Edinburgh and St. Andrews

It’s always nice to receive the kind of warm attention upon arrival that I did, as a solo traveler, at the Priestville Guest House (10 Priestfield Rd., Edinburgh, Scotland, EH16 5HJ, U.K.; phone 0131 667 2435). For my stay, April 1-10, 2013, proprietors Colin and his wife, Trina, greeted me in their beautiful lobby area.

As requested, I was given a double room with en suite facilities. It was not only spacious but extremely clean, serviced every day. My daily rate, with breakfast, was $97. (Prices vary with the rooms, with discounts for longer stays. Write to Colin at bookings@priestville.com.)

The breakfasts were delicious, as Colin is a master chef. I was introduced to haggis and smoked kippers and both were delicious. I would stay there again.

Colin and Trina gave me a map of Edinburgh and many brochures and explained the city bus schedule. With a stop a 2-minute walk from the guest house, I used the bus every day of my stay. 

One of the places I wanted to see was the town of St. Andrews. It was an easy bus ride to Edinburgh’s Waverley Station, from where I would take the train to St. Andrews. At the ticket window, I purchased my round-trip ticket for about $40 ten minutes before the train departed. 

The ride took one hour, and at Leuchars Station a bus met our incoming train (bus fare included in train ticket) and I rode it to the city.

Tucked away from the main shopping street I found The Doll’s House Restaurant (3 Church Sq., St. Andrews, Scotland; phone +44 [0] 1334 47742).

From its limited menu, I ordered the special of the day, a 2-course lunch for about $12. It included fresh tomato basil soup, beautifully prepared poached cod plus new potatoes and carrots. The atmosphere was lively.

St. Andrews has many pubs, assorted restaurants and sandwich shops as well as souvenir and clothing stores. 

MARILYN MYERS

Lincoln, CA