We managed to do so much in Scotland that I had to break it up over multiple blogs! We spent the most time in Edinburgh, so I think it deserved its own post. That being said, Edinburgh was absolutely stunning. It’s definitely one of my new favorite cities–I could’ve spent weeks there! We stayed near the Royal Mile, a stretch of the old town filled with bagpipes, kilts, and whiskey shops, capped on either end by Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The old town

In the Edinburgh vaults…

definitely has a dark vibe–the grey stone buildings, narrow alleys (known as closes), and almost constant cloudy skies alone contributes to that, but when you learn about the sinister history of the city (think grave robbers, underground crime cities, public torture and execution…) it’s even more chilling. I always thought ghost tours seemed cheesy and theatrical, but we took took one into a series of underground chambers called the Edinburgh vaults, and it was absolutely terrifying.

On top of Arthur’s Seat

The scary underground of Edinburgh was a must-see, but the hills around the city were even better. The best view of the old town has to be from Calton Hill, which takes less than ten minutes to reach the top of and is gorgeous at sunset. For the more adventurous there’s Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano overlooking Holyrood Palace–some legends even say it was the site of King Arthur’s Camelot. It took us a little under an hour to reach the official summit, which was quite snowy and rocky. On a clear day you can see for miles, out over the sea to the east of the city and even the beginnings of the Highlands to the north.

Victoria Street

The bathrooms at Elephant House Cafe

Edinburgh is also where J.K Rowling wrote a lot of the Harry Potter books, and all around the city you can see where she took inspiration. The Elephant House Cafe is a now-famed spot where she would sit and write, and if you ever go there to eat, it’s worth checking the bathrooms–they’re covered in Harry Potter graffiti. Not too far away (and right next to our hostel as it happened), Greyfriars Kirkyard cemetery has a McGonagall, a Moody, and even a Tom Riddell buried there (and was also home to a dog called Bobby, whose story is so adorable and sweet it’ll make you forget all about Edinburgh’s dark history–check it out!). Victoria Street was also said to be the inspiration for Diagon and Knockturn Alleys, and we went into an antique store that I would definitely believe was the inspiration for Borgin and Burkes.

My next post will be about the side trips we took to the Scottish Borders and the Kingdom of Fife! Stay tuned! 🙂

Location: edinburgh