BACK L‘IST
f‘éi'i7"'cé‘ - yak": , i'
accompanied by an adult £1 (includes landinglce and ahhey entrance I
I Castle Campbell Dollar. 02594 3408. It you want a day in the country . a beautiful. hut not too taxing walk and a little hit of Scottish history . ( ‘astle (‘amhell in Dollar ( near Stirling) is the ideal place. The 15th century castle is set superhly on a hill top where it commands excellent views ofthc surrounding countryside. hut what really makes it special is the iiiagnificeut walk to the top. This lies hctyyecii the two glens in the ()chil Hills and the rushing waters of the picturesquer named Burn of Sorrow and the Burn of ( are proy ide hotl‘ a natural defence and gorgeous setting.
I Cramond (‘rainond is a pretty. w lute-washed
y illage 4 miles from the city centre. set on the mouth of the Riy er Almond. and said to hay e itsownghost thatota Roman centurion. lt‘s popular w rtli y isrtor‘s as there are good walks along the hanks oi the
m er and at low tide. you can walk along the causeway to('rariioiid Island (tide tttttcs arc puhlished daily in The Scotsman)
Buses. l.othiaii Region 'l'raiisport no. lSor41 from city centre.
Edinburgh International Feshval
I The Edinburgh International Festival is the biggest. most laiiious and arguath the hest arts fcstiyalintheyyoi'ld A cluster of other ey ents hay e grow n tip around it the hest known and largest of which Is the f'estiy‘al l-‘ringe in w hicli any performer may take part ()y er the last few years one yenue. the Assertith Rooms. has tny'iled its
' On many a dark. dreich night in Edinburgh's Old Town, strange things are happening. As you pullup your I collaragainstthe wind, and staggeron to your next hostelry. you may hear iootsteps behind you. The prickly feeling on your scalp tells you something is amiss. As you turn to look . overyour shoulder, screams till the night. A grotesque and hunched iigure, T in the garb ot a monk, scurries past. Further up the road. you see a clot ot humans clinging together. A tall man, shrouded in a black cape. lurks in the shadows and laughs. You know you‘ve had one too many, and you shake your
ownprograrririicoleyeriis
and hecome for many . the unofficial huh of tiie Fringe.
I International Festival 31 Market Street. 225 5756. [4 Aug-- 5 Sept. Postal hooking open now ; personal hooking and credit card hooking (ill-24072llllorll31-325 575(1) opens 4 July. .-\s in previous years the focal point will he the world theatre season hut there is also a strong programme of music and art. This year's theme is Italy.
I Edinburgh Festival Fringe l7lllligh Street. 2265259. Bookingopens when the Fringe
programme is puhlished at
the end ofJune. Booking for events at the Assembly Rooms 54 (ieorge Street opens l July. Boxoffice.
head and go home.
But it is not a whisky-ridden delusion The cape sits on the shoulders at one Adam Lyall, highwayman, scoundrel and very much deceased. He has recently been exhumed by an enterprising duo who are the Cadies, Colin MacPhail and Robin Mitchell. They are making a killing on public nerves withtheirWitchery, Murderand Mystery Tour. The daredevil teats oi Blue Peter presenters have got nothing on this scribe's venture into death,
blood and horror.
Mr Lyall is a waggish raconteur. blithely revealing the sordid lives and deaths oi many an Edinburgh villain and narrating the worst, most gore-laden tales in the darkest alleyways oi the Old Town. The walking . tour lasted about an hour and a quarter, but my courage only held on tor about ten minutes otthat. And I have been
l
goings-on. Should I divulge anything. who knows what might beiall me.
But in the sale light oi day, the Cadies are amiable and obliging. They iirst began personal walking tours oi Edinbrugh in 1984, intending to provide tours at times to suit individuals and to limit numbers to ensure maximum contact with tour-goers. The ghosts came later, in 1985. Since then. the Old Town has been heaving with creeps 2 and bags. The Cadies are proud ot the iact that 75 to 80% at those who go on their Murdertour are local people in search oi ghoulish doings and historical iniormation.
It becomes violently clear that i Edinburgh was not a paragon of
innocence and goodness. Between ; 1479 and 1722. over 4000 men, women and children were strangled and burnt as witches in Scotland. Over 300 at those met their end on the Castlehill.
Hangings in the Grassmarket always drew a good crowd, and the dastardly
deeds oi the Body Snatchers and oi the
real lite Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde shook
the city to its core. The less iamous
intamous Edinburgh villains are just as ; unwholesome.
The Cadies have researched all available records— old newspapers. accounts at executions. legal papers—
to get the Iull stories on their criminals.
, Methods ol punishment were clearly as . ‘ spectacular as many at the crimes.
Adam Lyall (Deceased) met his iate at
the end at a rope in 1811 but, as he strolls through Edinburgh streets today, it doesn’t seem to have done any lasting damage. (Kristina Woolnough) It you can't tace the night-time tnray into Edinburgh‘s alleys. there's always a daylight option - Mr Clapperton's Ghosts and Gore Tour which takes place at 2pm amd 7pm every day. The spookless morning tour (113m) is more
sedate still. The Witchery Murder Anti
Mystery Tour must be booked in advance. All tours start outside The Witchery Restaurant nearthe Castle entrance. Phone The Cadies on 031 225 6745 iormore details.
A book by Adam Lyall (Deceased) that rattles all at these ghastly Edinburghian skeletons is now available ior £2.95, published by
sworn to secrecy about the nightmarish Moubray House Press.
WW(‘ 3437 I Edinburgh Military Tattoo 32 Market Street. 335 1188. [3 Aug 3 Sept. Postal hooking open now '.
credit card and counter hooking from 4 .luly. .‘ylagnificently staged on the castle esplanadc. the \H’lltl-lttltliittsl .ittoo is Scotland‘s answer tothe Royal '1 ourriament with massed hands and military displays.
Guided Walks and Tours
ICadies Walking Tours of Edinburgh—by Day and Night 2:5 (045 t 24 hours) l.e.t\c lrom lltc Witchery Restaurant.('astlehill.
l lam. 2pm. 7pm and lllpm Booking required
for all except 1 lam tour. £3 per person The \Vitchery Murder and Mystery Tour. lasts 1 hour 15 mins. See panel. I MercatToursnrrt 4541. Adyertised as ‘l‘diiihui'gh's Premier Horror \Valk‘ Departs Mercat ( 'ross. Parliament Sq. lligh Street.is’pm. 7 daysuntilendof Septemher. No hooking required. £4 per person. includes a free drink in a haunted tay em to raise your spirits. \Vrap up well astlie tales chill?
I Bobin's Edinburgh Tours 557 344‘ or (itil lll35. No hooking required. 1.3 tor 3 hours. Departs daily (all weathers) from the fountain at Waverly Market (outside tourist
office): l lam (special tour
7pm 'l‘hursrlays) tour of the Royal Mile and the
()ld 'l‘own; 2pm tour ofthc
New 'I‘ow n. This is not. like ('adies and .‘yler'cats above. a horror tour.
I New Town lzdinhurgh New low it ( 'oiisery'ation ('entie lla l tiitirlas Street. 557 \‘32
\\ erlnesdays 7 l‘Tpm. £4. Booking .‘Ul\lsr‘tl. Walk around tlir-(ieorgian residential New l‘own. Includes :i \‘lSIl totyso housesor flats at the kind per mission of the owners and ends with wine
I Wimpy Walks A glance at Princes Street and you‘d he forgiven for thmkingthat the city should he renamed l-'dinhurger 'l‘hcrc‘sa
giant Wimpy at each end ot the street and a soon to he larrnched McDonalds
L' somewhere in the middle.
Wimpy have stolen the march on their riy als however with the
puhlicationofa
twenty-eight page free hook of walks in Scotland. If you've only got a little time to spare. you could do a lot worse than picking up some fast food and doing one ofthc l‘dinhurgh walks in the
guide.
l
Upmarket
IThe Witcheryfifi: (‘astleliilL 335 5M3.
Mini Sun noon llpiii 'l‘he eohw ehsaie intentional. asisthe witch at the end of the central tahle. hut for all its gimmiekry . the food makes this den worth
y isiting. at least lor ashoit spell. Suhtle and unusual tlayours(such as whisky. cream and honey sauce \\Illl yeal). and sery ice that's unohtrusiyc. hut far from spooky (£35)
I La Potiniere ( iullane. tloltlSJRZI-l. ()iie ol the most difficult restaurants tosamplc hookings generally a year or so ltl ady aiice. though it s worth phoning lor' cancellairr ins ltscellent traditional l-ienclicursiiic. scryedai Spin prompt. .-\n experience tosayotir (bill)
I Skippers Bistro la Doc s Place. 55-1 llllrS. Slot] Sat l3 3H 2pm and
7N) ltlpm. Shade-sol Hemingway in thisquaint dockside haunt. An
l l
atmosphere of its own and
A sophisticated rnenrr. hoasted as ‘thc hest in town‘. predominantly lishy. as the name suggests. l‘.\CCllClll range of house wines. (£33)
I Prestoniield House Hotel Priesttield Road. (ih? Slit)“. ( ‘ountry-house appearance. and a line. traditional selection of
the portions are modest. I La Vinothegue 2.1» Bonnrngton Road Lane. 554% I3. Mon ‘Sat
noon 3.3llpm and
h 9.45pm. Smart andslick restaurant offering a wide and well-prepared (iallic menu. .-\n unexpected find in this neck ofthc woods. with outdoor tahles in (y ain'.’) anticipation of halmier days. (L‘itl)
Lunches
Prices in brackets are cost oia main course.
IThe Potting Shedni) Bruntsfield Place. 32‘) I393. Mon -Sat
llam llpiii;SunS 9pm. Put ol the Bruiitslicld Hotel. a glitzy extension \y 5‘ it‘ll sttt‘lcllcs under coiiseryatory glass itttothc patio ()llers a wideand unusual choice of meals. from caulrtlower and stilton soup (strorigand thick I tosealoodcrepcs. and a rich selection of cocktails to chase them down (infill)
I Parrots Cate Bruntslield. 3303.353 .\lon Sat llam ‘)piii;Sun 5 9pm. Small hut pleasant. despite an uiiprepossessingexterior, Reasonath priced and interesting range ol tare. with a particularly stioiig lish hias. t f 3.25) IBagguleys: l)eanhaugli. 333 Hot)
( osy . olde worlde nook yyitltctecpeisat the windows. rtllkl a delicious home-made touch to the litiitlli3.5lll
I Pier‘s Point I the Shore. lcllli. 5‘4 Stihh.
\ooii I i‘lpmaiid
' ll itlpni ()nc ot the \cys [ ctll‘ \llsltools.
I illet IllL' c.ilr'llcl'c\ .llttl
\ ltcesr'calse .is \y ell as a decent and daily -changed seli‘ctlirit til “Illc‘llill Iiiocl anddiink Plusthehonus ot dockside distractions Ior passing entertainment (U H)
I Feast at Stephen St Stephen Street. 335 4705. .»\ horrier atmosphere in this fairly new restaurant Small hut uncrampcd. with a w ell prepared and unusually llay‘oured
selection ol tare. (£3.50)
I Bo‘s Bistro
(irassinai ket. Small and
licsh. at the edge of the
(riassinai kct. Bo‘solters
a reasonath priced and attractiyely presented selection of traditional
food (£31.91)
liin and fowl - thoughthe ; conSCiOUS
peacocks remain on the lawn (£50)
I Martins Restaurant 73 Rose Street North lane. 3253ltlh. ‘l'ue l-‘ri
noon aniIl‘ue— 'l'hurs 7 lllpm; Sat Sun
7 lll.3llpm. Smart restaurant. tucked aw ay hehind Rose Street. Martins serycs wonderful Scottish cuisine. though
I Viva Mexico Ill Anchor (lose. 32h Sl-lS. Mon. Sat noon 2.3(lpm.
trill- ] lprn Be glowered down on by photosof haiididos. (iood suhstantial fare along the tortilla line. hut the menu can be adapted for tender tastehuds. Best time for children is earlyey'cning.
Thelast ro—- 23 June i988 65