Edinburgh’s Old Town! Only the most historically rich area in the whole city. No wonder Edinburgh is loved by tourists world-wide! Roads, buildings and streetlights dating back centuries only to be walked past and ignored by the everyday worker. Well, we can say that Edinburgh Van Man has never taken any of these things for granted, each trip through Edinburgh’s heart is always a special yet difficult trip to make. The hard cobble street with potholes that can be compared to those on the surface of the moon make our van shake in its wheels at just the thought of going through this historical area. When night comes and we eventually pass through the streets and come to a stop, the only light that allows us to see the steps entering the narrow corridors of the flat we need to bring a sofa down are the streetlamps of the past that were once lit with a candle by your or my great-grandfather. If we manage to use our night vision goggles to enter the flat, we have to trek up the (what feels like 165) flights of long and winding staircases to reach the summit of Edinburgh’s Old Town and wish that we had got a job in the New Town. We cover the sofa and attempt to bring it back down the stairs before realizing that its always going to take some muscle. When the job is done however, the joy of driving on the same roads as horse drawn carriages drove by a taxi driver in 1890. Each street even smells a little like I’m sure it did back then (Horse and human feces). The Grassmarket lit up at Christmas and the sweet aura of a Spanish churro being cooked in the market.
Even though the Old Town maybe a removal company’s worst nightmare it has so many different and amazing positives. Even the Royal Mile is a testament to how much better we have it nowadays, can you imagine having to take the apples you just picked up that road expect you don’t have a car and it’s covered in dirt. Edinburgh Van Man is that modern apple picker and yet it feels no easier bringing removals up that road and we get to do it in a 2L VAN!
At least whenever we finish the climb up the Royal Mile and come to Cowgate we have plenty of choices to end the day and get a drink with a pasty. We appreciate the numerous pubs and restaurants that keep us going in the cowgate whenever we finished a tough job in the old town.
So like I said, even though the Old Town is always a difficult place for any kind of removal in terms of parking, lighting, potholes, cobble street, flights of stairs and really any other part of the Old Town it is still an interesting and exciting place to visit and an even better place finish a job and take a break.