One Day: Scottish Christmas Edition
By: Ananya Krishnan
Canceled flights are usually nothing short of a nightmare. But thanks to a canceled flight, I had the chance to experience Christmastime in Edinburgh. My twin brother moved to Scotland in 2020 for university, and I never had the opportunity to visit because of Covid, work, or school. So when I had the chance to make a stop in Edinburgh on my way to Bangalore last December, I took it.
With my brother’s exams in full-swing, we only had one day to see everything we could fit in. Besides planning out our next day, we spent the evening I arrived catching up and exploring the high street near his flat. I’d spent the first half of 2023 in London studying abroad, and I was so excited to be back in the U.K.
The next morning, we woke up bright and early to see Dean Village. This adorable neighborhood in Edinburgh is a popular tourist spot because of its charming houses set in the bend of a picturesque river. Dean is at the bottom of a small valley, and walking down to the river provides great views of the colorful houses and historic churches in and above the neighborhood.
After Dean, we grabbed coffee at my brother’s favorite café, and then it was time for us to hit the main attractions. We headed west to the Royal Mile, a stretch of road between Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle that snakes around the hill Edinburgh Castle is set on. Lining the cobbled road were adorable shops, churches, and pubs, all decorated for the holidays. We milled in and out of souvenir stores, struggling to not overspend. As we strolled up the Royal Mile, a man wearing a kilt was playing bagpipes in front of a pub, and I don’t think I saw anything more quintessentially Scottish the rest of the trip.
Eventually, we ended up at the castle. Unfortunately, there’s a superstition for university students that says if you go into Edinburgh Castle before you graduate, you’ll fail all your exams, so we decided to play it safe and just admired it from outside the gates. My brother graduates this summer, so we’ll celebrate his degree with a trip to the castle.
From the castle, we strolled down to Victoria Street, an iconic bend of road which apparently inspired J.K. Rowling’s Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. It’s a short, charming street with toy stores and restaurants, and the hanging Christmas lights and decorations made it all the more magical.
At this point, we were starving, so we headed to the Princes Street Christmas Market. I love outdoor markets, and I love Christmas, so this was the attraction I’d been looking forward to for years. Twinkling lights lined every shop and the smell of roasted potatoes and mulled wine filled the air as we perused the stalls of Christmas trinkets. We decided we had to get a traditional British meal, and it ended up being one of the best meals of my life. I had a vegetarian haggis pie with mashed potatoes, mushy peas, and beet ketchup. That might not sound delicious to everyone, but I still dream about that meal to this day.
After stuffing our faces, we headed over to the University of Edinburgh, my brother’s campus. He was so excited to show me its historic buildings and the places he frequented every day. From there we headed to the bottom of Arthur’s Seat, the iconic hill in the middle of Edinburgh, and my brother’s favorite place in the city. If not for the extremely muddy paths, we would have hiked the hill, so we decided to save that for when I come to his graduation this summer.
Finally, it was time for dinner. He wanted to take me to a place students love, and it turned out to be a mosque that served some incredible Indian food. On our way home, we walked through The Meadows, a large park in the middle of the city, and he pointed out a café cart serving “the best hot chocolate” he’s ever had. So, we had to get a cup in the spirit of Christmas. It lived up to his review: topped with brûléed marshmallows, chocolate shavings, and cinnamon, that hot chocolate tasted like Christmas in a cup.
When we finally got home, we passed out, exhausted from walking 8 miles and stuffed from all the delicious food we’d eaten. Aside from a white Christmas, Edinburgh ticked all of my boxes. If I only have one thing on my Christmas list next year, it’ll definitely be another trip to Edinburgh.
Ananya Krishnan is a senior from Saratoga, California majoring in Environment and Sustainability and minoring in Business and History. One of her favorite travel destinations is Pokhara, Nepal, because of the stunning Himalayan scenery, delicious food, and unique architecture.
