Designated the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature in 2004, Scotland´s capital blends dramatic scenery with plenty of distinguished literary heritage. After visiting (and perhaps climbing to the top of) the 200-foot-tall, neo-Gothic monument to early-19th-century novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott in Princes Street Gardens, pay a visit to the 17th-century townhouse which is home to the Writers' Museum (above) and celebrates Scott and other native sons Robert Burns, and Robert Louis Stevenson. And at a busy intersection near Picardy Place, check out the large bronze statue of Sherlock Homes, in a pose contemplating the death of his creator, Edinburgher Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It´s just across the street from the 35-year-old Conan Doyle pub, which features Scottish fare along with portraits and memorabilia celebrating the author´s works.
Which brings me to the subject of the city´s other literary pubs. They include the Oxford Bar, a onetime hangout for writers of the literary Scottish Renaissance of the early to mid-10th century, and more recently better known as the watering hole of Inspector John Rebus from Sir Ian Rankin´s popular Edinburgh mystery novels; 220-year-old Deacon Brodies Tavern on the Royal Mile, named after a larger-than-life 18th-century criminal who inspired Stevenson´s The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde and features references to the old brute throughout the premises; the mid-19th-century Beehive Inn on the iconic Grassmarket, where Robbie Burns used to tipple; and another Grassmarket icon, the White Hart Inn, the city´s oldest still operating pub and another Burns favorite.
On a more contemporary note, J.K. Rowling´s hometown is littered with spots popular with Harry Potter fans, such as The Elephant House, a café where she did much of her early writing in the 1990s. They also visit Greyfriars Kirkyard for a look at tombstones with names that will ring a bell, like Thomas Riddell, and atmospheric Victoria Street, which has a definite Diagon Alley vibe (and on that very street is the Harry Potter-themed shop of MinaLima, the firm behind many design elements of the films).
Finally, stay (or at least have a meal) at the early-19th-century Georgian Stevenson House, where wee Robbie grew up in the latter half of the century; the decor remains Victorian-cozy and the rates are pretty reasonable for Edinburgh. And of course you can also take an Edinburgh book tour and a literary pub tour, as well as others devoted to Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle, and Harry Potter.
Read more in my post 5 of Europe´s Top Destinations for Literary Travelers.
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