In 1771, author and poet Tobias Smollett said: “Edinburgh is a hotbed of genius”. And certainly it is hard to disagree when you consider the sheer majesty of the city. Its fantastic vistas and magnificent architecture offer more than a nod to the capital’s 18th Century age of enlightenment.
Others – crime-writer Ian Rankin for example – will have you believe Edinburgh is a city of contradictions. A place where the well-heeled go about their business as the less fortunate wheel and deal in an attempt to make ends meet. And we certainly enjoyed experiencing Edinburgh’s contradictions in full during a recent city break.
Invited to sample the delights of the newly refurbished , on the end of Princes Street and just a stone’s throw from the iconic castle, we found a destination that hints at both a rich history and a taste of modern opulence. Yet, just a mile away, lie Edinburgh’s vaults. A location described by Most Haunted Live as one of the scariest places on earth.
These days a popular tourist destination for the millions who visit the city, the denizens of these vaults were once the poor and worthless. The criminals, those persecuted by society, ladies of the night..
. all huddled together under the Old Town while, above ground, those far more fortunate went about their business. But more on that later.
Back at the Rutland, we checked in on a dreich late afternoon, just as Edinburgh’s many magnificent spires and monuments disappeared into the gloom. The warm .
