Travels in the North – Stockbridge

There’s always something new to discover in any great city, so we’re making the trek up to Edinburgh again with high hopes. However, we arrive feeling grumpy – the rain has been biblical all morning, making our scenic coastal drive a total washout. The most entertaining part of the journey is gaping at the hordes of schoolkids queueing outside the chip shops – we haven’t seen such a crush of humanity since coronavirus hit.

Hopefully our stay in the trendy suburb of Stockbridge will cheer us up. It’s my first time in this part of town. The husband has been on a Stockbridge pub crawl, so his memories are blurry. The area is described as having a village vibe, with lots of cafes and independant shops catering to the affluent young professionals who live here. The main drag, Raeburn Place, certainly looks busy enough as we drive through.

I’ve wanted to stay at The Raeburn for a while, but the price was always right up there. At the moment it’s a bargain, with a free upgrade to boot. We’re staying here for two nights so I’m hoping it meets my expectations.

An elegant Georgian house built in 1832, The Raeburn has been tastefully converted into a ten-bedroom boutique hotel, with a large bar and restaurant that are popular with locals. We arrive at lunchtime and every table is full. The welcome is enthusiastic, despite the clunkiness required due to the pandemic – walk this way, don’t stand there etc. The staff here are friendly enough to make it a very minor inconvenience.

Our room is at the front of the hotel, so there is a bit of noise from the road. But it’s big and tastefully decorated, with a very stylish bathroom. There’s also plenty of free spring water in the fridge, which gets a huge tick from me. My pet hate when travelling is stinginess with basic necessities. There is always a definite possibility that I will need to hydrate at some point due to my penchant for gin and wine. And no, I don’t want to drink tap water, thanks.

Service in the bar is slow, with one young waiter obviously distracted by his phone. The husband mutters ‘Kids have no idea’ like a true grumpy old man. Staff in the restaurant are more attentive. The whole place is packed out both evenings during our visit, perhaps helped along by Eat Out to Help Out. I have a feeling it would be busy regardless, it’s such a welcoming space. Dinner (with our friends the Johnstones) is good. Breakfast is quite simply marvellous.

Anyone who’s a rugby fan, like the husband, may be interested to know that The Raeburn overlooks the ground where the very first Scotland v England game took place back in 1871. It was in fact the very first international game ever played, and annoyingly the Scots won. The ground is the home of the Edinburgh Academicals team. If you’re not particularly into rugby (like me) you may be unimpressed with a rather dull patch of grass. It takes all sorts.

I’ve chosen my walk for this trip – I want to discover the city’s hidden river, the Water of Leith, which winds its way for 35 miles from the Pentland Hills to the Firth of Forth via the northern suburbs of Edinburgh. I expect most visitors are unaware that the city has a river at all, as it goes nowhere near the centre. It passes right through the middle of Stockbridge, however, and I want to follow the route from Canonmills to the Village of Dean.

It’s a foggy day, and my local expert Heather advises me to expect the haze to stick around, but that just adds to the atmosphere. In this city of hidden alleyways, staircases and tunnels you almost don’t want the sun to shine and disperse the sense of mystery. There’s a reason I love the books of Ian Rankin. Bring on the menacing ambience!

We pass St Bernard’s Well, where a statue of the Greek goddess of health stands atop an old pump house. A natural spring was discovered here in the 18th century and soon developed a reputation for healing properties. As more people came to take the waters, the pump house was built to accommodate their needs, and an imposing temple-like structure was erected above it. No sign of anyone lining up for healthy water today.

Dean Bridge, which spans the river just before Dean Village, was one of the last projects of engineer Thomas Telford in 1831. When it was first opened, the residents of Edinburgh could pay a penny to walk across it and admire the view. Don’t you just love the olden days? No TV or smartphones. Go and try this amazing new water. Or take a walk over a bridge and enjoy the vistas. How very refreshing! I think I was born in the wrong era.

My first thought upon arriving in the village is that I could almost be in Colmar, in northeastern France. The view along the river has a distinct air of Alsace. Originally an industrial enclave of watermills, this area is now residential and feels frozen in time and a long way from the city centre, despite being only a short walk from Princes Street. We’re not heading that way though – we continue westwards along the water through the mist.

Emerging from our eerie riverside walk at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, we stop to ponder Nathan Coley’s outdoor sculpture There Will Be No Miracles Here. It seems a strange sentiment outside a temple to the arts – surely here is exactly where you would expect inspiration to strike?

We’re nicely warmed up now, so we decide to keep on walking, past Haymarket Station and towards the western suburbs of Merchiston and Bruntsfield. We love this area for the lively shops and cafes, and the wide open green spaces, although we do pass through a few dubious streets and underpasses on our way there. When you walk, you see all sides to a city, salubrious and not-so. We just walk a bit quicker through the dodgy bits.

The views across Bruntsfield Links and The Meadows towards the Old Town are less impressive and less recognisable than usual, for us at least. We’ve been lucky enough to get great weather on our previous trips. Today, the Castle has simply disappeared into the murk. But the luminous colour of the parkland bears witness to the nature of the climate here. At home in Berkshire, the grass is like straw. Never mind, there are plenty of nice cosy bars in town if it starts to rain again.

One more place to mention before I close today’s post – the excellent little Stockbridge restaurant Rollo, conveniently situated for us right nextdoor to The Raeburn. We have one of our best meals in ages here. Of particular note is the side of tempura broccoli with blue cheese crumble, but everything we taste is scrumptious. The space is cosy and the staff are excellent – even the grumpy husband is charmed.

Mission accomplished, we’ve seen another side to the Scots capital this visit. In the spirit of discovery, I’ve also tried vegetarian haggis for the first time. Not strictly authentic, but very nice nonetheless. Edinburgh is definitely one of those places which keep on giving. No doubt we will be back again some time soon.