Collecting memorable signs is a delight a number of Gumbo travelers enjoy. Sometimes the signs are clever, sometimes artistic, sometimes a serious bit of quirky.
This selection from the Scottish capital starts with a rather ordinary sign, but with a catchy pun.
There’s a wine bar in the cellar—literally ‘under the stairs’ to the right of this metalwork sign.
Lady Stair’s House, built in 1622, is home to The Writers’ Museum, with its elegant sign above the carved entranceway. Note the careful apostrophes: “Writers’ Museum” because it is not owned by a single writer, and “Lady Stair’s House” because it was, in fact, owned by Elizabeth, Dowager Countess of Stair.
Only one of these establishments is in the hairdressing business—though you might have reservations about having your hair styled by Medusa, known for a hairdo of snakes. Panda & Sons is not offering 25c haircuts and shaves; it’s actually a speakeasy-style cocktail bar.
The Binns Clock is a different sort of sign: No text, but in the 1960s, everyone in Edinburgh knew it marked the Binns department store, and “under the clock” was a popular meeting place. Binns is gone, and the building is occupied by the Johnnie Walker Experience, operated by the whiskey-maker, which paid for restoration of the clock.
And, finally, Victoria Street, home to many interesting signs, featured in many Instagram posts, and reputed to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books.
