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Where to Eat in Edinburgh Now

The dining room at 21212

Haggis, deep-fried Mars bars, mushy peas…the Scottish haven't really been known for their contributions to the culinary world. On our recent visit to Edinburgh, though, we found all that was changing thanks to a slew of new all-star chefs opening restaurants that at once embrace and evolve Scottish cuisine. Maybe that’s why this year is Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, and the International Culinary Tourism Association described it as one of the most “unique, memorable, and interesting places for food and drink on the planet.”

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Food Travel / Foreign Grocery Friday / Scotland Travel / Edinburgh Travel / New Brunswick Travel / → All Tags

Foreign Grocery Friday: Swigging Irn Bru in Scotland

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

What's that bottle of nuclear-orange soft drink on the same shelf as Pepsi, Coke and other top-brand colas? Oh, it's just the best selling pop in Scotland: Irn Bru. Although we like to pronounce it by mumbling "urn bruh," the actual way to say is simply "Iron Brew." Irn Bru is not only hugely popular in the UK, but also in other places around the world where you'll find some Scots residing. For example, we recently ran across it in Nova Scotia. The entire history of this curious drink is of course available over at Wikipedia, and we're stunned to find that this stuff was first introduced back in 1901.

The taste: Don't be afraid to try some when you spy its bright orangeness up against the dark bottles of other colas. Irn Bru doesn't taste like orange pop, nor is it unpleasant. Our chief Irn Bru expert describes its taste "citrus-y, cream soda-y, energy drink-y without quite tasting like any one of the three." We agree. It's hard to pinpoint it as, you see, no one knows the full Irn Bru recipe aside from two folks at the top of the company.

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Food Travel / London Field Trip / Edinburgh Travel / Edinburgh Field Trip / → All Tags

This is How British Fish and Chips Ought to Look

For Americans traveling to London, or really anywhere in the United Kingdom, there is one stereotypical English meal that must be sought out: fish and chips. It's a comfort food, so it doesn't matter if you find yourself in the UK all the time or if you've been saving up for years for a London vacation, because fish & chips is just one of those things.

We found this perfect juicy specimen of fish & chips (the chips are behind the fish, effectively propping it up) at the inexpensive and cozy pub restaurant called The World's End in Edinburgh, Scotland recently. Sure it's right on the Royal Mile and surrounded by shops that try to sell tartan to tourists, but you can't deny that it's a damned good place to settle down for a hearty meal, and perhaps sample haggis with one of their appetizers (so you're not stuck with a whole dinner of it). Forgive us for not devouring some fish & chips wrapped up in newspaper, but that gets greasy messy.

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Adventure Travel / Scotland Travel / Edinburgh Travel / Edinburgh Field Trip / Mountain Climbing / Mountains / → All Tags

How to Climb 'Arthur's Seat,' Edinburgh's Awesome Dormant Volcano

What activities do you typically think of when planning a trip to Scotland? Well, there's trying haggis, maybe flirting with the idea of buying a kilt, and perhaps enjoying some nice highland scenery. But when we went to Edinburgh recently, we looked out the window of the hotel only to see a looming, misty dormant volcano in the distance; this is "Arthur's Seat" and it was calling our name.

A quick visit to the wiki page on Arthur's Seat verified that it is easily climbable, so we set out for what would become a most exhilarating—and at times, most dangerous—hike. We cannot stress enough the importance of appropriate footwear!

After the jump, how to climb and what to see on Arthur's Seat

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New Airlines / Airlines / Varsity Express / Airline News / Edinburgh Travel / Oxford Travel / → All Tags

The UK's Newest Airline Has the Preppiest Name Ever: 'Varsity Express'

The economy is growing and cash is flowing, so it’s the perfect time to start a new airline. Well not really, but a rough financial picture isn’t limiting the hopes and dreams of Varsity Express. It’s a new regional airline in the United Kingdom, and it’s hoping that people are eager to be whisked between Oxford and Edinburgh, beginning in March.

Varsity Express will be using British Aerospace Jetstream 31 aircraft, and the planes will be shuttling customers back and forth during the week, as there are no weekend flights just yet. To get things started they’re offering up £49 one-way tickets—about $80—including taxes and charges through March 12. Once in the air you’ll be enjoying complimentary refreshments and a snack to eat. They even promise flight changes without a fee and no extra checked luggage costs—we’ll see how long that really lasts.

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Ryanair / LCCs / Low Cost Carriers / Budget Travel / Brussels Travel / Edinburgh Travel / → All Tags

It Can Be Done! We Booked A Ryanair Flight For Under $25

If there's any single airline we'd rather not fly (other than Aeroflot, that is), it's got to be the Irish low cost carrier Ryanair. Boy oh boy, have we called them some names in the past, all the while unearthing their nickel-and-diming schemes to possibly charge passengers to use the bathroom and allow smoking on flights. But, with a European trip on our horizon, we're willing to let bygones be bygones and fly the fee-riddled skies of Ryanair.

In fact, we have a somewhat fond memory of our last Ryanair flight— a roundtrip from Rome-Ciampino to Barcelona-Girona that cost us a total of $45, not counting bus fare. But those were the days before Ryanair removed check-in desks and expanded their routes to irresistible locations. So, this past weekend while needing some time away from the Thanksgiving table, we visited the Ryanair website and yes—we bought tickets on a flight. The grand total for two passengers on a one-way flight from Brussels-Charleroi to Edinburgh? 14 Euro.

The shockingly low fare explained, after the jump.

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Theatre Travel / Edinburgh Travel / Edinburgh Fringe Festival / Events / → All Tags

Jaunted's Picks For Must-See Masterpieces At The Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Where were you when the largest art festival in the world started this weekend? The 62nd annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival brings performers from all over the world to Scotland for two weeks of doing whatever their muses lead them to do, for lucky audiences who don't mind waiting in line and drinking many, many beers. With most shows under £10, it's a cheap way to catch a show which could one day be sitting pretty on the West End, also known as the Broadway of London.

Our picks among the thousands of offerings this year:

· "The B.F.G."
Honor the U.K.'s own Roald Dahl with this puppet masterpiece for all ages about a man of unusual size and his new best friend. At Augustine's, 41 George V Bridge. Tickets £7.

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