After spending much of yesterday being crushed between tour groups we decided that today we would go off the beaten track a little and head away from the heart of the city towards Leith.
Our first destination was Dean Village, an area of attractive looking buildings which were, no doubt, once home to the cities poor but now are the preserve of those with money. This was also our starting point to pick up the Leith Walk an attractive riverside pathway alongside the Water of Leith. Unfortunately the “Water of Scotland” was also descending upon us from above and so we abandoned the walk and got a bus the rest of the way to the docks.
Link many other cities the Leith docks have undergone some regeneration and now has a smart new shopping centre with the Royal Yacht Britannia moored alongside. The rest of the docks needs a bit more work it is fair to say.
Once the rain had died down we caught a bus back towards town and headed into the Royal Botanic Garden which was stunning (and wet). I have to say that they were the best botanical gardens we have ever been into and we seem to have visited a few on our travels. However, by the time we had reached the far side it was raining steadily and so we made our way back to the comfort of our hotel.
You can see pictures from the gardens and more here.