The UK media (and also this blog) has been ever so enthusiastic about covering the arrival and the life of Edinburgh Zoo’s most famous attractions:  Tian Tian and Yang Guang, our Giant Pandas. So chances are you might have already been to see them!

photo: magnus.hagdorn

Now the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS, the owner of Edinburgh Zoo) offers a brand-new way of connecting with the popular pandas. You can adopt one of them!

 Why you might like the idea of adopting a panda

Tian Tian and Yang Guang are currently the only Giant Pandas living in the whole of the British isles. They are very popular with an ever-growing number of visitors to Edinburgh Zoo. Adopting means you will have a special relationship with one of them, you will be more than ‘just’ a visitor. Furthermore, adopting a member of this endangered species would be a source of support for the RZSS. The Society is a registered Scottish charity, which relies to a significant extent on voluntary donations.

The adoption certificate could also be a brilliant gift for a loved one. Do you know someone who has lost their heart to the pandas? Organising an adoption for them is bound to bring them lots of joy!

 More about the adoption scheme

Four levels of adoption are available. All of them will give you (among other things) an adoption certificate, lots of information about the Giant Pandas and the RZSS LifeLinks magazine three times a year (Bronze Level). If in addition, you and a friend would like to visit the Zoo and see your/the adopter’s name on the pandas enclosure, go for the Silver Level.

Gold will secure you one year’s RZSS membership, and your name will be listed in its Annual Review. The Platinum Level guarantees an additional Single Adult RZSS membership and also includes one guided tour for two people at Edinburgh Zoo or its Highland Wildlife Park.

(Listed above are only selected features of the individual adoption levels, please click here to see a detailed description of each option).

 How to organise this special friendship

Please visit the Edinburgh Zoo online. On this website you will find detailed information on the different options available, as well as a secure payment system. A quick and easy way to adopt!

Taking part in the Green Tourism Business Scheme ourselves, we are always happy to recommend attractions that share our eco-friendly philosophy. And our guests appreciate this!

One of the visitor attraction we love to recommend here in Edinburgh is the Royal Yacht Britannia. Owned by the charitable The Royal Britannia Trust, the Royal Yacht that served The Queen for 44 years found a permanent home in Leith. Leith is Edinburgh’s historic seaport. It is easily accessible by public transport from the city centre. Since the decision for the Yacht to be moored in Edinburgh was made in 1998, it has become a true part of our diverse city. As a visitor attraction it is very popular and has been awarded 5 stars by the local tourist board.

Why go and see it?

• Learn about its fascination history! Did you know that the ship serving The Queen and her family was built in John Brown’s shipyard in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland in 1953? In between this moment and her last journey, which took her from Portsmouth to Hong Kong, she visited an impressive 135 countries! Listen to the informative commentary on your audio guide, available in countless languages (German, French, Russian, Hindi, Swedish and many more besides) to discover many more interesting facts about the Britannia.

• Learn about its function as a royal residence. Tour the Yacht and take a look at what used to be The Queen’s bedroom, her state dining and drawing rooms, full of fabrics and paintings selected by the young Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. The Royal Yacht signified “home” to The Queen, wherever she travelled. Her personal possessions as well as decorations informed by her taste pay tribute to the important role the Yacht used to play in The Queen’s life – and not just in hers alone. Several royal honeymoon couples have spend their honeymoons aboard! The Prince and Princes of Wales  – to give you just one example – cruised the Mediterranean Sea in 1981, starting in Gibraltar and enjoying 16 days on the Britannia.

• Experience the Jubilee Celebrations! Very soon, during the period of 14-18 May 100 Royal Yachtsmen will be visiting the ship. Every one of them used to serve The Queen and her family on board and they now return to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee – happy memories, games food and entertainment are guaranteed.

• Support the Royal Yacht’s environmental commitment: It has been graded with the silver award by the Green Tourism Business Scheme! This means the Britannia takes its commitment to the environment seriously. You will find an emphasis on recycling, and a genuine desire to reduce the amount of energy used on board. The Royal Galley prepares food that is locally sourced where possible – so you’ll be able to take advantage not just of a meal that has been prepared with the environment in mind, it will also be especially tasty!

When to visit it?

The Royal Yacht opens its doors to visitors on 363 days a year. It is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

In May opening times are 9.30am – 4.00pm, in July and August from 9.30am – 4.30pm, September. During the other months the opening times are slightly different, for more information please check on the Royal Yacht’s website.

How to get there?

Our local bus company, Lothian Buses numbers 11, 22, 35 will take you there (get off the bus at Ocean Terminal).

The Majestic Tour sightseeing bus goes past the Royal Yacht, just hop off and spend some time on board! If you present your sightseeing bus ticket, you’ll get 10% discount on the Britannia ticket price.

Tickets

Adult rate is  £11.75, children under 5 years of age have free entry, from 5 to 17 years the charge is £7.50. Members of HM Armed Forces also pay the reduced price of £7.50.  Even a Family ticket is available – two adults and up to three children pay a total of £34.

All factual information taken from www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk – this site was accessed on 10 May 2012.

Do you have an awareness of environmental issues? Are you trying to live, work and holiday in a sustainable way?

We are an eco-friendly guest house in the West End of Edinburgh’s city centre. Having been awarded the Green Tourism Business Scheme Bronze Award we are proud to live and work in a way that shows our commitment to a more sustainable way of life!

 How do we achieve this on a day-to-day basis?

•  The Glenora was the first Guest House in Edinburgh to introduce an exclusively organic breakfast menu. All foods available in the dining room for breakfast are organic, and some of them fairtrade. Our suppliers, among them Greencity Wholefoods and Clipper Tea & Coffee, support our sustainable mission in providing you with some of the most tasty organic food available today. Our organic menu can be viewed here.

•  We have a delicious choice of vegetarian breakfast options: Vegetarians love to opt for our Continental buffet, with its rich selection of fresh fruits, cheese board, yoghurts and preserves. Our home-baked scones and cinnamon French toast are scrumptious alternatives to the more meaty, traditionally cooked breakfast!

•  From the tastefully decorated guest lounge you can spot birds popping into one of the feeding stations we have erected in the garden. You will also have a good view on to our very own apple tree! We planted it only last year, so are not able to offer any home-grown apples just yet, but we are hopeful to be able to do so at some point in the future!

•  We are constantly trying to save energy, and are only using A-rated appliances (fridges, kettles etc).

•  We save water by using water flow restrictors in our showers and tabs.

•  Our guest rooms make use of bulk dispensers for soap, shower gel etc.

•  We recycle glass, plastic and cardboard in our kitchen. We also recycle batteries.

•  We use mostly environmentally friendly cleaning products.

•  And last, but surely not least we encourage our guests to use public transport to travel to/from Edinburgh. The Glenora is ideally situated for the environmentally conscious traveller! We are around the corner from Haymarket Railway Station, and a local bus stop (Lothian Buses 12, 26, 31 and others). The Airlink Bus, the transfer from/to Edinburgh Airport also stops here. If you like, you can walk to major Edinburgh attractions, like the Castle, Princes Street and the Old Town

photo: Sam Schmidt.

Are you currently making plans for the Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the start of June? If you decide to spend this beautiful long weekend on a city break in Edinburgh we recommend you visit Gardening Scotland at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston in Edinburgh. This event takes place from 1^st – 3^rd  June.

The first weekend in June is a long one for a lot of people: The first day of June is a Friday, 2^nd and 3^rd June are weekend days. The spring bank holiday will give you Monday 4^th, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will give you the 5^th June off work.

So why do we believe Edinburgh is the perfect place to visit on these days? While the Scottish capital is worth a visit on 365 days of the year, the Gardening Scotland Show really is a major attraction that gardening enthusiasts will not want to miss!

photo: ☺ Lee J Haywood

Three good reasons to spend some time at the Show:

 Gardening Advice

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve just discovered a new hobby, or whether your garden is the passion of a lifetime – the advisers at the show will be able to assist you with all questions big and small regarding your plot.

Living Garden

Let yourself be inspired to make a contribution to your local community: “The Wonder of Community Gardening” is this year’s theme of the Living Garden project. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about how to start a garden from scratch!

 College Gardens

Beautiful designs and lots of hard work are on show! Students from all over Scotland take part in the College Garden Competition – why not aim to be in the audience to find out which Horticultural College will win this year?

Cookery Theatre

If you’re interested in food and/or cooking this is one of the areas of the show that will excite you! Talented Scottish chefs use Scottish ingredients (always fresh and seasonal) to impress your palate. This year Zero Waste Scotland is supporting the theatre, and their Message ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ runs as a theme through the event. Be smart and learn how to cultivate your own compost while not wasting any kitchen leftovers – this is not only good for the environment, it will help save you money!

photo: celesteh

Do’s and Don’ts

Do: Take part in a workshop to have gardening questions answered

Do: Consider booking the VIP Afternoon Tea Package! For £29 per person this ticket includes entry to the show, one copy of the official show catalogue and a delicious Afternoon Tea experience at the nearby Quality Hotel.

 Don’t: Worry about being laden down by your shopping. The Charity Plant Crèche will take good care of your pots and plants and all the lovely things you shop for at the show. They even have a porter service to help you get things on the bus, or in the car!

 Don’t: Be surprised to see a ‘zero waste’ policy in action at Gardening Scotland. ‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ is the idea – the show aims to create as little waste as at all possible during its three days. Even the carpet will be recycled once the show is over!

Tickets

• Book in advance online on the official Gardening Scotland website
• Price for Friday, 1 June is £14
• Price for Saturday or Sunday, 2^nd or 3^rd is £12
• Children under 16 receive free entry to the Show

Date and time:

Friday, 1 June: 10am – 6pm

Saturday, 2 June: 10am – 6pm

Sunday, 3 June: 10am – 5pm

photo: CraftyBunny

All factual information has been taken from www.gardeningscotland.com (site was accessed on 27/04/2012).

Unlike in 1822, when the first show took place in the Cannongate area of Edinburgh and the focus was solely on cattle, nowadays food lovers from all over the UK are also getting excited about this event. About 100 different stalls invite you to sample their Scottish produce – from homemade jams to Scottish cheeses.

In addition, of course farming remains a stronghold of the show/experience. The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland is hosting the show, and this year’s hosting area is Dumfries & Galloway: around 5000 cattle, sheep, goats and horses are being exhibited.

The Show has made a name for itself internationally too, and many friends of Scotland’s culture come to Edinburgh for a long weekend to experience this rich display of some of the most fêted Scottish farming, food and countryside.

One of the reasons why (not only!) its marketing is convinced that the “Royal Highland” is indeed one of the most interesting events of its kind in the world is the fact that it is such a varied weekend – every one of its visitors will find an attraction, an exhibition or a fun thing to do they will enjoy tremendously! There’s the children’s discovery centre for the little ones, renewable energy for the ever-growing number of environmentally conscious visitors and prize-winning livestock for visitors with an interest in farming and/or animals.

The Royal patron of the Show is Her Majesty The Queen. The average visitor number is currently 182,000 – a figure that speaks in no uncertain terms of the events popularity. If you’d like to be among this year’s fascinated crowd, visit www.royalhighlandshow.org to book tickets. For further practical information, please read on:

Date & Time:

21-24 June 2012 – on 21 June from 07.00 – 20.00, all other days from 08.00-20.00

 Location:

Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh – close to Edinburgh Airport, just off the A8, and only about 20 minutes drive from The Glenora.

 Tickets:

• No entry fees for children aged 15 or younger.
• Earlybird Adult Admission is £22, Earlybird Concession Admission is £18 – bookable through the Royal Highland Sow website, a booking fee applies.
• Tickets on the day are available for £25 for adults, and £20 concessions
• Ticket prices given here are day tickets – tickets for the whole weekend are available too, please contact the Show directly to learn more.

All factual information taken from www.royalhighlandshow.org. The site was accessed on 14.04.2012.

Events at the festival are divided in different categories: examples are Talks, Tours, Interactive…So whichever type of event appeals to you most; you will find something to enjoy. The events themselves take place in several locations throughout the city, among them the City Art Centre, the National Museum of Scotland and Our Dynamic Earth. Thus, being a part of the festival audience is a lovely way to explore Edinburgh, or to get to know it better. Some events even take you outdoors – which in this sunny spring weather means you might even get a tan (in March/April in Scotland this is usually a rarity!)

Here at The Glenora we’ve been browsing the festival programme intently. Read on to discover our recommendations for this year’s festival:

History of science in ten objects (talk)

This talk is scheduled for 1 April at 20.00, at the National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street (Lothian Buses 23, 27, 41, 42, 45 and 67 will take you there). Tickets available from £6.00.

Go on a journey with a physicist (Manjit Kumar) through the history of science – in 90 minutes you will learn about how scientific ideas formed in different times, in different places all over the world. Objects significant to the history of science (and sometimes their owners too!) will guide you on your travels.

Walking with scientists (tour)

Taking place on 30 March, 5, 6, 12, 13 April – 2 hours, meet at Festival Theatre on Nicholson Street at 12.45pm,  £10. A number of Lothian Buses go past, among them 7, 14, 31 and 49).

Edinburgh is a beautiful city – and the most interesting and memorable spots are usually best discovered on foot. So we are excited to see that the festival gives you a chance to walk across town and learn more about how individual characters and their ideas shaped Edinburgh as we know it today – what would the capital’s history be without Hume, Conan Doyle or John Knox?

Scottish science on a plate (exhibition)

You can visit on every day of the festival. This is a free event, taking place at Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. Hop on a Lothian Bus 8, 23 or 27.

Scottish food is always worth a try, and we are curious to learn how Scotland’s food science is impacting on what we find on our plates. Interested in growing your own? Definitely come along, the Royal Botanics have what they call their ‘Edible Gardening Project’ and at this event you will be able to learn more about it!

Booking your tickets for all events is easy. Secure your tickets either online, over the phone (0844 557 2686) or in person at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Shop, on the Royal Mile. Concessions and group discounts available.

Information for this blog post was taken from www.sciencefestival.co.uk (accessed on 27.03.2012).  This is also the site you can use to book your tickets!

Located in the centre of Edinburgh city, the Georgian House (built in 1796 and designed by Robert Adams) opens up the world of people living in Edinburgh’s New Town during the late 18^th and 19^th century. The act of exploring this authentic property by walking from room to room, while admiring the furniture and decorations takes the visitor back in time. You will meet with knowledgeable room guides in different parts of the house, who are happy to answer any questions you may have about all the interesting things you’ll encounter.

The property is located in Charlotte Square (house no.7). It is easily accessible by train (both Waverley and Haymarket Station are a short walk away), and most buses operating in the city centre will take you there, or very close to it. Our guest house is only about 15 walking minutes away. Staff at reception will be happy to give you directions!

Just like The Glenora, this visitor attraction is committed to practicing and promoting sustainable tourism – it also participates in VisitScotland’s Green Tourism Scheme.

Spring has sprung and the Georgian House has just re-opened its doors for this year’s season. It is usually open to the public between the months of March and November. It is currently open daily from 11.00am to 4.00pm. From 26^th March to 30^th June you will be able to visit from 10.00am until 5.00pm. For opening times later in the year and any other query you may have please enquire directly with the National Trust for Scotland. The number to phone is 0844 493 2118.

Admission is free for members of the Trust. Non-members pay £6 (adult). Discounted family rates and concession are available.

Factual information about The Georgian House taken from its official website: www.nts.org.uk/Property/Georgian-House/

(Accessed on 20^th March 2012).

Edinburgh Zoo is home to Tian Tian and Yang Guang – these two giant pandas arrived from China in December last year. Now it is spring, and they’ve had some time to settle in to their new home. This, and the fact that the days are growing longer, and also more sunny and warm again makes me think that April will truly be a brilliant time to experience Edinburgh Zoo.

When the pandas first arrived, curiosity to see and to learn about them was great – not only here in Edinburgh, but all over the UK. After all, the pandas are currently the only ones of their kind in the whole country. In December, we dedicated a blog post to their welcome. The BBC made a documentary about them: “Wild about Pandas”, which was broadcast in February this year. And since December, many people have made a point of visiting the Scottish Capital just to see the pandas. Edinburgh Zoo has installed a Panda Cam – for those of you who’d like to take a peek at them before you come to visit, or if you’ve been already and like to stay in touch

If you haven’t been to meet the pandas yet, we can thoroughly recommend it. Do note you will need to book a ticket to see the pandas though! You can secure a ticket on Edinburgh Zoo’s website. Our visit to the Zoo in December is still very much alive in our memory – not least, because we brought a wee panda souvenir back with us to the Glenora. Our very own (soft toy) panda lives at reception now, where he immensely enjoys greeting our guests!

Edinburgh Zoo is only a ten-minute drive away from our guesthouse, and public transport is also available. If you’d like to stay with us when you come to Edinburgh to see the giant pandas, take a look at our booking calendar and book securely online.

Rooms for the Easter weekend are in demand – book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!

Edinburgh offers something for everyone. Whether you enjoy visiting museums and art galleries, a night out in pubs and clubs or a historic walking tour through the Old Town: We can guarantee you won’t run out of fun things to do during your time in the city.

Of course, central to your learning experience will be the language course you choose to make the most of your stay. Which is why today, we’d like to introduce you to the Edinburgh Language Academy (ELA). ELA is a friendly language school in Edinburgh’s city centre. It offers a wide variety of courses for all proficiency levels. Accredited by the British Council it offers general English courses, specialist courses for professionals, and also programmes for students looking to improve their skills before going on to a UK university or college.

So what is it like to study at ELA, could it be an experience you might enjoy? Click here to listen to former students and find out!

ELA is situated in Melville Street in the West End of Edinburgh – only about ten minutes walk away from where our guest house is. So if you’ve fallen in love with Edinburgh during your holidays and are now considering returning to the capital to work on your language skills, we recommend you take a look at ELA’s website. They are specialists in teaching the English language – and they will be more than happy to help you find a course that’s right for you!

If you’ve got tickets to see the match but are still looking for accommodation for the weekend please contact us to discuss availability here at The Glenora.

Our guest house is located in the Haymarket area of the city centre, with excellent transport links (close to railway station and en-route to the airport). Both Murrayfield and the Old Town of Edinburgh are within walking distance. Our all-organic breakfast consists of a Continental selection and several hot breakfast options – it is a brilliant start to the day, whether you’re planning to make your way to Murrayfield and watch the match, do some sightseeing or shopping.

Our last minute rates for a two-night minimum stay this weekend are fantastic. Stay in a double room for only £110 per night! We also offer large twin rooms (currently at £120 per night), and do have rooms available that sleep three people at the same price (£120).

All rooms are e-suite. The rates include breakfast and are quoted on a per room per night basis. The rates quoted above can be booked using our booking calendar (on the right of your screen)

If it’s just the one night you’re looking to stay, please phone us on 0131 337 1186. At the moment, we are able to offer a one-night stay in a double room on Saturday night at £150.