Castle View Apartment 8/1 Porteous’ Pend Welcome! Welcome!

Welcome to our apartment in the ! It has one of the best views of Castle! We are delighted that you have chosen to stay here. We have furnished and equipped the apartment with everything you need for your stay - whether it’s for two days or two months. It is our hope that you feel at home here, and ask that you look after it as you would your own home. So please have respect for both our property and our neighbours. This guide contains all the information you need to enjoy the apartment - including details about how to use the heating, wifi Internet, cooker, washing machine etc. If you have any problems with the apartment, please let us know straight away. We will then do our best to solve them as quickly as we can, letting you enjoy the rest of your stay.

• Check in is from 4pm • Check out is by 10am Aileen and Simon located on the wall above the door to the The Important Stuff washing machine cupboard. A one-off trip may be nothing to worry about (a so-called nuisance This is the information you should never need - but trip). Repeated trips may be a cause for it’s here in case you do: concern, and you should contact us. • If there’s a fire, leave using the main door, and • If you are ill, and it is not an emergency, you down the spiral staircase. If you have time, you can contact the NHS for further advice by may alert the neighbours - but do not endanger telephoning 111. They will offer advice, and yourself. may direct you to the nearest available doctor. • If you think you can smell gas, shut off the gas • In a life-threatening emergency, contact the supply using the big lever valve located above emergency services. In the UK, the Police, the inside of the main door to the apartment. Fire and Ambulance services can be Open all the windows. Do not operate any contacted by telephoning 999. You can use electrical equipment, and contact the gas the telephone provided in the apartment or company using the telephone number written any mobile phone. on the gas meter. • If there’s a water leak in the apartment, shut off • The telephone provided in the apartment the water supply using the shut-off valve requires power and Internet. If either have located in the wardrobe in the bedroom. failed, it will not work. Remove the corner box, and locate the main • If you are summoning emergency help, or if shut-off valve inside. you are reporting an emergency, you will • If there’s a water leak from upstairs, alert our need to quote the full postal address of the neighbours as soon as you can, and then apartment: contact us. 8/1 Porteous’ Pend • If the electricity supply is interrupted, check 25 Grassmarket that the RCD trips on the distribution board Edinburgh have not activated. The distribution board is EH1 2HP only for contacting us, or the emergency services. Contacting Us. The telephone requires power and internet. If either have failed or are disconnected, it will not If you have a non-urgent need to contact us, just work. use the facility provided by the booking method that you used to reserve the apartment. Please be aware that a call to us may be routed either directly to us, to an assistant or to a To contact us in an emergency, or to report an messaging service - but be assured that your call urgent problem, you can reach us by telephone will reach us, and that we will respond. on: 0131 516 6400. If you need us to call you back, please let us know You may use the telephone provided, or your own how we can contact you. mobile phone. The telephone that we provide is Connectivity Television You’ll find a television in the living room. The WiFi Internet television receives Freeview. The apartment has WiFi internet for your use. From time-to-time, Freeview will alter the television channels that are available. If this happens when You should not attempt to change the settings you are staying, please just follow the on-screen of any network equipment, access any admin instructions and re-tune. controls or pages, physically connect to any equipment using a cable, or reset any device. Telephone The telephone is provided to communicate with us If you have a problem with the internet, please ask or to call the emergency services, and is not for for help. If you try and fix a problem yourself, you any other use. may cause the system to malfunction. The telephone requires power and internet. If You can connect to the access point from any WiFi either have failed or are disconnected, it will not device. Look for the wireless network: work. • name (SSID) : Apollo Please do not disconnect the power from the • password: icanseethecastle! telephone, and please do not remove or re- On connecting to the WiFi, you will be required to patch the cables connecting it to the internet accept terms and conditions. Most devices will access point. automatically present a page for you to do this. If that doesn't happen, simply attempt to browse to any web page on your favourite browser. You must not use the Internet connection for any unlawful or antisocial purpose. If you press the up and down arrows, a new Creature Comforts temporary target temperature will be shown briefly, and the heating system will then work to achieve Heating that temperature. The flat is equipped with a gas fired combi boiler. for heating and hot water. It is located in the The system will maintain the new temperature until cupboard in the bedroom next to the window. the next programmed time, at which point the target temperature will revert to the programmed The flat is very warm, and is heavily insulated. The temperature. heating is controlled by the thermostat in the front room. There is a radiator in each room, and a towel A rotating symbol is displayed on the thermostat radiator in the bathroom. screen when it is requesting heat from the system. The thermostat is programmed to keep the Other than pressing the up or down arrows to apartment at 21oC / 70oF in the mornings and temporarily adjust the temperature, please do not evenings, and at 19oC / 66oF during the day and attempt to re-programme the thermostat, and overnight. please do not attempt to adjust the heating system. If you attempt any re-programming or adjustment, If you need to adjust the you may cause the system to malfunction, and you temperature, press the up will cause the system to behave unexpectedly for or down arrows on the the next person to stay in the apartment. thermostat. If you need help using the system, or if there seems to be a problem, please contact us.

The thermostat will normally display the current temperature of the apartment in Degrees Celsius. Hot Water Please do not turn the 0-6 knob on the boiler. Hot water is on-demand. Just turn on a hot tap (or Please leave it set at 1.5. the shower), and hot water will flow within about Please leave the radiator valves set to “3”, and 20 or 30 seconds. don’t adjust the valves on the towel radiator in the If there seems to be a problem with either the hot bathroom. water or the heating, check the controls on the There is a Carbon Monoxide alarm in the bedroom. boiler. We don’t want you to be cold, but please Check that the hot water control for the boiler is remember that fuel is very expensive. Please don’t turned on, by repeatedly pressing the hot water try and over-ride the heating controls, or leave the “select” button until “on” is indicated. heating on when the windows are open. Reasonable use of fuel is included in the cost of your stay. Shower The shower works on-demand. • Turn the knob on the left to start the shower. Be sure to turn the knob fully on. If you don’t, then the shower may intermittently run cold. • Turn the knob on the right to adjust the temperature. Check that the heating control is on, by repeatedly pressing the select button until “on” is indicated. When in “on” mode, the boiler is controlled by the thermostat. Eating In Microwave Hob For basic operation: • Turn time knob for desired time • Then press 'start'. The microwave is a relatively high power model, and you should select cooking times appropriately - but always check that food is properly cooked before consuming.

Shopping There is a Sainsbury’s supermarket just a couple of If you can't seem to make the hob work, then it minutes up the road. Walk out of Porteous’ Pend, and on to the Grassmarket. Turn left, and walk up is probably locked. Read on... the gentle hill. • Press and hold button [1] to turn the hob on. By law, Sainsbury's will charge you for a plastic • Press buttons +/- [8] to adjust temperature. bag - so take your own! • If the display [4] shows L, the panel is locked. Press and hold button [2] to unlock.

Oven • Use the knob on the left to select function (grill or oven). • Use the knob on the right to select temperature. Bins Washing Machine If you are staying with us for only a few days, then The Washing machine is located in the hall you probably will not need to empty the bins. cupboard. Washing powder and fabric conditioner Simply leave the rubbish in the bins in the are supplied for your use. apartment, and we will take care of it. Washing machines can make a lot of noise - If you do need to put particularly on the spin cycle. Please think of our out rubbish, then you neighbours, and don’t use the machine late at must use our bin. It is night. b l u e , i n t h e m a i n For basic operation: c o u r t y a r d , a n d i s labelled ‘NWH’. • Select '30 degree quick wash' (or programmes can take a long time) and then press 'start'; or The outside bin is • Select a 'cotton' or 'synthetics' setting on the locked. The key is large right and then press 'start' and rectangular, and has a red ribbon. It is There is an iron, ironing board and clothes drying k e p t i n t h e h a l l frame in the same cupboard. cupboard. Please note that the lid of the bin can be a bit awkward to properly shut and lock - but you must take care to make sure that this is done properly. Please return the key to the correct place! • Both windows have devices (hinged catches) The Building on their left sides that prevent wide opening. Toilet and drains • It is a long way down, and the street is directly Please remember that the drains in this part of below. Do not allow anyone or anything to fall Edinburgh have been here for a very long time, so out. please don’t put things down the toilet that shouldn’t go down the toilet. That includes • When leaving the apartment unattended, please remember to close the windows, and nappies, baby wipes and sanitary items. use the hinged catches to prevent wide Gate opening. Please be sure the Pend gate is left shut after entering or leaving Porteous’ Pend.

Sash Windows There are two windows in the apartment. They are sash windows, and the bottom sash of both can be opened for ventilation. • Take care when opening and closing the sash windows. Like all sash windows, they can be stiff, and can sometimes be difficult to move. Take care not to trap your fingers when opening or closing the windows. • If you have children with you, take particular care that they are not able to climb near the windows, and we recommend that you open the windows only a very small amount. If you need ventilation, then you can easily open Double Glazing the secondary glazing - giving access to the main window. • The front window has been fitted with high performance secondary glazing. This helps Open the left-hand glass keep the heat in, and sound out - making the panel to reach the apartment cosy and comfortable - and meaning control to adjust the that you can get a good night’s sleep whilst still slats on the blind. being close to the action in one of the best locations in town.

Fold the centre glass panel back onto the right-hand glass panel...

...and then fold both panels back to the wall.

When closing, please make sure that the magnetic strips line up and seal. • Try Mums on Forrest Rd for a good traditional Eating out breakfast or the Elephant House on George IV Bridge. There is plenty of choice for places to eat on your doorstep; the following might help you get started. www.monstermashcafe.co.uk We would welcome your feedback to pass on to www.elephanthouse.biz other guests. • And we can recommend Oink on Victoria street • Petit Paris in the Grassmarket serves lovely for an excellent hog roast roll at lunch time! French food and their Plat du Jour menu (lunch www.oinkhogroast.co.uk and early evening) is good value. www.petitparis-restaurant.co.uk • Patisserie Valerie is appealing for posh coffee and cake. • Howies on Victoria Street provides good Scottish Fayre, also with good value set menus. www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk/ cafe-george-IV-bridge.aspx www.howies.uk.com/ edinburgh_victoria.php • Timberyard on Lady Lawson St is pricey and trendy but might just appeal for that special • Mamma's pizza in the Grassmarket if you like occasion, as might Castle Terrace restaurant or pizza, Or Pizza Express is at the top of Victoria the Witchery on Castle Hill. St/George IV bridge (great for children) www.timberyard.co www.mammas.co.uk www.pizzaexpress.com/visit-a- www.castleterracerestaurant.com restaurant/edinburgh-george-iv-bridge/ www.thewitchery.com Found Somewhere else that's good? Write it here for others to find! Remember to include: • Restaurant name • URL or phone number • A quick description The Grassmarket gets its name from local farmers About the Grassmarket. selling hay, corn and seed. It is better known however for its public hangings taking place until As you can see the apartment is right on the 1784, and for the famous Porteous Riots of 1736. Grassmarket in Edinburgh with plenty to see and do right on your doorstep. The tale of the end of Captain during the riot is too violent to recount here, but you will find all the gory details elsewhere without too much trouble... Take a tour and discover the story of the body snatchers Burke and Hare, how half-hingit Maggie survived the gallows and the world famous story of ! Many of the pubs in the area have been here for hundreds of years, their names offering a glimpse With only a few minutes walk to the , into the colourful history of the Grassmarket. 'The , Museum of and Last Drop' stands near to the location of the you've got plenty of time to gallows and the 'White Hart' is supposedly where linger in the many pubs, restaurants and cafes on Burke and Hare got paid for their body snatching the way. services! There is so much to see and do here in Edinburgh, whether for a few days or a few weeks. You can visit the many shops, theatres, art galleries and museums - or simply wander down the many closes and small streets of the old town and discover Edinburgh's gruesome past! Things to See and Do. The Museum of Scotland

The following are a selection of attractions in Edinburgh you might be interested in visiting. There are many more but these should get you started..... Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle (that big thing on the hill, right in front of the apartment...) is a must to visit and only two flights of steps to get there! It is Scotland's biggest tourist attraction, and houses the Scottish Crown Jewels and centuries of history. It’s free to enter if you have a Historic Scotland card, or you can pay at the gate. If you’re clever, avoid the queues, and book online. The Museum of Scotland is in Chambers Street, and is well worth a visit - especially if it is raining. www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk There’s plenty to see and do, for adults and children alike.

www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/ national_museum_of_scotland.aspx Greyfriars Bobby The Royal Yacht Britania Greyfriars Bobby and Greyfriars Kirkyard are on The Royal Yacht Britannia served the British Candlemaker Row, a very short walk from the Monarch Queen Elizabeth II until 1997. It is apartment. moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith and is a very popular attraction if you want to venture further The story behind the than the city centre. statue tells of a loyal Skye Terrier who sat on his www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk master’s grave for 14 years. Burials took place at Greyfriars Kirkyard from the late 16th century, and a number of notable Edinburgh residents are buried there.

Camera Obscura Camera Obscura is 5 floors of optical experiences with great views from the top! It is on Castle hill. www.camera-obscura.co.uk The Palace of Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the Queen's official residence in Scotland and is situated on the Royal Mile, at the opposite end from the Castle.

www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/palace-of- holyroodhouse-p247111

Mary Kings Close Mary Kings Close is the hidden street beneath the city. Discover what else was hidden!? It's accessed from Warriston's close on the Royal There are many more including all the art galleries, Mile. theatres and museums and city tours. Make the www.realmarykingsclose.com most of your stay!... Other Ideas... Visit Edinburgh’s historic Saint Giles Cathedral Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. http://www.stgilescathedral.org.uk https://www.edfringe.com

Go back-in-time at The Museum of Childhood The celebrations at New Year http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/Venues/ https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com Museum-of-Childhood

Is the Scotch Whisky Experience the real Take a tour of the reason you’re coming to Edinburgh? http://www.parliament.scot https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk Visit Edinburgh’s science centre at Our Check out the Tartan Weaving Mill! Dynamic Earth http://www.royal-mile.com/interest/tartanweavingmill.html http://www.dynamicearth.co.uk

Gladstone’s land is an authentically restored Take a walk (or run!) round Holyrood Park tenement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holyrood_Park http://www.nts.org.uk/property/gladstones-land/ Can you climb to the top of Arthur’s Seat? The Writers’ Museum is tucked away in a quiet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%27s_Seat close, but well worth a visit. http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/Venues/ The-Writers--Museum The National Gallery houses some of the Parking world’s greatest art. You can park your car on the street in the marked https://www.nationalgalleries.org parking bays. Between 8.30 and 18.30 Monday to Saturday it costs £3.40 per hour (the last time we looked...!), up to a maximum of 4 hours at once. Admire the architecture and planning of the Outside of those times (overnight, and on New Town Sundays) there is no charge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Town,_Edinburgh You can pay manually with coins in the meter on the street, or by using the Ringo service. Explore the West End, just a few minutes walk away. Ringo is a telephone or App service, where you can pay using a credit card. You will need to note http://www.westendedinburgh.org the location reference number marked on the parking meters, and you will need to quote the registration number of your car. You can find more information about Ringo at: https://myringgo.co.uk/ For details of on-street parking charges and other parking options, check: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/parking/ There are other car parks available in the area. The closest is at Castle Terrace, operated by NCP. https://www.ncp.co.uk/find-a-car-park/car-parks/ edinburgh-castle-terrace/ You are here. You are here.