After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, we bought day tickets for Lothian’s trams and buses costing £4 each and after taking a look in the beautiful Jenner’s department store, we caught a bus along to Leith. There was a small market taking place so we glanced round the stalls and sampled some Taiwanese Oolong tea which, as well as tasting delicious, warmed us up nicely on this bitterly cold but bright morning. Nearby, we strolled along the quayside which is very attractive with its characterful old stone buildings, many of which are now cafes and restaurants.
We wandered alongside the Waters of Leith pathway to Newhaven, expecting that the path would keep close to the water. Strangely, the path veered inland for a large part of our morning walk so wasn’t as scenic as expected. On arrival in Newhaven we strolled round the harbour towards the white lighthouse at its entrance. It was low tide so the little boats were sitting on the muddy harbour floor rather than bobbing about in the water. Newhaven, although small, is pleasant beside the quay with a good selection of eateries offering sea views.
Returning to the city centre by bus, we paused for a coffee and a short rest at St. Andrew’s Square then looked round the Christmas market and ice rink for a short time. St. Andrew’s Square is the second stop on the tram line and at 3.00 pm there was already a large number of people waiting on the platform for the service towards the airport. We just managed to squeeze on board for the 10 minute journey to the home of Scottish Rugby Union, Murrayfield.
After we had booked our hotel accommodation for our pre Christmas weekend in Edinburgh, we noticed that one of the Autumn International rugby matches would be taking place during our stay so we managed to get a couple of tickets to experience our first ever live rugby match.
We arrived at the ground around 90 minutes before the 5.00 pm kick off but there was so much to see and do around the stadium that time flew by. Scottish pipers were entertaining the crowds on their bagpipes with a medley of tunes and over on the other side of the ground a band played on a temporary stage.
The ground holds just over 67,000 spectators and we had good views from our seats in the North Stand. Before the match started all the stadium lights were turned off and everyone was asked to turn their phone torches on which made the arena look beautiful. This was followed by a stunning firework display from the top of the stadium just before the teams came out onto the pitch.
Scotland were playing Argentina and when the national anthems were played it was no surprise that the stadium erupted to the sounds of Flower of Scotland, the unofficial Scottish national anthem. The first half was very stop and start, both teams making mistakes and at half time the score was level. The final 40 minutes proved much more exciting with much more action with Scotland scoring a winning penalty on the last kick of the ball to win 19:16 so almost everyone left the stadium feeling happy at the final score.
We were wrapped up warmly from the cold but when I got up to leave the stadium my feet felt frozen after sitting in one place for so long! There was no chance of returning to the city centre without a lengthy wait for a tram so we followed the crowds and walked back into town. Roads had been closed to traffic making it easier to walk back and it wasn’t too much later that we were warming up with chicken and chips in a cosy pub.
Our verdict on attending a Rugby Union international – an amazing experience, both the build up and the match itself, perfect for families too as all the spectators were impeccably behaved – perhaps we’ll try Twickenham next time, we’re definitely keen to return. Tickets were moderately priced, we had excellent views and paid just £20 for each ticket.
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Nothing showcases local character better than taking in a local sporting event. Great that you were able to score tickets and even better that the home side one. Stay well Marion. Allan
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We loved our afternoon at the international Rugby Union match, would love to go to another sometime. Thanks for commenting. Marion.
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Hi, just went through this article, and I would love to see Leith this weekend, what would you recommend me to do and see the most ? (for just one day of wandering with my camera hehe)
Ines
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I think you would enjoy taking a look at the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith
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I don’t think I’ve ever been to a rugby match – what a fun experience!
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It was such a lovely evening. I thought I mind find the actual match a bit long and boring but I really enjoyed it.
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Silly me! I had the idea that you would be walking the Water of Leith walkway to Murrayfield from Leith. 🙂 Wishing you joy in the New Year!
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Thank you! Happy New Year to you as well.
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I think seeing a sporting match gives a unique insite into a culture. I will have to keep that in mind. I am currently in Sri Lanka now and am not so sure I could get enthused about cricket..lol.
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Thank you for your comments. Sri Lanka will certainly be warmer than the U.K.now. Have a Happy Christmas. I’ve been to one or two international cricket matches but it’s very slow going and strange that you don’t see the end result if it’s over several days! Need lots of sandwiches !!
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There is magic sitting in a stadium with a full crowd reacting to every exciting more. These days though it would be a prime target for those who want to do harm to our society. We live in an unhappy and dangerous world now.
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Hi Ian, Thank you for reading and commenting on my post. I understand what you mean about crowded areas being prime targets for terrorist attacks but if we avoided doing things that we enjoy we would be giving in to the threat of terror so I think we should carry on as usual and hope and pray all will be well.
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Oh yes, I totally agree with you. But in today’s world we need to understand the law of averages may catch up with us some day. However, that a reality we face and get on with our business.
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Awesome! I love reading about other’s travel experiences. My wife and I are always looking for new places to go and things to see.
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Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog, it’s good to read that you are enjoying my posts.
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Awesome adventure and pictures to match.
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Thank you so much for your kind words about my blog posts.
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I’ve been to football matches but never rugby – it sounds like a great experience, especially with the pipers and fireworks.
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I’ve also been to a few football matches but despite not fully understanding RU rules, I actually enjoyed this more. Can’t wait to go to Twickenham now and join in with a few bars of ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ !! Thank you for reading all my posts and for all your lovely comments throughout the year. Just returned from a big grocery shop and now trying to fit too many things into my fridges !
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That’s my plan for today – it’s the squeezing into the fridge part I hate!!! Hope you have a lovely Christmas.
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Thank you, have a lovely Christmas too! Home is always the best place to be at Christmas! Nearly ready now, tree bought, decorated, presents wrapped and under it – just going to bake some mince pies this afternoon and then hopefully settle down with a glass of wine!!
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A rugby game in Scotland would have definitely been a treat. I’ve been to Twickenham before for a All Blacks v England game. I love my AB’s but I admit I got a massive thrill when the English fans starting singing “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” 🙂
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How marvellous Sarah that you were able to see the NZ v England at Twickenham. We really want to try and get tickets for there now and I’m looking forward to joining in with ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot too! Thanks for reading my post and your interesting comments.
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I was pretty amazed I got tickets – they were in the nosebleed section, but still it was amazing to be there.. plus it was actually on my birthday so even more special 🙂
Good luck with getting your tickets!
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