If you base yourself at Craigwell Cottage for your stay in Edinburgh, you will be within easy walking distance of the City Centre Art Galleries. A short stroll up Calton Road turning up New Street and into East Market Street will bring you to the nearest of these, the City Art Centre, which often hosts interesting exhibitions. Directly opposite is the Fruit Market Gallery. Another short stroll, cutting through the beautiful East Princes Street Gardens, will bring you to the National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy situated at the bottom of the Mound, and linked by the Weston Link. In the Weston Link you will find a cafe and restaurant, and there are often opportunities to participate in art-based activities and create your very own masterpiece.

When you’re travelling with young children, it’s always good to go
armed with some ideas of what to do of the weather is foul and you’re
on need of some indoor activity. During our October break we spent
some time at the Ceramic Experience just near Ocean Terminal, making a
lovely surprise for Grandma’s birthday.

As agreed with Lottie and Scottie yesterday, it was to be a trip to Dynamic Earth today. So after our delicious breakfast from The Manna House, it was off up Campbell’s Close to the Royal Mile, then over the road past Canongate Primary School and up to Bull’s Close to find a shortcut through to Dynamic Earth. Plenty of photo opportunities en route as we passed the Scottish Parliament building with its interesting ultra modern facades. Lottie had been watching some kids show on BBC this morning about kids setting rules for their parents and says she’s banning me from taking more than 5 photos a day.
Susan McNaughton
October 2008

We went shopping for a little while this afternoon, and when we were in Princes Street we snapped this photographs of Edinburgh Castle in the late afternoon sunshine.

Went shopping in Princes Street today.