitalcarsscotland.co.uk/online-booking/

 

and über launched a few months ago in Edinburgh.

 

Sorry again, Rhona

 

No worries :)

I'm just collecting all the info I can now so we know our options when the time comes. This is such a port intensive cruise that some decisions are going to be made on the fly depending on how my crew feels at the moment. I first thought we would be going by train and then realized that I needed to research other options in case everyone was a bit worn out after so many port days.

If you book a ride in advance what happens if you show up later than expected (due to ship arrival or tendering delays)?

 

Laurie

[MrsScooby]

If you are interested, we used David Frood who is an independent guise in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. He guided for year with the Great Scot until he decided to retire. David has an 8 passenger van, is a terrific guide, very knowledgeable and we were all extremely pleased with him. If you can put together a small group from your roll call he would be likely just what you need and his rate includes pick and return to Queensferry. Here is his email address.

 

d.frood@live.co.uk

 

Thanks for the info !!

 

I'll save that for my next visit to Edinburgh as we already have a tour booked at this point.

Next visit will be a land trip and we will have much more time to look around and see the sites.

[MrsScooby]

Rhona' date='

 

We're planning on taking the train into Edinburgh to the Castle. Can you provide a little more details on how to get FROM the train to the Castle? Which exit from the train station to take & where to go from there (take the stairs you're talking about??) ? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks, Kim[/quote']

 

Kim if you follow that link that Rhona put in post 11 it has detailed instructions and photos for the train and where to go, stairs and all.

[MrsScooby]

On our cruise there was a shuttle bus into town for 5£ a person. Grabbed another couple and took the first taxi in line for 20£ for the four of us. Had a nice conversation , got dropped at a closer in location and then met them later on board for a drink. No real need to pre book.

 

Good to know, thanks !!

[Crazy4Cruz'n]

Kim if you follow that link that Rhona put in post 11 it has detailed instructions and photos for the train and where to go, stairs and all.

 

Thanks I saw that. I know how to get from the cruise ship to the train station going into Edinburgh. I want to know how to get from Waverly Station in Edinburgh to the Castle walking.

[newport dave]

Thanks I saw that. I know how to get from the cruise ship to the train station going into Edinburgh. I want to know how to get from Waverly Station in Edinburgh to the Castle walking.

 

Google Maps is your friend.....

 

https://goo.gl/maps/rZC97fGgqsR2

[tartanexile81]

Google Maps is your friend.....

 

https://goo.gl/maps/rZC97fGgqsR2

 

 

Google maps is really useful but the thing with Edinburgh is that there are lots of different levels connected by steps and alleys. There are also various entrances to the station again not shown on maps.

 

1. Take the vehicle exit - a ramp just beside Platform 12.

2. At the top of the ramp, turn left. You will come to a mini-roundabout after about 100 yards. Go right there onto Market Street

3. If you are pretty active, there's a flight of steps after about 100 yards. Go up these steps and walk straight ahead at the top. You will come to the Royal Mile. Turn right onto it, up the hill for about 5 minutes and the Castle is ahead of you. It is very easy.

4. If you are less fit, keep walking up Market Street and take a sharp left at the top. You then right at the traffic lights after 100 yards. This is the Royal Mile and the Castle is only a short walk away.

[Crazy4Cruz'n]

Google maps is really useful but the thing with Edinburgh is that there are lots of different levels connected by steps and alleys. There are also various entrances to the station again not shown on maps.

 

1. Take the vehicle exit - a ramp just beside Platform 12.

2. At the top of the ramp, turn left. You will come to a mini-roundabout after about 100 yards. Go right there onto Market Street

3. If you are pretty active, there's a flight of steps after about 100 yards. Go up these steps and walk straight ahead at the top. You will come to the Royal Mile. Turn right onto it, up the hill for about 5 minutes and the Castle is ahead of you. It is very easy.

4. If you are less fit, keep walking up Market Street and take a sharp left at the top. You then right at the traffic lights after 100 yards. This is the Royal Mile and the Castle is only a short walk away.

 

Thanks so much! Your answer is just what I was looking for. I had already looked at google maps, but like you said you can't really see everything or tell the best route from that photo. Thanks again - much appreciated!!

[newport dave]

Google maps is really useful but the thing with Edinburgh is that there are lots of different levels connected by steps and alleys. There are also various entrances to the station again not shown on maps.

 

1. Take the vehicle exit - a ramp just beside Platform 12.

2. At the top of the ramp, turn left. You will come to a mini-roundabout after about 100 yards. Go right there onto Market Street

3. If you are pretty active, there's a flight of steps after about 100 yards. Go up these steps and walk straight ahead at the top. You will come to the Royal Mile. Turn right onto it, up the hill for about 5 minutes and the Castle is ahead of you. It is very easy.

4. If you are less fit, keep walking up Market Street and take a sharp left at the top. You then right at the traffic lights after 100 yards. This is the Royal Mile and the Castle is only a short walk away.

I know that, been Edinburgh a few times. It was just so they had a general idea. They didn't say originally that they'd already checked google maps. If they had we could have given a more comprehensive answer like yours.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[MrsScooby]

Ok, trying to decide if we need to pre-book a taxi, mini-cab company or uber?

 

I had assumed there would be plenty of taxis at the Queensferry pier waiting to pick up passengers and take them to Edinburgh?

But what if there aren't?

Another poster made a comment about "hoping for a taxi" and that made me nervous....do I really need to pre-book?

 

What happens if our ship doesn't make it into port?

Or getting off the ship takes longer than anticipated?

 

Any advice or reassurance is appreciated :)