FASHIONABLE EDINBURGH
HISTORIC EDINBURGH
LITERARY EDINBURGH
The Kitchin
Credit : Marc Millar Photography
FASHIONABLE EDINBURGH
Thistle Street is Edinburgh ’ s answer to London ’ s Savile Row , and at 21st Century Kilts , one of Scotland ’ s fashion moguls , Howie Nicholsby , reimagines the “ un-bifurcated garments for men ” ( aka the kilt ), using denim , Harris Tweed , leather and suiting material . Full suits , including the “ hipster fit ” kilt , with one-button Argyll jackets and five-button vests and chunky knit socks are available and tailored to order in 8-12 weeks .
If you prefer your tartans old school , head to Stewart Christie & Co ., which is the oldest bespoke tailor in Scotland , tracing its trading heritage back to around 1720 . Its long and distinguished clientele includes lords , ladies , celebrities ( including the stars of Outlander ) and the Royal Company of Archers , the Queen ’ s bodyguard in Scotland . Thanks to Vixy Rae , who became creative director in 2015 , an entire floor is dedicated to women ’ s attire .
For something from the pages of Vogue , look no further than the studio of Judy R . Clark , Womenswear Designer of the Year for 2013 , at the Scottish Style Awards . Her dramatic pieces combining Scottish tartan , lace and tweeds were called “ romantic art ” by Vogue magazine . Her “ Lace Noir ” collection uses Madras lace produced on 19th-century looms in Ayrshire .
HISTORIC EDINBURGH
Inhabited since 8,500 B . C ., Edinburgh has never been short of history . While highlights — like the iconic Edinburgh Castle , Greyfriars Kirk , Rosslyn Chapel ( of The Da Vinci Code fame ) and Palace of Holyroodhouse ( where the Queen stays when visiting ) — always bring lines of tourists , there are many less beaten paths to soak up the history more intimately .
Reopened in 2003 , after centuries hidden underground , Mary King ’ s Close — a warren of underground ancient streets once bustling with traders , mountebanks and more — offers an intimate view of 17thcentury Edinburgh , not to mention sordid tales of ghosts , murders and plagues , all relayed by a costumed character tour guide based on a one-time resident .
Several former villages now incorporated into the city also turn back the clock , especially in the exceedingly picturesque Stockbridge , home to the Circus Mews , one of the Edinburgh ’ s prettiest and most photogenic streets with rows of elegant Georgian houses bedecked in flowers and greenery . Nearby , Dean Village is another time machine , full of renovated 19th-century mills and industrial buildings once powered by Edinburgh ’ s oft-forgotten river , the Water of Leith , which now tranquilly flows through this deep , green valley in the heart of the city .
LITERARY EDINBURGH
“ It ’ s impossible to live in Edinburgh without sensing its literary heritage everywhere ,” said J . K . Rowling , who lived in the Scottish capital during the 1990s , while writing her Harry Potter series . Two local pubs — The Elephant House and Spoon — gave her a warm place to work when the then penniless author couldn ’ t afford the heating bill . Dozens of other sites that inspired places in the series also welcome fans . Indeed , Potterrow , home of pottery stalls in centuries past , is right next to the campus of Edinburgh University , where Rowling was a student .
But no Scottish writer tops 19th-century romantic novelist Walter Scott in terms of adulation . In fact , The Walter Scott Monument , a 200-foot tall gothic tower installed with stained glass windows and 64 figures from Scott ’ s novels carved by a variety of Scots sculptors ,
FLYWASHINGTON . COM 28 SPRING 2018