Edinburgh
…stole my heart…
I knew I was so drawn to Scotland, it’s been (and still is) on my bucket list for eons, (road trip!), but never I expected to be so in awe of everything in Edinburgh. It was better than I ever imagined, and we arrived while it was literally raining cats and dogs. And it didn’t stop for over an hour! I didn’t really care. Hubby kept putting my hoodie up, I couldn’t see properly so I kept taking it down… Yes, I’m 6.
We flew into Edinburgh Airport, then by tram to the city centre. I had booked tram tickets the previous day (so confusing, you can buy a ‘return anytime’ from and to the airport, and it will say that it’ll expire on the day you ordered it for: it doesn’t, you can go back to the airport and none will bother you about it, despite Apple Wallet putting it into the expired passes. Let me know if you need any tips on that).
So we were taking a train to Perth in the afternoon, and we had the chance to spend a few hours wandering around the city. As it was really raining, and water soaked through our waterproof clothes within 20 minutes, I left the camera in the backpack at the deposit (I’ll give you tips on how to leave your backpacks and luggage in a safe place if you need to at the end of the post). This means that all the photos were taken on the day we flew back home to London.
We had a warm-up/dry-down coffee at that Waterstones cafe with huge windows that give on to the castle, chilled for a bit and enjoyed the atmosphere coffee+books. After that we started to feel kinda hungry, so we walked towards the city centre and the castle, and stopped at this place I saw on a YouTube or Insta post, where they make the most amazing mash potatoes to go with your proteins. Un-believable! (Link below).
On top: views from the Waterstones Cafe
Bottom left: wild boar sausages on aged cheddar mash. Bottom right: beef haggis on traditional butter mash.
We then walked up the Royal Mile to try and digest the huge lunch, and went to see the castle (from the outside only).
Took the train about an hour later, (the trip to Perth would last about an hour and 40 minutes), as the family that we were going to look after the house and cat for were waiting for us.
Luna was so cute….
Back to Edinburgh the following Monday afternoon, and the train ride was incredible with the beautiful sunny Scottish coast unfolding in front of our eyes.
The North Sea looking calm and stunning that afternoon.
Arrived in Edinburgh, dropped off our backpacks at the same location we did a few days before, and on we went. I wanted to see Dean’s Village, so we headed towards that direction.
Got a few snapshots on the way…
Dean Village was cute, little underwhelming, but cute nonetheless. I was bummed you cannot access the waterfall, but I managed to get some nice shots anyway
What’s that white house doing there, ruining the whole 1800s vibe…
We then walked back, stopped for some water at Starbucks on Princes Street, and it gave me the time for some street photography.
I also got almost run over by a van who didn’t stop at a pedestrian crossing, my life flashed before my eyes and I felt nauseous for about an hour afterwards. It was horrible and he didn’t even apologise. No traffic light, we did stop to look before crossing but it was on a curve… WTAF!
Time to head home, and last thoughts: the city is absolutely perfect to me, every street I encountered was cute and pretty. I love that it’s a bit dark, almost gloomy and moody (that’s also the kind of music I love, so it works for me). People were nice enough, (well maybe not angry drivers), and everyone minded their own business. As a person that went from a tiny village in Italy where everyone knows you and knows everything about you, and chose to move to busy, perfectly lonely London, people that let you do your own thing are my kind of people.
I hate the American candy shops on Princes street, it’s the same plague we have in London and we all know they’re fronts for money laundering (have a research about these kind of shops in Oxford Street). Who the hell buys in there anyway??
Dean Village, slightly overrated, but cute, and I’m bummed I missed Victoria Terrace and Cockburn Street. Next time!
I did love Waverley Station, super huge and super cute. But give me any train or station and I’ll be happy 😊
Lawnmarket is also so worth it, despite the crazy expensive shops and the hordes of tourists, but walk it all the way to North Bridge, it’s beautiful, with the little streets that cross it.
Next time I wanna walk up Calton Hill and Arthur’s Seat, hopefully with better weather.
Will I go back? Abso-freaking-lutely! I want to experience more of Scotland, hell I would move there for a period of time. It’s an absolute yes from me. Thank you Edinburgh ❤️
Tram website ticket: https://edinburghtrams.com/tickets/farefinder. If you need any tips, leave a comment and I’ll help if I can. The Tram from the airport takes about half an hour to get to the city centre, and runs every 7 minutes. Worth it to have a look outside, cheap enough.
Safe place for luggage: For luggage storage we used https://usebounce.com.We used this location. The gentleman there was kind and patient, we were 15 minutes late and he didn’t mind at all (though he was still open, so check opening times). In Europe and London (for our friends) we usually use https://radicalstorage.com. They’re convenient and professional.
Lunch place: Give Makars Mash Bar a go. Huge portions (you can ask for a smaller one if you’re not a big eater. I had troubles finishing 🙄). But service is nice, atmosphere is welcoming and prices are reasonable.