Arriving in Edinburgh I didn't really know what to expect. I planned Ireland and Amanda had planned Scotland so we each had a few surprises throughout our trip. Lesson one: its pronounced Edinburra.
First of all, I couldn't get over how everything matched! Especially our first night we walked around the New Town area and I felt like we were for sure going to get lost there. All the buildings were of beautiful Georgian architecture and all the same colored sandstone (some darker than others due to age). The apartments stood one after the other, looking almost identical other than their colorful identifying front doors. Everything was symmetrically laid out and built. I realized here that garden apartments were a thing and now I want one! Many of the gardens and parks in this area were private for the owners of the apartments which totally reminded me of the movie Notting Hill (yes I love that movie and I'm not even embarrassed about it).
We did a walking tour our first morning there which was a lot of fun and gave us a good understanding of the city's history and layout. Edinburgh was built in the medieval times around the castle located at the top of the hill. Our guide took us on part of the Royal Mile, which leads from the Palace all the way to where the castle is. It is a very hilly city and the Royal Mile in particular has many alleyways which they call closes. These closes lead to many different things - some courtyards, some cut through to other streets. They are these mysterious narrow little alleyways which were fun to go down to see where they lead. The city is also known for the arts and specifically writers. Sir Walter Scott, who has a large gothic style monument in the center of town, wrote books that heavily influenced Scottish independence (among others). JK Rowling also wrote the Harry Potter books in Edinburgh, so we saw the coffee shop where she wrote the first few books and then the hotel (very fancy hotel) where she wrote the later books. We also saw the school that inspired her ideas for Hogwarts and it really does look like a castle. Our tour guide said they actually sort the children into the buildings four towers when they arrive. After walking around the city for a bit, we could see why creatives would be inspired in this city. We also learned from our guide that the unicorn is the animal of Scotland - I mean, could you get a better national animal?!
Entering into the castle we saw the birthplace of King James, the Scottish Regalia and St Margaret's Chapel, which was the only building preserved from the 12th century and the oldest building in Edinburgh. There was a great overlook of the city from the castle. I guess it makes sense why this castle was under siege over 26 times in history, making it one of the most attacked places in the world.
Per Rick Steves, we also walked to the top of Calton Hill later in the day and had another great 360 degree view of the city. It was a great perch to admire the unique and detailed architecture of this city. Spires from churches and duomos from schools and monuments rose one after another.
The next day we visited the National Museum - a massive and really well put together museum with many Scottish art, history and science exhibits. We focused on the art and Scottish history sections. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the city! And all the main museums in Edinburgh are free which is awesome.
Amanda and I had a great trip through Scotland. There was more open space here, the landscapes were gorgeous and the people were friendly. And I was so grateful that Amanda could join me for these two weeks! We had a great trip.
Highlights:
- Wandering and looking at the architecture - I took a lot of pictures here. A lot.
- Scott Monument - built in 1846 it is a representation of true Victorian gothic architecture.
- Edinburgh Castle - had a great view of the city.
- Harry Potter Highlights - fun to see where she got some of her inspiration!
- National Museum - gave a great overview to Scottish history.
Lessons Learned:
- Edinburgh is a lot smaller than I thought it was!
- One of the best ways to get a feel for the city is to do a walking tour at the start. Many of these are free (or tip based) and the guides really do a great job.
- The Scottish breakfast is the same as the Irish - a whole lot of meat, eggs and no fruits or veggies!
- The accents are definitely thicker in the north than in the city - I could understand what everyone was saying in Edinburgh!
- Kilts are definitely a thing there - we've seen a lot of guys wearing them and stores selling them!
Colorful doors in Edinburgh.
The Scott Monument.
City overlook from Calton Hill.