![Edinburgh Episode 07 Two Scottish Parliaments]()
January 12, 2022
The highlight of this episode is a visit to the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. But first, the colourful story of who ruled Scotland over the centuries, the Scottish kings, the ongoing tussles with England, the Act of Union and subsequent rebellions and finally the Scotland Act of 1998 which led to the founding of the new parliament where a speaker could proudly announce that 'the Scottish Parliament, which adjourned on the 25th March 1707, is reconvened.'
Recommended read
Scotland's Democracy Trail by Stuart McHardy and Donald Smith
Useful links
https://www.parliament.scot
https://www.parliament.scot/visit/virtual-tour
https://edinburgh.org
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Edinburgh series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
![Edinburgh Episode 06 The New Town]()
December 22, 2021
A visit to Edinburgh's New Town, with its elegant Georgian streets and squares, to linger a little in the Georgian Museum and to hear tales of the Scottish Enlightenment when, said the editor William Smellie, you could stand at the Mercat Cross and 'in a few minutes, take 50 men of genius and learning by the hand.' And the women? Well, society hostesses Mrs Apreece and Mrs Waddington were much admired, one 'for the vivacity of her conversation' and the other 'for her remarkable beauty and the grace of her manners’
Useful links
https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/georgian-house
https://edinburgh.org
https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk/edinburgh
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Edinburgh series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!
![Edinburgh Episode 05 The Old Town]()
December 15, 2021
We visit Edinburgh's Old Town, or 'Auld Reekie' as the poet Robert Fergusson called it. Thankfully, Daniel Defoe's 18th century warning that when walking the streets at night you risk 'having Chamber Pots of Ordure thrown upon your head' no longer applies. We visit two informative museums - The Real Mary King's Close and Gladstone's Land - and then bring you the story of the city's most infamous resident, Deacon Brodie, pious citizen by day, but at night, 'a gambler and a thief, dissipated and licentious.'
Useful links
https://www.realmarykingsclose.com
https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land
https://edinburgh.org
https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk/edinburgh
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Edinburgh series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
![Edinburgh Episode 04 The Royal Mile]()
December 8, 2021
The Royal Mile in Edinburgh is 'one of the fairest streets I ever saw', wrote James Howell in the 17th century. We explore it from top to bottom, highlighting what to look out for and giving a little of the street's turbulent history: proclamations and drunken celebrations at the Mercat Cross, Jenny Geddes hurling a chair at the Reverend James Hannay in St Giles' Cathedral and John Knox raging against idolatry and 'the monstrous regiment of women.'
Useful links
https://stgilescathedral.org.uk
https://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.com/john-knox-house
https://edinburgh.org
https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk/edinburgh
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Edinburgh series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
![Edinburgh Episode 03 The Palace of Holyroodhouse]()
November 24, 2021
Tales from the history of Holyrood in Edinburgh: King David's escape from death while out hunting in the 12th century, inspiring him to found the abbey of the holy rood (cross), a royal wedding designed to unite the thistle and the rose in 1503 and all the drama of Mary Queen of Scots and her life at the palace. (Think intrigues, religious unrest, murders and her eventual flight to England) Hear stories about the later Stuart monarchs and find out what to look out for when you visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse and its beautiful grounds.
Useful links
https://www.rct.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse
https://edinburgh.org
https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk/edinburgh
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Edinburgh series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
![Edinburgh Episode 02 The Castle]()
November 17, 2021
A stroll through the history of Edinburgh Castle takes in kings and sieges, feasting, battles, murders and plots. There are plenty of tales of capture and recapture, of English invaders and rival Scottish clans. Find out too what to look out for when you visit the castle today, including The Great Hall, built by James IV to host feasts and celebrations, the little room where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her son James, born to reign over both Scotland and England, and ancient treasures like the Stone of Scone and the Scottish Crown Jewels.
Useful links
https://www.edinburghcastle.scot
https://edinburgh.org
https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk/edinburgh
City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time!
Check our website to find more episodes from our Edinburgh series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
We love to receive your comments and suggestions!
You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk
And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. It helps others to find us.
November 10, 2021
Walk the ghostly narrow closes of the old town, visit the elegant Georgian streets of the new town, tour that glorious castle, sample the whisky, the seafood or maybe a tattie scone; it's no wonder that Edinburgh is one of the UK's most popular city break destinations. Here is an overview of the series, offering some geographical, historical and cultural details to whet your appetite for the remaining 15 episodes when we will tour all the main sites, telling you the stories behind them and introducing a wealth of colourful personalities who have influenced the city over the centuries.
Useful links
https://citybreakspodcast.co.uk/edinburgh-01
https://edinburgh.org
November 3, 2021
There will be no episode this week, but the new series, City Breaks Edinburgh, will begin next week.
www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk
