Here's hoping I never need to visit for legal reasons... but as a casual visitor for Doors Open…read moreDay, I was well impressed with this building! The main hall is beautiful and much bigger than I would have imagined had I any preconceptions of what the building would look like... The stained glass windows are absolutely amazing throughout. There are many corridors and many courtrooms and I only wish Courts 1 & 2 were open for us to have a nosey but alas the plethora of doors going into them were all locked. Well worth a visit if you get the chance.. They even had a selection of maces out.. heavier than you'd think! Never knew that they are still used daily to open each and every court session!!

Like Caz I don't want to be here apart from visiting or DoD but this was a great venue. WE GOT TO…read moreTOUCH THINGS! Yes, when you do the visiting of stuff that is old then everything is usually behind a rope or glass with the sign 'do not touch' but not here. The architecture is stunning - high ceilings and I can imagine the pomp and ceremony of old as the judges would swan in with the Macer - the Macer is the guy who holds the mace, still used to open court and may have been used in ye olden days to stop people attacking the judge. Naturally I went for the heaviest looking one to hold - I figured it would make a great weapon prior to hearing that it could be used in this manner (George III mace) and Tanya held the mace from our very own Queen Elizabeth - all mace's have been held by the monarch's they represent. Once we'd moved on from mace then we wandered about. We saw the SSC sitting room and one of the courts. Courts one and two which had all the different entrances were sadly locked, but the current court schedules were visible to see, including this week's which included an appeal by a famous Scottish killer. We didn't do the tour of the advocates library (had been told it wasn't worth it anyway) but we did have plenty of time to wander about which was great - and of course, try the mace...

Having only just rediscovered the joys of having a library card, I found myself here. I have to…read moresay, I do like my local library. I like the extensive cooking selection; perfect for recipe testing and sussing out whether it's just the sort of book that'll sit proudly on your kitchen shelf. And I like that you can just use the self service machine if you're in a hurry. (But staff are always so friendly and helpful that it's difficult for me to pass the service desk by.) You can also extend your loan time online if you need a little bit longer with your book(s). I also like that it feels like a community hub, and that it's a peaceful place to do a little work or get some headspace. I do like this library.

lf it's educational books that you are looking for then really this is not the place to come as…read moreyou're unlikely to have a lot of success due to the fact that this place focuses more on books for the enjoyment they offer rather than for the educational value they offer. The library is almost entirely devoted to fiction and subdivisions of fiction - even its arts section is mostly comprised of musical autobiographies. If you do get a reasonable amount of enjoyment out of reading a good book then this certainly isn't a bad place to spend the afternoon especially with its fairly comfortable reading areas. It is most certainly a library there to entertain.

Circus Lane is probably one of the most picturesque parts of Edinburgh, thanks to Instagram. It's a…read morebeautiful place and a hidden gem to visit. We went here early on a weekday morning, and it was quite quiet. However, be respectful, as this is a normal street where locals live. If you're looking for a quick pick with a beautiful background, this is highly recommended!

We stayed in Stockbridge area during our visit, so it only took 3-4 minutes walk from my place to…read moreCircus Lane. I took advantage of that and went here a few times during our stay since it's such a picturesque cobbled street. It gets quite busy in the afternoon since everyone wants a photo here, but if you're patient you can get some good shots without people in the background.

There can be a lot of waiting involved but it is a free service. A really great place to help…read morepeople with welfare rights or to give advice on a number of topics. Lets vulnerable people know that they are not alone with their worries. Staff are very discreet and understanding.

You might be asking yourself why I am reviewing a building which functions as part of the…read moreadministrative machinery of the Scottish government. Well, it might just be an administrative building, but what a building it is! Every time I go past this building I have a sudden urge of wanting to work in their due to the design of the building and its impressiveness! Located in Leith, just across from the Ocean Terminal and in front of Commercial Quay, this building was built in the nineties and was first used by the Scottish Office before devolution. It overlooks the coast and is right bang in the centre of the redevelopment program in Leith. It is modern and looks quite light due to its light colouring and staggering amount of glass! I probably, naively, think this would be a brilliant place to work in just due to the building, but what I can be sure of is that Victoria Quay is one of the most remarkable buildings in Edinburgh!

Winding down from George IV Bridge to the Grassmarket, Victoria St. is a tourist hotspot, and…read morerightly so. What's so nice about it is all the businesses on it are independent - there's a tweed shop, a few fashion boutiques, a cheesemongers, a place for mixing your own alcohol (Demi-John) and the awesome Oink, which sells hog roast sandwiches. In fact, go to Victoria St. just to go to Oink because it's ace. It's funny too - all the aforementioned businesses run down the right hand side (going down to Grassmarket). The left is dominated by the entrance to the Underbelly (by far the best Fringe venue), Espionage (four floors of w****s), and Finnegans Wake, which has just reopened after the fire at Kushi's next door. Certainly worth a visit. But then if you're being touristy in Edinburgh you'll have probably already gone there by now.

Amazing museum that if you blind as you walk by you'll miss so much history. The museum is the…read morehouse, the house is the museum. It's filled with three floors of objects and artifacts with interact attractions. At only £7.50 an adult and £1.50 a child (under 18), you get to experience history that ushered the reformation into Scotland. What a neat find! Also, it's more than a museum telling about John Knox and his house, it's also a bookshop that is filled with storytelling, history, and folklore. Enjoy!

John Knox, leader of the Scottish Protestant movement, the mother and father of the Presbyterian…read morechurch, and doer of Bad*ssery, lived in this home for time. This home was once owned by the Mossman gold-smithing family, but was sort of "Eminent Domain'd" by Knox. It was so enjoyable to walk in the halls of this place and see the study, the sitting rooms, and steps of history and of one of the most renowned preacher in the history of the christian faith. The staff was absolutely lovely on the grounds of the mansion, and the location was just absolutely perfect for a tourist to visit alongside the many other events to take part in. The only issue I took with the historical site was the presentation of the information via the clunky papers we were given, and i certainly would not recommend the restaurant underneath. Overall this was worth a visit, especially if you've missed a reservation for a tour, have extra time in the city, or are an incredible history nerd like myself. Do visit! P.S. The historic "End Of The World" pub is across the street and is also a must visit

This is a very quiet and peaceful park; you get a few cars and coaches on the road behind, but in…read moregeneral it's a great place to sit and enjoy a few peaceful minutes - maybe even bring a book. As you sit on one of the benches you gaze up at Holyrood Park directly in front of you and it is one of the best spots to appreciate the true size of Holyrood. The park itself is nice enough - tidy though not spectacular. There's a bit of colour generated by the surrounding shrubs, but it's all on a minimal scale. As far as I'm concerned, though, this enhances rather than detracts from the feel and atmosphere of the park; I just wish the road behind would go elsewhere.

Home to the Stones of Scotland Monument, Regent Road Park is only a recent discovery of mine, but…read moreI'm so glad I found it! After a walk around the City I decided that a smoothie and a seat were in order, so I grabbed a bench in this park and settled down to marvel at the fabulous views. As well as the Stones, which were set to commemorate the new Scottish Parliament, you can see the actual Parliament building (you can decide if that's a good thing or not!) and the beautiful Calton Hill cemetery. This is just the perfect place to sit and see how beautiful Edinburgh is. Perfect for a wee picnic with great views!