Upon a Star Travel Advisor Susan Burks at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.
Similar to my one day in Geneva, a few months back I had an opportunity to spend one day in Edinburgh. Edinburgh had been on my list of places to visit for a while, and I was concerned about how much I could actually see with only a day there. I was surprised and you may be, too!
Our hotel was in the heart of Edinburgh, so it was a quick walk to shopping and a good bit of sightseeing. We started with walk down Victoria Street which is widely believed to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books, and it looks like a modern version of it! Then we grabbed a donut and a coffee at Kilted Donut on Grassmarket Square just because the name made us laugh!
Then we climbed about a million stairs to reach Edinburgh Castle. (Do you see it sitting up on that hill?) This ancient fortress towers over the city and is the apex of the city. You could spend hours exploring Edinburgh Castle, and we did. I’m not sure you can see it all, so you have to prioritize your day. We arrived just in time for the daily canon fire which is full of the pomp and circumstance you’d expect for a cannon firing in Scotland! The appropriately named One O’Clock gun is fired daily at 1:00 pm! We wandered through a few of the museums on the grounds including The Royal Scots & Royal Regiment of Scotland Museum, but the highlight for me was the Honours of Scotland. Here in the Crown Room you can see the oldest Crown Jewels in Britain. The crown made for James V dates to 1540 while the scepter dates back even further. (No photos allowed!) There are also amazing views of the Firth of Forth. (Try saying that three times fast!)
Due to the rain, we opted to head out but we’ll go back to explore some more! From Edinburgh Castle we walked down the Royal Mile which is a street full of shopping and dining and cafes. Here you can shop for and buy shortbread and every wool product you can imagine—sweaters, scarves, and the most amazing tweed bags! Yes, I absolutely took home shortbread in the shape of Scotty dogs! Ha!
By now, our donuts had worn off, so we went in search of dinner, and we ended up back on Grassmarket where you can find restaurants like the White Hart Inn, Petit Paris, Beehive Inn, and The Black Bull. We stopped in the White Hart Inn and ordered drinks and some traditional fish and chips and blood sausage, but of course we had to order the haggis, too, which came with a side of neeps and tatties. If you don’t know what haggis is, this is a traditional Scottish dish, a savory pudding made with minced sheep heart, liver, and lungs, oatmeal, onions, and spices. It is traditionally served encased in a sheep stomach and boiled, but ours was not. It was surprisingly actually quite good! I took a very tiny tentative taste and was pleasantly surprised! (Neeps are a type of turnip, served boiled and mashed, and tatties are mashed potatoes!)
Greyfriar’s Kirk (church) in downtown Edinburgh.
By now, we had wet shoes, so we went back to the hotel to change shoes and dry out a little bit before heading down to Greyfriar Kirkyard (Scottish name for a churchyard or a graveyard). This is right down the street from the original Elephant House where J.K. Rowling supposedly wrote most of the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the US.) The kirkyard is full of ancient graves and headstones many of which are reminiscent of names found throughout the Harry Potter series of books. The story goes that J.K. Rowling would take walks while writing at the Elephant House and wander through this kirkyard picking up ideas for names. This is a fun location for a self-tour or a guided tour, and you can find names like Crookshanks (Hermione’s cat), Thomas Riddle (Voldemort’s real name), and McGonagall. This is a beautiful and peaceful experience.
There’s also a fun story about a dog named Bobby. Bobby was owned by a local policeman, John Gray, and after his death, Bobby reportedly guarded his grave for another 14 years. He captured the hearts of the locals who would bring him food and other treats.
We wrapped up the evening walking Victoria Street at night, and it’s even more stunning at night especially with wet roads and sidewalks. Poke into some shops—lots of Harry Potter themed shops and the most amazing specialized hot chocolate café.
I was amazed at much we got done in one day.
What would I do next time? Well, there’s still tons more to see in Edinburgh Castle and a visit to the Royal Yacht Brittania, Queen Elizabeth’s decommissioned royal yacht, is a must-do.
A quick trip back to the Edinburgh airport the next morning in the cutest black cab and my first, but not last, Edinburgh trip came to an end. I will absolutely go back to Edinburgh and explore more of the city.
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