Edinburgh, Scotland

I recently visited the beautiful capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh. This city unfolds before you like a page out of a Harry Potter book, coincidentally where J.K Rowling began writing the series. I flew direct from Toronto to Edinburgh, their airport is smaller and easy to navigate. I walked out and quickly got an Uber to my hotel. I stayed at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa on Festival Square. The hotel is modern and I must say, had the most comfortable beds, it was sometimes hard getting out of it. Each room also had a North American outlet which I have to say was a life saver when it came to charging devices. As I was visiting my daughter, I was lucky to have a tour guide. We met and she took me on a walking tour. Now, a tip, Edinburgh was founded before the 7th century AD, there is cobblestone walkways, hills and requires proper walking shoes. My hotel was a stones throw from Princes Street which is located in Edinburghs New Town and is about 1.2 km full of cafes, restaurants and shopping on one side and on the other panoramic views of Old Town, Edinburgh Castle and gardens. Absolutely jaw dropping views.!

We walked toward Victoria Street which is a steep, windy road that winds around to the grass market. On side of the street is quite colourful and is said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Potter series. As we arrived at the grass market, it is lined with pubs and shops. The area was also a traditional place for executions. Check out “The Last Drop” pub, great food and the story goes it was the pub where men who were sentenced would go for their last meal, and given one last whisky.

Throughout the following days we also walked along the Royal Mile, the road between the Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. A street full of lively street performers, bagpipers, pubs, restaurants, shopping and churches. Be sure to check out the “closes”, narrow access paths that date back to medieval Scotland. Obviously, a trip to Edinburgh would not be complete without touring the castle. This is a hot ticket and must be purchased ahead of your visit as it sells out well in advance.

Other spots I visited included the National Museum of Scotland, set aside a couple hours here and make sure to go to the roof top for amazing views of Edinburgh. Remember that the galleries and museums are free of charge and absolutely worth the trip.

For some off the beaten path activities, I highly recommend walking through Dean Village, a quick 30 minute walk with plenty of photo ops, if you enjoy a hike you could walk the 5K from Dean Village to Leith with views of the water. Make sure to find and touch the nose of the statue of Greyfrair’s Bobby, a terrier who won the hearts of Scot’s as he sat and guarded his owners grave for 14 years. You can also find his and his owners gravesite in the neighbouring cemetery. You may also want to visit Arthur’s Seat, a extinct volcano which is the main peak of hills.

If you visit Edinburgh during August, Edinburgh host the Fringe Festival, the world’s largest performance arts festival. As well in August, you can attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo performed by British Armed Forces, commonwealth and international military bands. So if that interests you you may want to visit during the month however if it doesn’t, it may be a month you would want to avoid as the city will be much busier.

I found the hop on/off bus a great way to get an overview of the city especially when I didn’t want to walk the 104 steep steps constructed in 1899 linking the new to the old.Edinburgh is a charming, breathtaking city full of history, culture and amazing architecture and a wonderful travel destination.