Back from Scotland!

Photos are up on Facebook. Friends only though, for now.
Direct link here.

The Scots definitely managed to impress me in terms of service and hospitality. Aside from all that, the culture and landscape did remind me a lot of Ireland. I don't know how they did it but, even though they have one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe, you hardly see any homeless people nor junkies on the streets. I didn't even manage to catch uncouth, badly-dressed teenagers with terrible hairstyles. Everyone seemed pleasant enough.

Those people sure do have a way of avoiding the financial district.

The citycentre's structural planning is pretty good as well. You'll be greeted by very scenic views of the castle on one side and tall towering statues of local historical figures on the other. It's very easy to get around in the citycentre, seeing they have very distinctive landmarks. I managed to get around without feeling lost while I was there for the 4 days.

The town itself looks amazing. Everything seemed to be in sync. The buildings remain consistent in style, structure and shades of copper, brown and black. The designs never seemed to clash. The modern area is in one place, the historical buildings are in another. Even if there was a mix of modern and olden styled architecture, they seem to blend in well and not look all over the place.

We managed to catch the Edinburgh Film Festival while we were there. It was really enjoyable being able to watch the first public screenings of some films, and meeting the directors and casts of these great movies. My particular favourite was Moon (trailer below). They had a very low budget and they managed to complete pre-prod, prod, and post-prod in 1 year. Media students, you should know how amazing that is for a sci-fi indie film this good. Furthermore, it wasn't just a sci-fi film but tackled more on the emotional aspects of humans ourselves. As complicated as the film may sound, the plot is simple. No man should and could survive all alone. It's a very moving picture, nothing too showy at all.

There were also a couple of big gigs happening which we didn't really get into. And there's the Annual Fringe Comedy festival happening soon. There's always something to be excited about in calm Edinburgh, somehow. Calm, because throughout the 4 days there, even over the weekend, the city was surprisingly not busy. So you can just have a cuppa, enjoying the comfortable weather outdoors at the quaint little cafes.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed it. Of course, there were the downsides. My hairdryer was not working. The toilet door to my supposed 4-star hotel (got it on a deal via aerlingus) seemed to be broken, the shower doors got stuck. But even that didn't put me off too much - The jovial service of the staffs and warm hospitality of the locals transcend the little discomforts.

I'd definitely like to go back for more festivals if I have the chance to. :)

Here's a little panorama before I go: