Scotland Reccies!
Edinburgh, options:
Edinburgh Castle, history tour, couple hours
Kick it at the Portobello Beach. Only a short bus ride from downtown. Keep an eye out for selkies and kelpies. (I know how much you love horses – if a Kelpie captures you, try to remember to shout its name to be released – some variation of Nikkur, Nykurin, Nix, Nykur, Nick, Nicholas…)
Feel like a little hike to practice your Munro Bagging before heading to the Highlands? Walk up Arthur’s Seat for a view over Edinburgh.
Want to be in nature and be inside at the same time? Pop over to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. They do have a corpse flower (can confirm, was stinky) but I dont think one will be blooming in January.
Edinburgh, Walk the Royal Mile:
Starting at the Castle end of the walk and walking east-ish.
(1) Moment of silence at the Witches Well. Effing patriarchy.
(2) Say Hi to the Philosopher David Hume and touch his toe for luck and knowledge.
(TBD) Sometimes St Giles’ Cathedral has popup vendors inside. If not, feel free to admire her grandeur and those sexy buttresses.
(3) Pop in Balmoral Cashmere for a top selection of cashmere (styles, variety, sizes), priced comparably to elsewhere on the strip. Not typically mobbed with psycho competitive-shopping tourists. (Pretty sure I’ve been in all of them on the Royal Mile, most other shops have a lesser or narrow selection, some with poorer quality.)
Side quest: If you back-track just a little to head northy-westy on North Bridge for two blocks (off the Royal Mile), on the left you’ll reach The Balmoral. Pop in for a swanky cuppa since only the crazy rich can afford to book the hotel room where JK Rowling finished writing HP7.
(TBD) Back on the Royal Mile, keep an eye out for the antique and antique jewelry shops along here. I’ve found some truly phenomenal items.
(4a) Swing into Wanderlust Cafe for my favorite London Fog tea and rest those weary feet. Also very common to have carrot cake as a treat in this part of the world, it’s one of the few veggies that can grow in this climate. Ditto for rhubarb. Prioritize dishes with these in it, if you like. Yes the mile keeps going but functionally, this is a nice end point.
(4b) If however, you’re hungry, tired, wet (b/c rain, obvs.), and don’t want to walk anymore..head for the haunted tourist trap Tolbooth Tavern. T-ftw Very insta-worthy and the waiter will be sincerely surprised and impressed that you know so much about UK culture when you ask for brown sauce.
(5) Palace of Holyroodhouse, this is the actual end of the Royal Mile. Just around the corner and still on the property is Queen Mary’s Bath House (AKA Mary Queen of Scots) (I think this was being renovated pre-pandemic, but cannot find mentions of this.)
Off the main drag, Southside of Royal Mile (Edinburgh Old Town area):
Turning south at David Hume’s statue (Did you rub his toe???) –
Victoria Street, pastel candy-colored lovely little shops. Great speciality finds in and along here.
After finishing Victoria Street, take a quick jog to the right (west, going down Grassmarket) and snap a photo outside The Last Drop restaurant for more morbid history.
Like black comedy? Then keep walking another 7 min +/- west on Grassmarket to snap a photo at Burke & Hare. When you’re done appreciating the irony that their names are used for a strip club, turn on your heel and book it the heck outta there, retracing your steps heading east.
Just past The Last Drop (facing east), the road splits in a “Y.” Go right onto Candlemaker Way, then a quick left up Merchant. Turn right at the next intersection to reach…
The Elephant House where JK Rowling wrote some of her books (part of 2 and 3, I think?) is closed due to a fire in the building but you can snap a photo out front. Keep going this way (south-ish) to see…
Greyfriars Bobby Statue, Boop his snoot and tell him what a good loyal boy he is. SECRET PROTIP: Pre-pandemic there was a free Harry Potter walking tour that started here. Bring cash to tip the tour guides (often college students).
To the right (west) of the statue is: Greyfriars Kirkyard, Graveyard with many of the names here lending themselves to the Harry Potter books.
To the left (east) of the statue is: National Museum of Scotland, couple hours to all day. Nice on a lousy weather day.
Two blocks east of our hero doggo is, Union Brew Lab. Specialty coffee, anyone?
Looks like several of the restaurants in Edinburgh I really liked have closed in the pandemic: La Petite Mort (permanently), Assembly Checkpoint (”temporary”), Elephant House (temporary). Sigh.
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