guest house scotland
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Like many of the UK's major cities, Edinburgh has a thriving art scene, a clear example of this being the excellent City Art Centre. This is one of Edinburgh's more unusual art galleries, and so is definitely the gallery for anyone looking for something a bit different.
Located on Market Street in the Old Town, this six-story building was originally home to The Scotsman newspaper. However, since 1979 it has been the venue of the hugely successful City Art Centre. An eclectic art gallery, the City Art Centre prides itself on appealing to as wide a base as possible - and so the exhibitions can range from 19th century Scottish Art to Star Trek! The City Art Centre is open from 10am to 5pm Mondays to Saturdays. Admission costs around £4 for adults.
Edinburgh has plenty of excellent art galleries both traditional and more contemporary, non-commercial and commercial. The main non-commercial galleries are obviously the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Gallery of Modern Art. But don't forget the Royal Scottish Academy, the Talbot Rice Gallery or the City Art Centre.
If you prefer contemporary art, there are several excellent galleries around Market Street in the Old Town, for example The Stills on Cockburn Street, or the Fruitmarket Gallery on Market Street. Commercial Galleries include the Bellvue Gallery on Bellevue Crescent, the Open Eye Gallery on Cumberland Street and the Ingleby Gallery on Carlton Terrace, all in the New Town.
George Street is one of the original streets in Edinburgh's New Town development. Named after King George III, George Street, along with Princes Street and Queen Street, was part of the original New Town development built by James Craig in 1766. These three streets run parallel to each other and George Street is the central one which links the two squares at either end, Charlotte Square and St Andrew's Square. George Street is a wonderful example of well preserved Georgian architecture with the added interest of statues of various famous Scots dotted along the way. Buildings of interest on George Street include the Assembly Rooms and Edinburgh's Royal College of Physicians.
The bagpipes are inextricably linked with Scotia and remain an enduring national image. Unlike two other national symbols, tartan and kilts, Scotia's national instrument is indeed traditional and historical.
The bagpipes originated in the Highlands in the 15th century, but for many years remained little known outside of Scotland. Then in the 18th and 19th centuries, as the British Empire expanded, the bagpipes became known the world over. This was because the British Army had several Scottish regiments, all of which had pipe bands. So as the Empire grew, it did so to the sound of bagpipes. The military association of bagpipes remains to this day and the pipe bands are an integral part of the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Whilst to many people a band of pipers is not a pleasant experience, most would agree that the sound of a lone piper is nevertheless an exceptional musical experience. Tourists in Edinburgh can hear the sound of a lone piper playing on the Castle battlements on most summer evenings. St Andrew's Square was part of Edinburgh's original New Town development.