PICTURES: Edinburgh viewed from the rooftops takes on another dimension

There is something beautiful and absorbing about a bird’s eye view of a place – detached, elevated from all the hassles of daily life down on the streets. It gives the viewer a striking view of the past, present and future of a city, like being in a 360 snapshot capturing all the three in one still moment. In a city as stunning as Edinburgh is, quite simply, breathtaking.

Travelling to Auld Reekie from Inverness, an ethereal mood is set right from the train journey across the Highlands, with the otherworldly landscape of the strath and across the green hills of Perthshire. And then, the bustling, ancient city rolls out in a blend of stone and glass and new shiny designs.

Often thinking of Edinburgh it’s Prince Street, the Royal Mile, the New Town and the Old Town, maybe Leith that come to mind. But we seldom talk about what’s West of the Castle – Airport and the zoo left aside.

Fountainbridge is a lively quarter, a former industrial area and a place for business with the Conference Centre building taking its place over the old stone buildings. It’s a space for quiet cafes and business lunch type restaurants, a glow of efficiency hovering around it.

Here is also where the newly-built hotel Moxy Fountainbridge towers over the landscape, the Lochrin Basin just around the corner. Formerly a brewery, the hotel opened last year in midst of national lockdown, first offering rooms and spaces to key workers and business travellers.

The second venue of the Moxy franchise to open in the city, the hotel plays on its former roots with kegs and taps blending into its design. It thrives on an easygoing vibe, not far from some of the more modern, high-end hostels, with communal spaces at its core. Rooms are efficient, clean, designed not to be dwelled in for too long and offer a great set-up for business or weekend visitors. The pearl of the hotel though is hidden on top of the building: a stylish rooftop bar, with stunning views over the west side of Edinburgh and the hills in a distance. May rain or misty days come, the bar has also a built-in cinema, which is not exclusive to hotel guests, a side which I think brings an added value to this new venture in offering amenities for locals and not being uniquely tied to the visitor's scene.

The cocktail menu at the bar is a thing of delight – we had the chance to try a lovely drink based on one of the new beers launched by celebrity chef Tony Singh, who in partnership with Fierce Brewing released a tasty citrus ale infused with lemon zest and coriander, as well as a Indian lager infused with cardamom.

All paired with one of the most flavourful and taste-bud-pleasing dishes I have had in the past years – a vegetarian chaat from Tony's latest pop up bar, Radge Chaat. Spicy and hot meets refreshing vegetables, and a whirlwind of delicious flavours. I was very happy the lemon zest Citrus Ale was there.

If the pints poured were fresh and tasty, once in Edinburgh, I couldn’t help checking out the current state of the blooming whisky scene in the capital.

Starting from one of the most exciting openings: Holyrood Distillery was launched in 2019 and it's the first operating distillery in Edinburgh since 1925.

This is a great place to learn about the nitty-gritty parts of whisky making, as the feel is welcoming, transparent and inclusive. Our tour guide Tucker did an excellent job at taking us through the production plant and answer all of our questions. With their Height of Arrows gin, a line of “strong waters” (white spirits) and a new rum in the pipeline, as well as a lovely new make, a visit here is wholeheartedly recommended.

Plus, it has a great view on Arthur’s Seat from their bar and definitely tied in well with this visit.

Going back to rooftop views, one that can’t quite help but taking your breath away is that from from the bar on top of the Johnnie Walker building on Princes Street. From here, you feel as if you might even touch the castle. The new brand home of drinks giant Diageo is a thing of impressive design, tech, lights and they have gone to great lengths (and expenses) to create something that will make the public go “wow”, bringing a fresh angle to whisky.

So, be it a mocktail, a pint or a dram, exploring the city from above will bring in an extra layer of sheer beauty and taste to what sits in your glass.

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