Edinburgh

The New Town of Edinburgh, the more ‘modern’ part of the town, built in the mid-eighteenth century, is an impressive example of the golden age of Scotland, the Georgian period (1760-1830), and features the classical architecture of the time in which buildings, squares, gardens and flower-filled paths come together with elegance.

 

 

In the heart of this district, the Georgian House, with its elegant furnishings, offers a glimpse of the life of aristocrats over 200 years ago. The New Town is also home to the magnificent Charlotte Square, designed in 1820 by the most famous architect of the time, Robert Adam. 

 

 

There’s a wealth of choice with regard to places to eat in Edinburgh: excellent everywhere, from starred restaurants to more modest cafes, which offer superb recipes of lamb hard to find elsewhere, fillets of Angus beef or venison accompanied by sauces.  For those who love fish, smoked salmon is probably the best known, but smoked kippers are also delicious, while special dishes include mackerel pâté and langoustines, known as Dublin Bay prawns.

 

Among the dishes of traditional Scottish cuisine to savor are: Haggis (a mixture of sheep offal, blended with oats, spices, and onions, all contained in a sheep's stomach and cooked. It is often served with turnips and potatoes), Cullen Skink (creamy soup made with smoked haddock, potatoes, onions, and cream, often enriched with fresh parsley), Scotch Broth (Scottish soup prepared with lamb, pearl barley, vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onions, all slowly cooked in a rich broth), Cranachan (traditional Scottish dessert composed of toasted oats, whipped cream, honey, and whisky, layered together with fresh raspberries), and Porridge (oats cooked in water or milk, often served with a drizzle of honey or sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon).