The Dickins Edinburgh Accommodation Blog

Celebrate 'Burns Night' in a Dickins Edinburgh Self Catering Apartment...!

January 25th marks Burns Night in Scotland and people staying in a Dickins Edinburgh Self Catering Apartment are likely to find plenty to entertain them during their stay in Scotland’s Capital city.

There will be all kinds of celebrations taking place to mark the occasion, many of which are based around the life of the poet Robert Burns, as well as explorations of his works.

Born in Alloway, Ayrshire, in 1759 to William Burness, a poor tenantfarmer, and Agnes Broun, Robert Burns was the eldest of seven. He spent his youth working his father's farm, but in spite of his poverty he was extremely well read - at the insistence of his father, who employed a tutor for Robert and younger brother Gilbert. At 15 Robert was the principal worker on the farm and this prompted him to start writing in an attempt to find "some kind of counterpoise for his circumstances." It was at this tender age that Burns penned his first verse, "My Handsome Nell", which was an ode to the other subjects that dominated his life, namely scotch and women.

On the day of his burial more than 10,000 people came to watch and pay their respects. However, his popularity then was nothing compared to the heights it has reached since.

On the anniversary of his birth, Scots both at home and abroad celebrate Robert Burns with a supper, where they address the haggis, the ladies and whisky. A celebration which would undoubtedly make him proud.

So if you're in Edinburgh or not and would like to celebrate 'Burns Night', you can cook your very own Burns Supper if you're staying in one of Dickins Self Catering Apartmentswhich have fully equipped kitchens and space to entertain. You only need a few ingredients including a Haggis of course, turnip (AKA neeps) and potatoes (AKA tatties). Alternatively, if you don't fancy the traditional fare then why not try a Haggis Supper from one of Edinburgh's local fish and chip shops where your Haggis comes deep fried in batter with a serving of chips on the side. Domino'sare also offering a Haggis Pizza to their customers in Scotland as a one off today. The decision was made to create the one off pizza just for Scotland as not only is it Burns' 250th Anniversary but as a nod to the fact that Scotland is one of the most patriotic nations in the world. The pizza includes mozzarella, tomato sauce, onions and Haggis.....mmmm!!!

So come on....if you've never sampled it before.....do it today in whatever way suits your fancy!!!

Some more Winter Warming Special Offers in Dickins Edinburgh Self Catering Apartments..!

The week has come to an end and we're getting closer and closer to Christmas. The Dickins team are feeling Festive and are looking forward to spending time with family and friends, feasting out on turkey as well as the odd glass or two of mulled wine...!!

This is a great time of year to visit family and friends or take a trip to do some last minute Christmas shopping. So if you have people in Edinburgh you would like to see over the Festive period or fancy picking up a few last minute Christmas presents, Edinburgh is the place to be with its fantastic selection of high street, boutique and designer stores to choose from.

Staying in a 'home from home' Edinburgh self catering apartment is a great way to feel a part of a city as well as being a great base to explore all the sights Scotland's Capital City has to offer...! Dickins have a selection of apartments available for self catering and holiday lets as well as city and weekend breaks, ranging from 1-5 bedrooms which are ideal if you're a couple or family looking for a Winter getaway before or during the Christmas period.

 

Why not check out Dickins 'Winter Warming' Special Offers in their apartments and either take the train or plane to Edinburgh this December for a last minute break...!

 

http://www.dickins.co.uk/special-offers-edinburgh

 

So don't miss out on these last minute 'Special Offers', contact Dickins today on... 

0131 558 1108

enquiries@dickins.co.uk

 

Winter Warming 'Special Offers' in Dickins Edinburgh Self Catering Apartments...!

Well the official run up to Christmas has begun and Dickins have some great last minute 'Special Offers' to take advantage of in their Edinburgh self catering apartments.

Edinburgh truly comes to life at this time of year with the Christmas tree sparkling on the Mound, Winter Wonderlandin Edinburgh's Princes Street Garden with its ice-rink, bungy dome and children's rides and not to forget the big wheel which towers 33 metres over Princes Street and the gardens. You'll need to wrap up warm if you plan to go on that though as it's quite chilly on the way up...!

So why not book a short city break to Edinburgh this December and wander through the German Market with a mug of mulled wine followed by a skate round the ice-rink. Edinburgh is the perfect place to get some last minute Christmas shopping done, as well as all the well-known high street retailers on Princes Street including the recently opened Urban Outfitters, George Street has plenty of designer boutique stores for those special gifts. Multrees Walk is another recent new addition to the Edinburgh shopping experience where you'll find Harvey Nichols, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry and many more...!!

So don't wait, check out Dickins Special Offers in their Edinburgh self catering apartments. Just take a look below:

http://www.dickins.co.uk/special-offers-edinburgh

Staying in self catering accommodation allows you to feel a part of the city you're in as well as being cost effective as you can explore the sights by day and save money by eating in rather than in out in restaurants which can be costly, especially if you're a family. It has to be said, however, that there are plenty of great places to eat out in Edinburgh so it might be an idea to treat yourself to the odd meal out whilst here. The Dogs on Hanover Street is delicious with locally sourced ingredients used where possible as well as Giuliano's on the Shorein Leith if you're happy to go slightly further out of town.

Don't miss out on these great 'Special Offers'......contact us today!!

0131 558 1108

enquiries@dickins.co.uk

 

 

Dickins Lunch at Award Winning 'The Kitchin' in Edinburgh....!

The Dickins team enjoyed one of the most delicious lunches at The Kitchin last Friday. Awarded a Michelin Star in 2007 and recently receiving a five star review by AA Gill in The Sunday Times, The Kitchin is located at the Shore in Leith, Edinburgh.

The Restaurant opened in 2006 by husband and wife team Tom & Michaela Kitchin on Edinburgh’s stylish waterfront and is relaxed but welcoming with the food in clear focus.The passion of Tom and Michaela, Maitre d’ Philippe and their entire team shine through in what they deliver; quality and consistency.

We went for the 3 course set lunch menu for £24.50 which felt like great value considering the quality and taste of the food on offer. An appetiser of langoustine consomme was served followed by Louise having crab whilst Nicky and Gaby went for the lamb sweetbreads which were wrapped in pork belly and served with roasted garlic and a pea puree. Whilst Louise found the crab very light and delicate in taste, the sweetbreads which neither Nicky or Gaby had tried before were packed full of flavour and were simply delicious...!

For the main course, Nicky and Louise went for the whole partridge in a deliciously rich sauce served with locally sourced, seasonal vegetables and bread sauce on a bed of braised red cabbage. The partridge was a perfect example of Tom Kitchin's 'Nature to Plate' phenomenon where he is extremely passionate about 'seasonality' and using produce when it's naturally available. What was even nicer was being able to see Tom himself cooking in the Kitchen through the perspex glass which looks out into the restaurant. If there had been the option of second helpings, they definitely would have had more although room had to be saved for a dessert which everyone had caught a glimpse of as other diners received theirs. Gaby went for crispy red mullet fillets in served with a fine ratatouille of vegetables in a delicately chili flavoured sauce which were beautifully cooked and full of flavour.

Now for the piece de resistance which was the dessert. Although the apple tart looked appealing and the cheese board selection was vast, everyone went for the Pistachio souffle served with pistachio ice cream. Now, that was a dessert to be rivalled....! All three souffles looked almost too perfect to eat although within seconds, they were being demolished! Although pistachio souffle and pistachio ice cream may seem a little too much, the balance was perfect and the ice cream with little pieces of pistachio in it complimented the souffle beautifully...!

This fantastic lunch was accompanied by lovely staff who were attentive but not overly fussy. You could enjoy your meal and chat knowing that if you needed anything, someone would be there to see to you. The wine too was delicious and the restaurant Ssommelier was on hand to offer advice if required. If you really wanted to push the boat out on a Friday afternoon and wanted to start your weekend early, you could opt for the matched wine package at only £45, offering a glass of wine for each course including a welcoming glass of champagne before you even start...!

The Kitchin didn't disappoint, it was the perfect venue for a real treat at lunchtime and having looked at the evening menu which changes daily depending on what's locally available, going for a special dinner with family or friends would be just as good as lunch with maybe just a little extra glass of wine or two added in for good measure...! To top it all off, Tom was out on the restaurant floor towards the end of service chatting to what looked to be regular diners. The Kitchin is a restaurant for special occasions and rightfully deserves all awards received up until now...!

If you're from Edinburgh, are here on business or on holiday and staying in a Dickins self catering Edinburgh apartment , The Kitchin is only a short taxi or car journey from the City Centre. On a nice day, you can walk through Edinburgh's New Town into Stockbridge and then along the Water of Leith or perhaps make this journey on the way back to walk off your food...!

Whatever you do...don't miss a trip to The Kitchin, it's seriously a meal you'll not forget in a long time...!

Taste Edinburgh 28th to 31st May 09

If you love food, then why not head to Edinburgh from 28th to 31st May as we're celebrating the Taste Festival in its new location in Inverleith Park, next door to the Royal Botanic Gardens. Famous chefs like Jean-Christophe Novelli and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall are appearing as well as some of Edinburgh's own Michelin starred chefs like Tom Kitchin. If the sun is shining like it is today, then you'll be in for a treat.

The Edinburgh Marathon is taking place that weekend too and so you can support some of the 16,000 runners by giving them encouragement from the sidelines.

We still have a few Edinburgh self catering apartments left like a charming one bedroom holiday apartment with a garden at 20 West Scotland Street Lane which has a special offer for the week from 26th May of only £375 saving you £65 and this fantastic modern apartment with parking, two bedrooms and two bathrooms overlooking Arthur's Seat, so perfect for the marathon which is just £424 for the 3 nights. It's at Ann Terrace but get in touch as they're going fast.

Eric Robinson's Five Favourite Things about Edinburgh

Eric Robinson is the coolest 78 year old bon viveur we know! Eric lives in a stunning flat in, what he describes as the fag end of the New Town, Broughton Place packed with art and fascinating things. He saw 43 operas last year and loves art, yoga, walking and gossiping over lunch or coffee.

His five favourite things about Edinburgh are:

1. Coffee shops - Glass & Thompson on Dundas Street and The Circle on Brandon Terrace. Excellent coffee, relaxed ambience, wonderful staff and always something to gossip about.
2. Walks - The Water of Leith from Canonmills to the Gallery of Modern Art shows you a fabulous cross section of the best architecture and The Millennium Edinburgh to the Falkirk Canal is a fascinating slice through Edinburgh's development with wonderful views of the Pentlands and nothing to disturb he contemplation.
3. Shopping in Broughton Street - not  a Supermarket in site. Warm friendliness and superb quality.
4. A winter evening in my flat, alone with a fire burning, some wine and Lully, Strauss, Verdi, Beethoven or my latest passion playing.
5. Private views at The Open Eye Gallery, Scottish Gallery or Lyon & Turnbull. Lots of friends to greet and news to exchange, after all we may not have met for several days. There are usually pictures and antiques too.

If you agree with Eric or would like to give us your Five Favourite Things about Edinburgh, then please email us on enquiries@dickins.co.uk, we would love to hear your throughts.

Long lunch venue guaranteed to beat the winter blues

Simon and I took advantage of a superb offer this weekend from the newly opened Bistro du Vin and Bar in the Edinburgh Hotel du Vin which opened in Bristo Place in December.

The deal is two courses, a bottle of house wine and coffee for 2 for £29. You need to print off a voucher which you can find at www.hotelduvin.com/2009 and mention it when you book. The deal lasts until the end of March for any lunch or dinner except for Saturday evening. We plumped for a long and as it turned out somewhat boozy, Saturday lunch. The hotel looks great. Set off the road with a cigar shack being built in the charming courtyard to satisfy the needs to smokers. We didn't see the bedrooms, but there are 47 of them. 

The lunch menu had many of the French bistro classics you'd expect to see and it was very good to know that they are sourcing a number of local ingredients such as Buccleuch beef and Linda Dick's chickens. We had a chicken liver parfait served with a fig jam and brioche and a mutton broth. Both were tasty and substantial. Then Simon had a steak hache served beautifully on a wooden board with a small copper pan of home made ketchup whilst I chose duck confit, partly as I had started the long process of making it for the first time and wanted to have tasted one to compare mine too. 

For us the star of the show was definitely Romain Audrerie who is in charge of the wine. Simon and I said that we'd never been served by such a knowledgable and charming person in the 14 years we've been eating out in Edinburgh and it turns out that his credentials are impeccable. He comes to Edinburgh from the Savoy Grill and seriously knows his stuff. Wine buffs should check out his comprehensive wine list and take up any suggestions he makes. We had a glass of 18 year old Calvados to finish, Romain's favourite, and it was superb. The rich taste still lingering 5 minutes after the last drop had been savoured.   

We walked home taking in the Henry Moore textiles exhibition at the Dovecot exhibition space on Infirmary Street. Both were inspirational new finds and well worth checking out. 

We've just taken on a sweet little attic flat just around the corner from Hotel Du Vin at 1 Forrest Hill and so if you are looking for an Edinburgh self catering holiday apartment in the very heart of the Old Town, take a look at our Self catering holiday apartment at 1 Forrest Hill . It's available from only £275 per week.

Happy lunching!