We are back from such a whirlwind adventure in Scotland! We were there for a week and I really feel we packed so much into that timeframe. Sure, we couldn’t see it all, but what we did see took our breath away. So much of Scotland felt like being dropped into a fairytale, and I’m so excited to share it with you.
For future reference, we were there the very first week of June. Locals told us the weather we experienced is very typical of early summer, averaging between 43 degrees and 62 degrees (between Edinburgh and the Highlands, as we were all over the map), with consistent alternating of rain and sunshine for the most part. My Scotland packing list was spot on for our needs, though I would have done one less short sleeve shirt and one more sweater/long sleeve. Ok, let’s go!
We left from the Charlotte airport around 6:00 PM and flew to Newark. We had a short layover then boarded and took off around 11:30 PM for Edinburgh. Determined to beat any jetlag, we took melatonin 30 minutes before taking off and with our eye masks (SO clutch on this trip because the sun rises in Scotland at 4:30 AM) tried to go right to sleep. It was harder than I expected but we all dozed off for a bit, the girls laying sidewise and snoozing on each other and on me. Unfortunately after a couple hours in of the 7 hour trip, Hailey felt a little airsick, which she never has had a problem with before, so we spent the remainder of the flight sipping ginger ale, putting cool compresses on her pressure points, and trying to distract her. We made it without incident!
We landed around 11:00, got a taxi, and dropped our luggage at our first accommodations, The Knight Residences in Old Town. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we took to exploring, which was easy to do because we were steps away from the Grass Market, followed by Victoria Street, and the Royal Mile.
Wow. Wow. WOW. Immediately I was in awe. The Edinburgh Castle just right there, commanding your attention and respect from all angles. Wandering onto Victoria Street, JK Rowling’s inspiration for Diagon Alley, and feeling like we’d been plopped right into the books. And then the majestic royal mile with its stunning Giles Cathedral and ancient architecture, complete with tiny walkways, or courts, and cobblestone streets. I was entranced.
We walked to The Milkman for a quick pick me up, cappuccinos and baked goods, which were as delicious as you’ve heard. Then we wandered in and out of shops on our way back to check into our room.
While technically you walk by one or two “peek show” spots right before your get to the building, I would stay at The Knight Residences again. The location was excellent and it felt clean and safe. We reserved a two bedroom with the hope we’d all sleep pretty well and adjust to our new time zone. While it was nothing fancy, it was spacious (two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room area, and a kitchen with a washer/dryer) and well appointed and we really enjoyed staying there!
We checked in quickly, unloaded, freshened up and immediately headed back out to take advantage of the beautiful weather and to see as much as we could. We had a self-guided wander and thoroughly enjoyed it.
We walked through Greyfriars Kirkyard, the famous cemetery. It’s quite beautiful. We warmed our hearts with the story of Bobby, the loyal Skye terrier, and rubbed his statue’s nose for good luck. We followed the crowd to see the famous grave of Tom Riddle, a grave from 1806 that now has become a top tourist site for Harry Potter fans. Did it feel a little weird to take a picture next to this man’s grave? Yes.
Without a bit of research, we stumbled across a little spot called Under the Stairs, a restaurant with an intimate vibe, just as we were all starting to feel peckish. We scored a cozy table in a corner and enjoyed a shared meal of several small dishes. Afterwards we made the walk back to our apartment, stopping at the Harry Potter museum on Victoria Street because the line was short and well, of course we did. The third floor was blocked off, so maybe that made a difference, but our crew found it to be just so so.
We all crashed hard and slept pretty well. It was a surprise to see the sunrise at 4:30 AM, but the eye masks helped so much with that! Our excitement got us up and moving by 9:00 AM which I took as a win for our first morning in the new time zone.
I had purchased castle tickets a week or two prior to our trip and I’m glad I did, as they were sold out the day of. You choose a time of entry when you purchase (the early times sell out first). Our entry was at 11:00 AM, giving us the perfect amount of time to go enjoy some breakfast.
We chose Zaza’s mostly for the bright green facade and it’s awesome view of the castle. My mornings of this trip were marked by Earl Grey tea (and the afternoons by cappuccinos). The girls found a fondness for berry tea (with sugar cubes). And David, coffee and lattes. The breakfast was very good and I love that they serve beans and mushrooms with so many breakfasts!
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and watched a quick rainstorm pass by, then headed to the castle. It was a short but steep walk from the Grass Market area, lots of steps, but soon we were standing outside the castle, ready to go!
I’ve heard mixed opinions on the castle experience, but we very much enjoyed it. We took our time, exploring each area, reading the stories associated, and taking in the sites. It was full but never felt overly crowded and the views were magnificent!
We enjoyed the history of Mary Queen of Scots and found it fascinating that it was her son that had the bible translated into the version most used today. Much of the castle has a no pictures policy, so the only great picture I got was of the prison area (the kids’ favorite part), but we also very much enjoyed seeing the crown jewels and the chapels and monuments.
We took part of the complimentary whisky tasting, looked up David’s side of the family’s Scottish ancestral roots, and really enjoyed our time at the castle. We left midafternoon, in search of a snack.
We walked over to George Street to Cafe Andaluz and went inside for tapas. We had sangria, calamari, olives, bread, mussels, and potatoes to tide us over while we continued exploring. From there we spent time poking in and out of shops and taking in the sites like St. Giles Cathedral (WOW) and popping into the Virgin Hotel on Victoria Street (snazzy) while we worked our way back to our apartment.
Our tiredness started catching up with us, so we decided to enjoy a lowkey evening and a night of good sleep before taking off on our adventure the next day. We all got in good showers while David walked to a nearby pizza truck, Mr. Woodfire, to bring us back a couple pizzas. Happy surprise- they were excellent! Authentic Italian guys cooking up some delicious woodfired pizza.
We watched most of Jumangi while we ate pizza feeling cozy and clean, then got a great night of sleep. The next morning we were up and packing our things, ready for the next leg of adventure! To be continued 🙂
