Bucket List Traveling: Edinburgh, Scotland

If you haven't read my first published post, Bucket List Traveling, you should take a look! If you aren't feelin' it, I'll summarize for you. My husband and I decided to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe for seven weeks during the summer of 2018. We each packed one (small) duffel bag to survive for the entirety of the trip. We took a year to plan and pay for our trip, which consisted of seven different countries and over 15 cities in total. I plan to break down our trip to each city in my Vocal posts- so stay tuned!

This post is all about our first stop, Edinburgh, Scotland. Our nerves and fears got the best of us, but easily realized that Edinburgh will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

My husband Micah and I flew out of Chicago on July 9, 2018 to get to our first destination, Edinburgh in Scotland. I can still remember how I felt as we were getting dropped off at the airport. I was so nervous that something would go wrong on our way overseas- I was shaking. What if I forgot my passport? My wallet? My underwear? Those are the necessities, people! Thankfully, my husband took my hand and reassured me that we were ready and prepared. I didn't truly believe it until we got through security and I was able to check my duffel bag (Don't worry, I remembered everything!).

Our flight was (sadly) a 9 PM red-eye flight from the Chicago O'Hare airport to London, England. From there we took a connecting plane to Edinburgh. Since our flight was over our sleeping hours, we figured we would get some good sleep while flying. Well, it was a good idea in theory. Between turbulence, crying babies, and uncomfortable seats, we both got (maybe) two hours of sleep in total. Talk about a kick-start to our jet-lag...NOT! However, we landed safely and smoothly to Edinburgh, so I can't complain about sleep too much.

During the entirety of our seven-week trip, we stayed at Air BnBs wherever we went. Let me tell you, Air BnB is AMAZING. We had such great service and accommodations; I would highly recommend heading over to their website to find more reasonable alternatives to hotels and even hostels!

Anyways, we arrived at our Air BnB with no difficulty. Our hostess's house was in the middle of a field surrounded by rolling hills, flowers, and cottages. It was so dreamy! I felt like I was in a Beatrix Potter village, waiting to see Peter Rabbit at any moment.

For our trip to Edinburgh, we didn't know what to expect. We had done some research on the city itself while planning, but neither of us really cared that much about the city, and almost cut it out of our trip. After visiting Edinburgh, my attitude towards the city has completely changed. The next time I'm in Europe, Edinburgh will be the first place I return to. We both fell in love with the city for different reasons.

Our two day trip to Edinburgh was incredible, and definitely not enough time. Okay, we were able to do everything we wanted, but not enough time to just be there. I didn't care what we were doing, but as long as we were in Edinburgh, I was happy. There is just something about the city and atmosphere that makes you feel welcome and comfortable. Edinburgh was a good ease into our seven-week trip and a great way to start. (Not to mention, everyone spoke English so we didn't have to deal with language barriers yet!)

The city itself is a dream; tall, old buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, Scottish accents. There are shops, tourists, pubs, and bagpipes practically everywhere. Not to mention a HUGE castle that overlooks the city on a hill.

We did and saw practically everything one would do while visiting Edinburgh. I would say the highlight of our stay was touring the Edinburgh Castle. It was actually the very first thing we did in Edinburgh, which was awesome. However, at that point, I was worried that the rest of our trip would be a disappointment after such a great start in Edinburgh. Thankfully, that didn't turn out to be the case. Ah! I'm getting off track!

The Edinburgh Castle, as stated before, sits on top of a large hill that overlooks the entire city. We got some beautiful views of the city while at the castle- I probably took over 50 pictures up there! We really enjoyed our tour of the castle. We got to see into the throne room, bedchambers, old chapels, and banquet halls. We were just in awe of the rich history and architecture from the 12th century. Since it is one of the most popular sites in Scotland, it does get really crowded. We went early in the morning but still found that there were people EVERYWHERE. I would definitely recommend a visit to the castle, even with the crowds.

We spent the rest of our time getting lost in Edinburgh. My favorite area was something called the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is a very lively, busy street that runs from the Edinburgh Castle to the Holyrood Palace. It's basically a strip that consists of street performers, pubs and shops; a huge tourist trap. As a tourist, you bet your bottom dollar I got trapped! I'm a sucker for tourist-y things. I just enjoyed the liveliness, bagpipe players, and cute dogs that accompanied beggars and/or performers. We also walked around New/Old Town Edinburgh- two areas that were built at different times. Lots of bigger stores and restaurants in those areas.

By the end of our first day, we were exhausted. We didn't realize how tiring walking around a city could actually be. My body hurt, so we took breaks whenever we could. I remember thinking about the rest of our trip- how would I survive? Well, I did. And I'm alive to tell the tale! We ended up walking over 12 miles that day. Not too bad, right?

Good thing the second day of our trip to Edinburgh was entirely hiking...

Since we were recovering (more like struggling) from jet-lag, we were able to get up early and start our day while it was cool outside. Our day was dedicated to hiking one of the biggest hills in Edinburgh, called Arthur's Seat. Our hostess's house was right behind Arthur's Seat, so getting there wasn't too difficult. Let me tell you, if you think you're in shape, you just gotta try climbing up this bad boy. Micah and I both struggled up Arthur's Seat the whole way, but once we were able to catch our breath, we enjoyed the breathtaking views of Edinburgh from atop. There's nothing that makes me appreciate life more than when I'm overlooking the beauty of the earth.

That's basically everything we did in Edinburgh. Like I said before, I wish I had more time to just enjoy being in the city. We took in the culture as much as we could in two days by drinking ale, eating haggis, walking around and listening to bagpipes, obviously! We definitely started our trip on the right foot. After 23 miles walking in two days, we were so ready to keep exploring but were a little bitter that we had to leave Edinburgh. There's always next time. And trust me, there will absolutely be a next time.

Facts 'N Tips

1. There are tourists EVERYWHERE in Edinburgh. For Europeans, Edinburgh is one of the most popular vacation destinations. Who knew?!

2. Everything is accessible in the city. Micah and I were easily able to walk around to each of our destinations. Using public transportation is not completely necessary.

3. The streets are so narrow! We rented a car to get to our next stop in Scotland...I almost died of a heart attack a few times. Just be cautious of how close drivers will get to you! Yikes!

4. People aren't the same kind of friendly as in the US. Apparently, it's polite to NOT say hello and to mind your own business. Which is fine, but we just didn't know it until we asked. Also, no one will bless you if you sneeze.

5. Popular Scottish food/drink: Haggis (crushed meat?), Mash (mashed potatoes), Bangers (sausage), Whisky, ale, tea (of course!). All recommended! Very delicious!

6. Public restrooms are NOT a thing. You have to plan your bathroom time carefully...

Cheers!

Em