Edinburgh, Scotland
Spending a week in the city center
We arrived in Edinburgh after a 4 hour drive on a Monday morning from Liverpool. The drive was pretty beautiful and relatively flat but the views were great. The small villages that you drive through on the A7 are pretty neat. Every little town you go through will have at least a spot for tea if not a full on pub. There were a lot of little bed and breakfasts around as well and if you’re not into city life it would be a great spot to stay that is accessible to everything but still full of beautiful countryside scenery.
We stayed in a wonderful Airbnb and would highly recommend this neighborhood. It was the perfect location for walking and hitting all of the different neighborhoods and most of the big attractions are no more than a 30–45 minute walk away, with many being much closer than that.
Tourist Spots
Some of the cliche tourist spots are still pretty incredible. Places like Arthur’s Seat are a must see, even if it may be a little crowded at the top. The views across the entire city are well worth the trek and the company. You’ll want to do this on the most clear day you can because the views are really the main attraction. Prepare yourself for extreme winds (60+mph) when you are at some points towards the top as well, I thought it was fun, but I could see it being dangerous for someone smaller. The hike is very short and very easy, but the views are wonderful. I won’t ruin it for you, but here is a taste of the way up.
The Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle are the two other main tourist attractions in Edinburgh. These two will be packed with people all the time, but are still a neat look into the history of the city. The castle is filled with walk in museums that tell the history of the castle and Scotland’s military. If you are looking for more history about the city itself (and not the military), I would recommend the Mercat Historic Underground Tour (£13 for adults). No need for a sunny day on that one either because a lot of the tour is underground in the cities historic vaults. The tour guides are very knowledgable and tell some fascinating stories.
Good Eats
The food in Edinburgh was better than expected. I will admit, I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but there was plenty of food from all over the world for anyone to find something that fits their taste. As an avid sports fan, I was keen on finding a spot with the big matches on as well as some good food and good atmosphere. Lucky for us we found The Golf Tavern a 5 minute walk from where we stayed. We ate and drank there on the first night and the last night of our trip. The traditional Scottish “Haggis, Tatties, and Mashed Neeps” were excellent.
There are more options that just the local cuisine in Edinburgh though. We found some amazing Korean, Italian, Wine Bars, and Whiskey bars as well. The Hanging Bat was probably our best food spot of the city. The mix of southern USA BBQ and craft beer was right up our alley. Their very helpful and knowledgable staff was more than welcoming and helped us in finding some interesting drinks too. I would highly, highly recommend the BBQ chicken wings. They were quite possibly the best I’ve had outside of the actual Southern United States.
More In Scotland
We took some other day trips around to some national parks, historic towns, and old castles too. Check those out before planning your trip as well. Let us know your favorite spots in the comment section.
