Special Sub-Topic: An American in Edinburgh Click Here To Play: An American in Edinburgh

You step off the train and are thrust smack dab in the middle of this awesome city. The station is named after the literature of Walter Scott. What is its name?

Waverley Station. Okay so we've all read Scott's "Ivanhoe" and "Rob Roy" (or at least seen the movies,) but in my opinion Scott's best work is "The Heart of Midlothian" which is exactly where the city of Edinburgh lies. On the Royal Mile near the Mercat Cross you'll find cobblestones in the pattern of a heart. You are supposed to spit on this heart for good luck when you pass it. However, it is Waverley Station that is named after Scott's famous Waverley novels.

When you step outside the station, you notice a street that slopes up towards a hill with an acropolis-like structure on it. You think climbing it would be a perfect way to glimpse what Edinburgh has to offer. What hill is this?

Calton Hill. While all the above hills are in Edinburgh, Calton Hill is just east of Princes Street. It's a great vantage point to view the castle and city, and the hill itself has a mishmash of attractions. The acropolian structure is the unfinished Scottish monument. Lack of funds caused the city to abandon its creation. Nelson's Tower which has a ship's mast on top was created in honour of Nelson's victory at Trafalgar in 1805. On the last day of April, Edinburgh celebrates the Beltane Fire Festival on Calton Hill. Huge crowds shouldn't detract you from taking part in the pagan festival. It's well worth it. Also on Calton Hill is the Old Observatory, the City Observatory, a memorial to David Hume, the Burns' Memorial, and the Martyrs' Monument (an obelisk.) Phew, for not so large a hill there's a lot to see.

You walk down the hill towards Princes Street, the high street or main thoroughfare of Edinburgh. Which prince is this street named after?

Prince George. Originally the street was to be named after the patron saint of Edinburgh St. Giles. That is until King George III stepped in and had it named after his son, the future King George IV. The sames stores and shops are on Princes Street as are on any British high street. You'll find Marks and Spencer, Clark's, Top Shop, the Edinburgh Woollen Mill and more. Instead of shopping for your family tartan, why not take a stroll through Princes Street Gardens instead. In the 18th Century the Nor Loch just below Edinburgh Castle was drained and in its place is the gardens. Sometime the gardens are the location of concerts, but unfortunately if you don't buy a ticket the whole area is shut off and a fence is put up blocking freeloaders from seeing the concert.

After walking through the gardens, you can't resist the urge to buy a Loch Ness monster with a tartan cap on it, so you go back to Princes Street. You notice a large neo-gothic structure which is a monument. For which Scottish writer was this monument dedicated to?

Walter Scott. J.M. Barrie wrote "Peter Pan". Robert Louis Stevenson wrote "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" after the infamous Edinburgh resident William "Deacon" Brodie. Poet of the people, "Rabbie" Burns made it fashionable to speak in the Scots dialect with poems such as "To a Mouse, on Her Turning up in Her Nest with the Plough." However, it is Walter Scott whose writings renewed the feeling of Scottish Nationalism in the 19th century. Perhaps that is why the largest monument ever dedicated to one person (in Scotland) was created for him in Edinburgh. The Gothic structure is an imposing figure on the Edinburgh skyline and the top of the monument is also a look-out point.

Speaking of Rabbie Burns, every year on January 25th, the Scottish celebrate his birthday with a Burns Supper complete with haggis. Haggis is a Scottish sausage comprised of minced sheep heart, lungs, liver, and oatmeal that is then boiled in a sheep's stomach. This tasty concoction is served with?

Turnips and Potatoes. Haggis is traditionally served with turnips and potatoes or "neeps and tatties." While not the most flavourful, it is certainly edible and is worth a try. Burns' poetry is also read during Burns Night. Check out Burns' poem "Address to a Haggis" for a real sense of the Scottish treat.

The long train journey from London has made you tired, so you decide to perk yourself up with a coffee. You've heard that J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book in coffee houses in Edinburgh. True or false

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While having a coffee, you overhear a conversation that the Queen is in town and that she’s staying at her official Scottish residence. Where is she staying?

The Palace of the Holyrood House. Balmoral Castle is one of the Queen’s residences located well to the north of Edinburgh - in Aberdeenshire. Edinburgh Castle is owned by Historic Scotland. Craigmillar Castle is 2.5 miles out of Edinburgh and is well worth a visit. However, The Palace of Holyrood house is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. While I’ve never taken the tour inside the palace, Holyrood Park, which surrounds the palace, is an absolute must see for visitors.

You go to see the Queen at her residence, but find out that you can’t tour the building while she is there. Instead you take a stroll through Holyrood Park and take a scenic hike up an extraordinarily beautiful series of hills and crags. The peak of this series of hills is called?

Arthur's Seat. One of the crowning joys of a visit to Edinburgh is hiking up this beautiful old volcanic structure. Just think that at one time or another most of the great thinkers of Scotland climbed up to Arthur’s Seat to take in the spectacular view of the city and countryside -- and perhaps to just contemplate life. It’s a fantastically romantic feeling.

You exit the park near the Royal Commonwealth Pool and soon you find two more parks: The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links. What sport is played on the Bruntfield links?

Golf. While the exact origins of curling is unknown, evidence points to the Scottish as the inventors; however, the game is not played at the Bruntsfield Links. As far as I know there is no such thing as Scottish Rules Rugby. Lacrosse was invented by the Native Americans in the 15th century. Golf was also invented in the 15th Century by some Eastern Scots in Fife. If you want to learn golf, there’s no better place than on the green of the Bruntfield Links next to the Meadows (not the "Bruntsfield Links Golf Course" which is nowhere near Bruntsfield.) It is very much a non-exclusive course with all types taking a shot at the game. The Meadows is a great park to take a stroll in. In the spring there are cherry blossoms, and some of the avenues go along the University of Edinburgh buildings and the Royal Infirmary.

You somehow wind up near the West End of the city and you cross a bridge and notice a small picturesque village below that looks as if it’s out of "The Wind in the Willows". This place is called:

Dean Village. One of the best parts of a walking tour is discovering the hidden neighborhoods off the beaten track just outside of the city center. Morningside, has the charm of a small town unto itself which seems somewhat displaced in the big city. Stockbridge, just off the New Town is a splendid example of New Town architecture and city planning. There are many circus streets and on Deanhaugh Street you’ll find a quaint and beautiful clock tower. The Gyle is one neighborhood you won’t want to wander off into, luckily it’s far from the city center. The Gyle has a huge shopping center and mall and is now the location of several large Edinburgh business parks housing the Royal Bank of Scotland and The Bank of Scotland to name a couple. Dean Village is located in a small valley 100 feet lower than most Edinburgh neighborhoods and reminds me of "The Wind in the Willows". There is a several mile long walk along the Water of Leith, a small river that flows to the Port of Leith. The walk goes right alongside Dean Village and on it you will see evidence of Dean Village’s history as a grain-milling center.

Hours have past and it’s nighttime. And what does that mean? It’s time to drag your sorry American alcohol-intolerant butt into a traditional Scottish pub. Which of the following is not a traditional pub, but is a strip bar?

The Burke & Hare. The Jekyll and Hyde is a touristy pub located in the New Town where among its attractions is a mysterious find-it-yourself bathroom. The Conan Doyle is also located in the New Town and is named after the famous Edinburgh writer of Sherlock Holmes. The Cask and Barrel is a sports bar off Broughton street. The Burke and Hare is situated in West Port, which is at the west end of The Grassmarket as you go up the hill. William Burke and William Hare snatched corpses from graves to sell to medical students during the 19th Century. After realizing how lucrative the business was they decided that rather than dig up graves, they would kill their victims to get their corpses. All that said, my favorite pubs in Edinburgh are the Jolly Judge off the Royal Mile and Whistlebinkies off South Bridge. But don’t go to Sandy Bells on Forrest Road if you’re feeling depressed. Though beautiful, the traditional Scottish folk music played there is enough to drive you over the Scottish melancholic edge. Not a favourite but worthy of mention is Sneeky Pete's on the Cowgate. This ultra goth pub is built on top of a graveyard with actual gravestones under your feet.

You notice Miller and Budweiser on tap (God knows why?) but that’s not for you, you’re in Scotland and, you’re going to drink a Scottish beer. Which of the following is NOT a Scottish beer?

Carling. McEwans, Tennents and Belhaven are all Scottish beers. Carling is an English beer. In the wee hours of the morning and sometimes during the day, you can smell the yeast from the McEwan’s brewery in the air. I like to think of it as the smell of Edinburgh.

After crawling from pub to pub on the Royal Mile, you notice that many dark alleyways along the road with the word "close" on them. In Edinburgh, a "close" is the narrow alley created when two tall buildings are positioned very close to one another. Which of the following is not a close in Edinburgh?

Candlemaker Close. Advocate’s Close, Fishmarket Close, and Fleshmarket Close were named after the commerce of those closes. Candlemakers do not have their own close; however, they do have their own row. On Candlemaker Row, you’ll find Greyfriars Kirkyard. It’s lovely church and cemetery and well worth a visit even at night, but for some unknown reason American tourists only come here to take pictures of the grave and statue of Greyfriar’s Bobby.

But wait, you notice that some closes are named after people? Which famous close is part of a legendary underground Edinburgh ghost tour?

Mary King's Close. Mary King’ Close has been a hub of supernatural activity since its inhabitants were quarantined in their houses during the plague in the 17th century. Months after everyone had died from either plague or starvation, the bodies were carried out and since then the close is famous for paranormal activity. The city chambers have been built up over the close preserving it underground. If you do one thing in Edinburgh, it should be taking advantage of the number of ghost tours the city offers. Not only are they historically informative, but the stories are truly scary. Take my advice and ask your tour guide whether s/he has ever witnessed paranormal activity during a tour. Often, the guide will have stories of ghost sightings during tours with ordinary people just like you.

Throughout the day, you hear a few teasing references to the English in Scotland. We all know that the English are not so popular in Scotland, but did you know that during the 18th century the Scottish weren’t so popular in England. Which famous Englishman defined oats as "A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people?"

Samuel Johnson & Dr. Johnson & Dr. Samuel Johnson & Johnson & Doctor Johnson. Dr. Samuel Johnson’s dictionary, compiled in the 18th Century, is full of comical contemporary notions of the time. Incidentally, Scottish Porridge Oats are the creamiest and best of all oatmeals. Every time I visit, I make sure to bring a whole load of boxes home with me. I hope you enjoyed your walking tour of Edinburgh. And remember, when you go don't pronounce the city as Edin-berg. The "burgh" should be pronounced "burrah" or even better "brah." Enjoy your trip.