If you ask most people what they associate with Edinburgh, the two answers that you’re most likely to get are ‘the festival’ and ‘the castle’. Some, of a more irreverent bent, might murmur something about Trainspotting and the infamous dockside area of Leith – although these days the outstanding quality of the restaurants and nightlife down there has well and truly dispelled this cliché. For others, it’s the romantic appeal of Edinburgh that’s the key to why you’d want to keep coming back to Scotland’s capital city. David Nicholls’ bestseller One Day features Edinburgh as its focal point, with the narrative both starting and finishing there, and the recent wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall reminded the world, as if it needed to be reminded, that there’s a great deal more to the city than haggis and kilts.
With the new film of One Day showcasing Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess falling in love amidst the city’s Georgian granite streets, to picturesque effect, it seemed as if a visit to the city one weekend was a necessary pleasure. Arriving at the effortlessly elegant Balmoral Hotel, probably the most famous and grand place to stay in the city, it’s a hop and a skip from the Waverley train station and features a clock that’s purposely set two minutes fast, to allow travelers to catch their trains on time. We were staying in the JK Rowling suite, so called because Rowling finished the final Harry Potter book inside it and celebrated the fact by inscribing this on a marble bust of Hermes, which is now placed under protective glass. The lavishly appointed room offers all the trimmings that you’d expect, from a gloriously comfortable bed to multiple flat-screen televisions.
Anyone staying at the Balmoral really has to go downstairs to the hotel’s Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, Number One. Deservedly regarded as one of the city’s premier dining destinations, those who opt for the tasting menu will enjoy a variety of delights, which are presented simply on the menu as ‘foie gras’, ‘beetroot’ and ‘scallops’, but in fact represent a synthesis between executive chef Jeff Bland (an unfortunate name which bears no relation to his cooking) and his Scottish heritage, and the more European influences that establishments of this calibre are traditionally in thrall to. Matched with a selection of Old and New World wines by the ever-helpful sommelier, it’s a true pleasure to visit.
Of course, Edinburgh is one of the great walking cities of the world. Whether, like Dexter and Emma, you have the energy to head up to Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park, or if you prefer a more sedate wander down the main thoroughfare of Prince’s Street, the Georgian ambience of George Street or a trip down to Edinburgh’s upmarket suburb of Stockbridge, there’s no shortage of architectural splendour and grandiosity along the way. Wherever you go will inevitably be dominated by the panoramas of the Castle and the natural peaks (like Rome, Edinburgh is a city built on hills), but there’s also a warmth and friendliness to the place that can often make up for the piercing winds that come in from the nearby sea. Oh yes, you can see the sea.
You’re almost certain to walk down the Royal Mile at some point, the main thoroughfare between the Castle and Holyrood Palace, and your best bet to go for dinner along there is the splendidly named Angels With Bagpipes. Owned by local legend Martina Crolla (her name adorns the famous Valvona & Crolla delicatessen), it offers stylish twists on traditional favourites in a romantic and convenient setting. A starter of haggis ravioli shouldn’t work but does, beautifully; Ayrshire belly of pork with Stornoway black pudding tastes so delicious that you start to believe that it’s good for you. A sensibly priced wine list offers a good selection by the glass, and the staff are endlessly helpful and friendly, making a visit here a real pleasure.
Edinburgh exerts a strange hold over people. Both quintessentially Scottish (order a couple of whiskies in the Bow Bar on Victoria Street, which stocks over 200 of them) and somehow European in its cafe society and unspoilt feel, it is one of the most beguiling and romantic places to visit in Britain. When you next head there, walk past the throngs of people with the tell-tale orange and white copy of One Day in their hands, and find your own romantic space. Chances are, it’ll lend itself to just as affecting and true a love story as Dexter and Emma’s.
