Secret Edinburgh: An Unusual Guide

by Hannah Robinson

Discover hidden gardens and clandestine art that even the neighbours overlook, visit the strangest of museums, get water-boarded in a prototype Jacuzzi and traumatised by Rabelaisian rafters, decrypt mysterious Masonic markings, step inside an Icelandic lava grotto, travel to the Wild West of Morningside, learn the secrets of Mrs Coade's stone, sniff out the dogs more dazzling than Greyfriars Bobbie, track down traces of Edinburgh's Great Exhibition ... Far from the tourist traps and the crowded landmarks, you may have thought Edinburgh had no more to reveal, but the city still keeps many treasures hidden away in the most unexpected of places. An indispensable travel guide for those who thought they knew Edinburgh well, or who would like to explore the curiosities of this most secretive of cities. "Most visitors only scratch the surface of the cities they visit. Most residents accidentally take for granted the places they live. This book delves deep into Edinburgh's rich history and the stories its special places tell, nudging its reader to find delight in the esoteric details, and to go and explore our wonderful and beautiful city with fresh eyes, a spring in the step and song in the soul." Adam Wilkinson, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Scotland, Reference, Architecture

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2016

Reviews

[Agustina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike Secret Dublin and Secret Lisbon, the author of this book seems to have written it exclusively for locals. I was expecting more secrets related to well-known historical figures, such as Mary Queen of Scots, but instead most pages referred to scientists whom I had never heard of and local political figures.
If you live in Edinburgh, you will probably love this book. If you are a tourist, you may need to read some other guide as well to learn about some of the stories locals usually know about.

[W.G. Saraband · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book delivers on what it promises - to guide you through the secret places of Edinburgh. Since I moved to this beautiful city, I have walked around a lot, but I never would have known how much more stuff I could be seeing if it hadn't been for the help of this guide.

[Hettie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have known from the typo on the back cover and the use of the Thistle Chapel roof as the cover image for 'Secret Edinburgh', that this book would be shoddily thrown together. I had high hopes after reading the London version and was horribly disappointed. Marketed as a 'travel book for locals', I was expecting something new and exciting. Instead, I ended up with sights that most tourists would see and facts which are commonly known by any Edinburgh local. I wouldn't even recommend this book to people visiting the city - there are far superior books for the price of this thing, which would give you a better view into 'Secret Edinburgh' than this ever did. So disappointed

[Juan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fine read, even if you don’t intend to go to Edinburgh. Especially if you don’t, I would say. Being a follower of these guides, of which I have more than ten, this is probably one of the, if not best, certainly humorous in a way I quite connect with, and maybe you too.
It’s also nice if you are around, with many off-the-beaten track places you can check out. Which is exactly what these things are for…

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! I've just moved to Edinburgh so it was interesting to see the parts of the city that people (including the locals) don't always see.

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had some wonderful hidden gems I hadn't read about anywhere else.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting--but meant for the person spending a wee bit more time in Edinburgh than I've got!

[Zoe Wyatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as secrets of paris but interesting nevertheless!

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh. It's not really worth a read. Most of this stuff is either well-known, or it's not really that interesting. There are many, many more interesting, secret things to see around Edinburgh.

[Fiona Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Such a great book to take on travels to this lovely city. Accurate and interesting. Would have missed so much without it.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent guidebook with many off the beaten path and interesting places to visit in Edinburgh. We got to a few of them but wish I’d visited more. Saving for next time.

[Fire Storm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading it made me sad I was born a woman.

[Celtic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating ... if you enjoy exploring the nooks and crannies of Edinburgh's history, the forgotten treasures left behind by the ebb and flow of time and fashion, or discovering out of the way art or interesting curios and hearing the story of how they came to be where they now are then this is the book for you. I would say I know Edinburgh fairly well but there's maybe only around half of the entries I knew of beforehand and even less that I knew very much about. And it's well written and illustrated, often beautifully so.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subjective writing means it doesn't work as well as the other guides from this publisher. From the same type of guide for Glasgow and Mexico City, I've noticed that their style is more objective, merely describing the subjects and telling their history.

In this Edinburgh guide however, the author constantly offers her personal opinions and comments. While this can definitely work for Travel writing, it's best suited for blogs or online forums where the information can be expected to change quickly.

For a more fixed physical travel guide, the personal point of view often gets in the way.