Edinburgh: The City of Literature

Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, was the first in the world to receive a UNESCO City of Literature designation. Edinburgh is truly built on its literary tradition, and is home to some of the most famous writers of our time.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, R M Ballantyne, Sir Walter Scott, and Kenneth Grahame (author of The Wind in the Willows) were all born here. If you are an avid literature fan, you will love spending a few days to explore this side of Edinburgh. There are many things for the book-lover to discover in this beautiful, leafy and charming city.

For a truly divine stay during your literary explorations in Edinburgh, The Radisson Blu Hotel offers four star luxuries in a great location on the Royal Mile and within a short walk to the Edinburgh Castle. Another excellent choice is the Hotel Missoni Edinburgh, with bold and chic interior design and a superb spa.

Here are a few ideas to get you started planning your book-themed getaway in Edinburgh:

Get a feel for the pubs of Edinburgh’s Old and New Town and the effect that they had on the creative and intellectual thought of the writers who frequented them. The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour features two characters known as Clart and McBrain who entertain with their lively duel of wits as they lead you through three hundred years of writing history. The tour takes the form of an impassioned debate between these two funny characters, as they discuss the effects of a dram of whiskey or a pint of ale on the verbal magic of Scottish writing

The Edinburgh Writer’s Museum celebrates the lives of three great Scottish writers, Robert (Robbie) Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Visitors can enjoy looking at portraits, rare books, and personal objects that belong to the writers such as Burn’s writing desk and the printing press that produced Scott’s Waverly Novels. Within the collection is a ring given to Robert Louis Stevenson by a Samoan Chief, with the name “Tusitala” engraved in it, meaning “teller of tales.”

This beautiful chapel is a major feature in the climax of Dan Brown’s best-selling novel “The Da Vinci Code”. Part of the final sequence of the movie version of the book was filmed here in September 2005. Besides its literary link, this chapel is an absolutely gorgeous sight to behold on its own. It was built between 1446 and 1484 and is described as a “Library in Stone.” The chapel is in the village of Roslin, which can be reached easily from the centre of Edinburgh by bus.

Walk past this old school building to see where J.K. Rowling found the inspiration for Hogwarts School of Wizardry. Rowling wrote the first draft of the initial book in her best selling series while sitting in coffee shops here in Edinburgh, and you can tell from the winding cobblestone streets and the moody and magical tone of the city that her surroundings inspired her.

The brilliant but slightly anti-social detective was invented here by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although the famous books were set in London, Doyle took his inspiration from the brooding and atmospheric streets of Edinburgh. There are Sherlock Holmes walks available that will show you many important locations, such as the grave of Dr. Joseph Bell, the real man on which the character of Holmes was based.

The ultimate party for literary geeks, the Edinburgh International Book Festival takes place in the last three weeks of August and is the largest celebration of books in the world! Writers and thinkers from all over the planet will come together to hold writing workshops, education events, panel discussions, and performances by international writers, poets, musicians and thinkers. If you love the written word, this is a very exciting time to visit Edinburgh.

Edinburgh, city of literature, is like a great book. Savour each page slowly, marvel at its complexity, and remember that it gets even better when you share it with friends.