Whisky Tales and Castle Trails in Edinburgh

AUTHENTIC, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Edinburgh, the city of kilts and red beards. Happy and glad that 28 yo caught me, here with a real glass of scotch. Details below 🙂

details pre-trip:

Tickets:

Ryanair – 135€ / pers, OTP – EDI

Accommodation:

An Airbnb close to Haymarket is “9 Devon Gardens” – €380/3 nights. Our plane lands at 1 AM, so many accommodations canceled our reservations after we told them what time we would arrive. But, good luck with “You”, the Airbnb host, who was very nice and with a beautiful house.

Transport:

Airlink 100 Bus (5.5£ – 1 way or 8£ – 2 ways) – airport ticket, using M-ticket app or directly from bus driver.

Other options around town:

Lothian Buses – 2£/single ticket or 5/days ticket
Edinburgh Trams – 2£/single ticket or 5/days ticket (you cannot buy the ticket from the tram)

SIM Card:

We used a 3SIM, available from any market and top-up. But the easiest option is an eSIM, through the MobiMatter or Airalo applications.

trip and costs:

Edinburgh is not a very big city, so two or three days are more than enough. Below, I leave the streets, restaurants and aaaaalll my favorite places 🙂 Enjoy.

1. Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is definitely one of the most emblematic place in the city. Built before the 11th century, the castle served as a royal residence, arsenal, treasury, national archive, mint, prison, military fortress and home of the Honors of Scotland.

Because it is very visited, buy tickets in advance. Online they are cheaper and cost 15.5£.

2. The Vennel Viewpoint

This place is in fact, a small street with stairs, which offers a beautiful view of the castle, especially in the first part of the day.

3. Grassmarket

Grassmarket is a place with an important historical character. Over time, trade was the main activity, but it remains known for public gatherings and executions. Here is also written on the bottom: “last person to be hanged from the Grassmarket Gallows was James Anderson, on the 4th February 1784”.

4. The School of Divinity, New College

New College is a historic building and one of the most famous theological universities in the UK. To see this place, right out of the Harry Potter movies, just go from Monday to Friday, being closed on weekends.

5. Victoria Street

Named after Queen Victoria, this street has some of the most beautiful and timeless buildings. Colorful facades, next to the medieval ones.

6. Waverley Bridge

The Waverley Bridge was built in 1896 to connect the new to the old part of the city. When I think of Edinburgh, this is where my mind flies for the first time, and the image from the bridge is my favorite.

7. Cockburn Street

Cockburn Street connects Waverley Bridge with the High Street and its name comes from a famous Scottish barrister with major influence. After we discovered The Scotsman’s Lounge (best scotch, best Guinness) we started to like it even more :)).

8. Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is the main thoroughfare of the city, comprising a sequence of streets: Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand. The story of the name comes from the old unit of measurement, the Scottish mile. And the distance from Edinburgh Castle to Hollyroodhouse Palace is exactly one mile, being also considered the famous road of the monarchs.

9. Giles Cathedral

It is an extremely important parish church and it is impossible not to pass by. The dome is gorgeous and you can admire it even better from Waverley Bridge. Many events and concerts are also hosted here. More info on the website: St Giles’ Cathedral (stgilescathedral.org.uk)

12. Writer’s Museum

Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson are 3 famous Scottish writers, and their lives are presented in the museum. The building is very beautiful and there are many famous quotes on the floor.

10. Scott Monument

Located on Princes Street, this monument is dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, Scottish historian, novelist, poet, playwright. In the form of a spiral, it contains 287 stairs to the top.

11. Princes Street

Princes Street represents the new part of the city and the main shopping area. The street was named after King George’s eldest son, Prince George, Duke of Rothesay (later King George IV).

13. Calton Hill

Included in the UNESCO heritage, Calton Hill hosts many monuments and emblematic buildings: the National Monument, the Nelson Monument, the Dugald Stewart Monument, the old Royal High School, the Robert Burns Monument, the Political Martyrs’ Monument and the city observatory.