Edinburgh - where fantasy and reality mix

One of the most beautiful and harmonious cities in Europe, built on six hills, from which a magnificent view is offered to all sides and parts of the city, the main street, called the Royal Mile, which winds between the Palace of Holyrood and the Castle, and is surrounded by numerous churches and noble homes, it works impressively. The whole city is under UNESCO protection, but for those interested in the secrets of the city, the most interesting people in the city are those who, despite being gone for centuries or perhaps never existed, still stir our imagination.

It seems that the Scottish capital Edinburgh fulfills all the conditions to be able to boast the title of the most amazing European city. Not far from the city, it has been hiding for 1,500 years Nessie, to some the fearsome Loch Ness monster, and to others a possible surviving specimen of the giant plesiosaurs. Thousands of visitors who visit the lake in the hope of catching a glimpse of the monster claim to have heard sounds coming from the depths of the lake. It also stands nearby Rosslyn Chapel, has always been shrouded in a veil of mystery, myths and legends, and it became known all over the world mainly thanks to the book The Da Vinci Code by the writer Dan Brown. It is no wonder that such an enigmatic city as Edinburgh is the birthplace of the wizard Harry Potter; its author JK Rowling did not have to look far for inspiration, as the city with its mystical and surreal atmosphere is inspiring enough that the writer wrote some of her books right in the cafe The Elephant House with a view of Edinburgh Castle.

Mysterious persons

When night falls over Edinburgh, everyone who is interested in the dark and mysterious side of the city and the personalities who lived and may still live in the dark streets, underground and empty rooms of palaces go for a walk. During a walk, an invisible pianist from Charlotte Square, a man with an ashen face and a red hat from Jamaica Street or a gray lady from Ann Street can appear on every corner. And when the Scottish Parliament meets in a new, ultra-modern building in front of the Queen's residence at the end of the Royal Mile overlooking Edinburgh, MPs can safely say something is haunting them, as the complex also houses the haunted Queensberry Lodge. When Queensberry Lodge was still a hospital, a woman was often seen sitting at the foot of the bed crying. Front, in the Palace of Holyrood, Lord Darnley killed David Rizzi, the alleged lover of his wife, Mary Queen of Scots. In the centuries that followed, the traces of blood in his room that proved the tragedy could not be removed, despite constant efforts to erase them. They still show off today. Even on the other side of the Royal Mile, in the Edinburgh Palace, with a little imagination and open eyes, we will easily encounter an apparition. Rumor has it that the palace is the most fantastic place in town, home to, among other things, a headless drummer. In 1650, the entire English army appeared as the first apparition, whose marching and marching music could be heard in the corridors of the palace. The city is also full of true historical anecdotes that get the blood flowing faster. On the Royal Mile we can visit St Cuthbert's and Cannongate Kirk, where the church and cemetery are located. The grounds were a popular target for grave desecrations, and were also frequented by Messrs. Burke and Hare, who delivered cadavers to anatomy students in the early 19th century. There was always enough demand. But while others struggled to dig up the bodies in the cemetery, Burke and Hare were more inventive and "alienated" at least 16 guests from their tavern. But let's not forget Deacon Brodie, a respected furniture maker by day and thief and murderer by night, who was hanged in 1788 and whose life inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Interestingly, Stevenson's father had Brodie's furniture. Today, the Deacon Brodie is one of the most popular pubs on the Royal Mile.

Without a doubt, it is the most whimsical and visited attraction Mary King's Close in the historic center of the city, where in 2003 a small theme park with countless souvenirs, from chocolates to dolls, was opened on the site of the tragic events. In the 17th century, the simple alley was lined with tenant flats, with buildings rising up to seven stories high. Although the historical truth is different, there are stories circulating among the people that during the plague, the city authorities, fearing that the disease would spread to the entire population, decided to seal off the area and forbid the sick from leaving, thereby condemning the population, infected or not to a terrible death. Later, the walls and buildings of the area were demolished and new buildings were built. Buried under the new buildings, the bitter stories of the deceased did not remain silent. Mary King's Close has become the site of many mysterious apparitions of sick children, crying mothers, screaming babies and strange shadows. Years ago, a Japanese television crew filmed a report on Mary King's Close, and they brought along a mediator between the living and the dead who was unaware of the tragedy unfolding on the streets of Edinburgh's quarter. At the entrance to one of the rooms, she felt sadness and depression in the room. On the way out, she felt someone tugging on her pants, she returned to the room to find a very pale girl dressed in rags sitting in the corner. The girl told her that she died in 1645 and that she was very sad to lose her doll. The TV crew brought her a new doll and since then visitors have been leaving toys in the corner of the room. Since Mary King's Close has become a real Edinburgh landmark, and the city is also known for its abundance of festivals, paranormal lovers will gather for the seventh time between March 24 and 27 ghost festival. Edinburgh Dungeon (Edinburgh Prisons), which bear witness to the city's darkest history, are also the source of many stories. Fortunately, the creepy stories are delivered with plenty of humor, so any feelings of anxiety upon visiting are quickly dissipated.

A glass and food for courage
To help us find our way around the secrets of Edinburgh, let's take the time to visit a restaurant Witchery by the Castle or Scottish Whiskey Heritage Centre (Scotch Whiskey Heritage Centre), located just a few meters from Edinburgh Castle. The premises of today's Witchery restaurant used to be a center of Scottish witchcraft, so the tables and chairs were brought from various Scottish churches.

How to get there
As they have not yet got used to driving on the ″correct″ side of the road in the UK and still drive on the left, only the most experienced drivers are advised to hire a car or even go on a self transport adventure. It is much easier, as well as affordable, to fly with one of the low-cost airlines. We can fly from Ljubljana to London with a carrier easy jet, which takes us there every day, and from there we can use the same carrier or an equally favorable one Ryan Air we continue to Edinburgh. The earlier we book the plane tickets, the cheaper we will buy them.