Planes, Trains & Automobiles - Lufthansa 747-400 Upper Deck & A Drive around Scotland

[yflyer]

After the concert, we headed to a cocktail bar near our hotel for drinks and a late dinner.

The bar was called Satan's Whiskers, and came highly recommended by various cocktail bar guides. This bar was also featured on SilverKris Online.

From the outside, the place looked very dodgy, to say the least.



But never judge a book, or a cocktail bar, by its cover. Inside, this was a legit cocktail bar...



...with a lively, friendly vibe...



...and expertly mixed cocktails.



We found the bar food very tasty, and sufficient for a light dinner.



This place was a 5 minute walk from the Town Hall Hotel where we were staying. Super convenient!

[yflyer]

During our stay in London, I headed for a couple of runs at Victoria Park. This was a huge park just a short distance from our hotel in Bethnal Green.



On Sundays, there was also a market set up in the park.





There were ample running paths, many of which were quite shady...



There was a large pond in the park...



...with a small pagoda.



By the park, there was a canal, the Regent's Canal.



The footpath by the canal was very popular with runners and cyclists.



During the week, I did two runs there. My first was a totally random route, just running towards whatever looked interesting.



The 2nd was a very pleasant 5km loop of the entire park.

[yflyer]

Our time London came to an end. Our next and final stop was Edinburgh. We had tickets on the LNER high speed train, which would take us from London to Edinburgh in just 4 hours.

Our train departed from London King's Cross Station.



The interior of the station was ultra modern...



...and very busy.



This station was famous for being the station where Harry Potter departed for his term at Hogwarts.



There was a long queue to take photos at Platform 9 and 3/4...



There was a Harry Potter gift shop next door.



We had first class train tickets, which entitled us to use the LNER Lounge. The lounge was nicely decorated, and offered coffee, tea and juice. However, this was a very busy travel day, and the lounge was quite packed.



We managed to find seats in the lounge, and spent some time in the lounge before heading to the platform to catch our train.

[yflyer]

Our train would be departing right on-time...



Our 1st class carriage was very pleasant and spacious, with seats arranged in a 1-2 configuration, with some 2 and 4 seater table seats.



We had reservations for 3 single seats...




The train conductor was very friendly, and said that there was a 4 seater table which had not been reserved, and we were welcome to move there if we wished...



I thanked the conductor -- it was a very nice gesture on their part.

But by this point in the trip, the 3 of us had just about had enough of each other, and we decided to each have some me time, and stick to our individual single seats!

[yflyer]

There was good catering in the First Class train cabin.



A full meal, including complimentary soft and alcoholic beverages, was included in our fare.



A bottle of water and crisps were handed out...



For my meal, I ordered the tuna and butter bean salad...



I paired this with a rose wine...



The tuna salad was very tasty...



Dessert...



After lunch, a G&T...



This was an exceedingly comfortable way to get from London to Edinburgh...



...with great scenery along the way.



The 4 hour journey passed quickly.



We arrived in Edinburgh at 4.45pm on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon.

[yflyer]

After checking into our hotel, we took a stroll around the city.



This was my first time in Edinburgh, but my previous visits were very brief, and I did not really get much of a chance to look around.



I think I had forgotten how beautiful a place Edinburgh was.



Edinburgh Castle dominated the landscape...



The streets were wide and pedestrian friendly.



There was a very convenient tram network.

[yflyer]

Our hotel was the Heeton Concept Aparthotel, along Elizabeth Street.



The location was excellent, close to the heart of the city, in the so called Georgean "new town", built in the late 1700's . This could only be considered new relative to the "old town" of Edinburgh, which dates back to the 10th century.

There was a cosy lobby...



...and reception area.



Our room was a small apartment/suite...



...with kitchenette...



...and separate bedroom.



The bathroom was modern...



...with quirky yet stylish toiletries...



There was a washing machine and dryer, which was very handy.



We found this to be an excellent place to stay when visiting Edinburgh. The neigbhourhood was quiet and pleasant, and yet very close to the citry centre and walking distance to attractions such as Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile.

[yflyer]

That evening, we had a light dinner at the rooftop bar at the Johnny Walker Experience Centre.



We skipped the displays downstairs...



...and headed straight to the bar/restaurant, which had excellent cocktails...



...and light bites as well.





You could also taste a lot of whisky...



There were nice views of the city from the outdoor section of the bar.

[yflyer]

The next day, we continued our exploration of Edinburgh...



We headed to the Royal Mile, in the old town...



There were bagpipers...



...and more statues with traffic cones on their heads.



The Royal Mile was packed with tourists and visitors during our entire stay in Edinburgh.



This was certainly a very popular holiday destination, especially at this time of year, when the weather was wonderful.

[yflyer]

We dined at Hawksmoor, a very popular steak house with branches in Edinburgh, London, Liverpool and Manchester.



Their Edinburgh restaurant was located in a stunning space, which used to be a banking hall of the Royal Bank of Scotland.



The menu...



They were celebrating their 20th anniversary that year, and had a special "Classics" menu on offer.





Our starters...



For our mains, we shared the longhorn ribeye with half a lobster on the side.



The steak was absolutely delicious...



...as was the lobster, which was perfectly cooked, with sweet tender flesh...



We also had the monkfish...



...which had excellent texture.

[yflyer]

A pair of indulgent desserts...





...and cheese to finish.



This was a steakhouse I would want to return to.

[yflyer]

Next to our hotel was shopfront painted a striking red, with a sign that stated "Panda & Sons"



The sign said Barbership, and I remember thinking that this was quite unusual branding for a hairdresser.

The establishment also caught Mrs yflyer's attention, and she did some research.

Turns out this was a top-rated speakeasy-style cocktail bar, on the World's 50 Best list.. And it was right next to our hotel!



What an unexpected bonus! We headed inside, and down a short flight of stairs, to a bookcase...



...which turned out to be the door to a large basement bar.



It was lively inside...



The menu showcased a wide range of mixology techniques...



It was tough deciding what to drink...



...whether their latest creations...



...or Panda Classics...



These were quite unique cocktails...



...really pushing the boundaries of mixology...



It was very convenient to be able to have drinks at the bar then head off back to our hotel right next door.

[yflyer]

We took the tram from Edinburgh to the port district of Leith.

This was where the Royal Yacht Brittania was docked, and it was possible to buy tickets to tour the yacht.



I was content to merely view the yacht from the outside, as the main reason we were in Leith wa to have lunch at The Kitchen.



This restaurant was the brainchild of Chef Tom Kitchin,and was well known for offering the best seafood and ingredients found locally and across Scotland.



The restaurant was beautifully styled and very elegant.



Tom was in the kitchen that day -- not something you could take for granted with many of today's celebrity chefs.



A range of menus were available, including an a la carte menu...





A Chef's Tasting Menu...



...and a Set Lunch.

[yflyer]

We began with Champagne...



A map of Scotland was presented, showing where the day's ingredients came from...



A very pretty (and tasty) amuse bouche...



Very tasty bread...



...another amuse bouche.



For my starter, I opted for the Tartare of Highland Wagyu, with a supplement of caviar...



...which tasted as sublime as it looked.

Mrs yflyer opted for the veal sweetbread...



Miss yflyer no.2 had the Ayshire pork cheek...

[yflyer]

For our mains, Mrs yflyer opted for the Turbot...



Miss yflyer no.2 had the St Brides duck leg confit and bean cassoulet...



I chose the lobster...



...whose flesh was tender and sweet. It also came with an incredibly rich and creamy bisque.