My first weekend off after a summer of weddings was spent in the lovely Edinburgh!
I have travelled to the other side of the world but until this year had never been to Scotland. I’ve been lucky enough to visit both Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2019, and now I can’t wait to explore more of it.
With just 48 hours in the city I didn’t put pressure on myself to try and see everything, but made sure to tick off the must-sees! Just wandering around and taking in the sights, monuments, and fresh Scottish air was a fantastic feeling, so anything on top was a bonus.
I got an early train out of Leeds and arrived in Edinburgh at 10am ready for day one. Bags quickly dropped at the hotel and then it was back out and on the hunt for brunch.
I stumbled across what is now one of my favourite eateries that I’ve ever been to – Bross Bagels. This place has a couple of sites dotted around the city, and if you come across one I urge you to go in immediately. Not only do they have a fantastic menu, but they also have specials, sweet and savoury options, AND you can pick from about 10 different bagels.
After this I wandered through the gardens on Princes Street (you can get fantastic pics in here of the fountain and castle!) and up the side road to the castle itself. It’s all hustle and bustle up at the top but it’s a great atmosphere and you get to enjoy the Royal Mile back down to the centre of town. The Mile is filled with churches, cathedrals, bars, restaurants, shops – I stopped for a drink and took in the sights, and also hit a couple of record shops along the way.
The afternoon was spent at the Royal Botanic Gardens, which you can read more about here – please do check it out if you have time.
I went back to the hotel for a snooze and a quick change before heading out for tea and drinks. The best bit of advice I got was to head down Rose Street, which is just one street back from Princes Street. There’s a fantastic mix of traditional pubs, modern bars, and pretty much every cuisine can be found in this part of town. I started with a drink at The Auld Hundred, which seemed popular with locals, and ate at The Rose Brewery. I couldn’t recommend this place more – traditional Scottish food with a few modern twists – the service and atmosphere were both amazing. There were a few locals in here too, which I always think is a good sign, and we were also joined by a couple of tables of Canadians who were having a blast!
I was tucked up in bed by 10.30 after our early start, but it meant I was well rested and ready for day 2.
I started my day by heading to Leith on the bus. So many people had recommended it to me, and I wanted to see the town for ourselves. You can hop on the number 22 bus on Princes Street, they run every ten minutes and you’re in Leith within half an hour.
Although I had an amazing Scottish breakfast at the lovely Mimi’s (seriously go, it’s so worth it!), I waSsn’t overly keen on Leith. I think maybe I should’ve gone in the evening but as I was unfortunately only in Edinburgh for one night I opted for the city centre. You can tell it would be buzzing later in the day or at night, but I just didn’t get to see it at it’s best. Maybe next time!
When I made it back into the city, I bravely decided to take on Edinburgh Dungeons. I’m not usually one for touristy things like that, but it was so much fun and you actually find out a lot about the city.
I decided to grab a late lunch at a lovely little Mexican place on Princes Street, and a drink at a local cafe before picking up my bag and heading to the station. All in all it was a brilliant trip and I’ll definitely be back in Scotland again soon!
