Weekenders Guide to Edinburgh
We made it through January people!
I don’t know about you, but today I woke up with a lovely feeling as it’s a new month and a fresh start. Last month I had Covid and was isolated for about half of January which made me restless to get the heck out of the city. My friend Cass had a day off work she needed to use up before the end of the month (oh and did I mention she’s half Scottish?), so off we went to Edinburgh!
What to wear
I know what you’re thinking, '“Sarah why go up North in the dead of Winter”? But it wasn’t too far off from London weather honestly! Pretty mild around 40’s F (~5 C) and we lucked out with sunshine all the way up until the last hour on Sunday. Plus cozy pubs and comforting dishes are a go to in Edinburgh which makes winter a perfect time to visit.
Expect rain, hills, and wind. I found myself wearing tall black boots during the day and black booties out. It’s fairly casual in the city, so layers are key. With all the hills, my only suggestion would be to take one nice water resistant longer puffer, an umbrella, and keep your suitcase light.
Insider Tip: Arrived before your airbnb check in and don’t want to lug around your luggage? There are lockers at the Waverly station for £12.50/day to store if you need.
How to get there
We chose to take the train over flying to get to Edinburgh. This was because flights cost about the same as the train and the process of transport time to get to the airpot, going through airport security, and then finding an Uber into the city just didn’t make sense. Plus on the train you can pop some bubbly and make yourself mimosas like we did ;)
From London Kings Cross station, the train journey can average from 4.5-6 hours depending on the route chosen. Obviously the faster the route, the more expensive the journey. We booked our train tickets a little over a week in advance and it cost us £97 roundtrip. We left on Friday at 8am and arrived into Edinburgh Waverly Station around 12:20pm. For the trip home, our journey was slightly longer with a 4:30pm departure arriving back to Kings Cross at 10pm.
Once in the city, transportation is easy because the city is fairly walkable. But be prepared for hills, my post covid lungs were struggling at times. At the end of the evening, we were able to find Ubers around 11:30pm, but the other night at 1am we ended up walking the 25 minutes back to the Airbnb and felt very safe.
Insider tip: If you are <30, sign up for a Railcard as that got us an extra 30% discount on our train tickets!
Where to stay
We decided on an Airbnb in the Old Town area. At less than £200 total for two nights for a two bedroom loft right on the Royal mile, it was an amazing deal. From what I observed in our stay, if you want to be closer to the landmarks, coffee shops, & touristy areas then stay in Old Town. If you want to be closer to bars and shopping, you should stay in New Town. I personally liked staying in Old Town because I could go downstairs and grab a coffee and walk around the instagrammable places before all the crowds came in.
What to do
I have a blog post on the top things to do in Edinburgh in full detail, which you can read HERE, but these are some of the things we did with some tips below:
CASTLE TOUR
The castle Tour is around £15 with an extra £5 if you want an audio guide. The last time slot to enter is between 3-3:30pm, but I LOVED coming at the end of the day to see the Castle stone walls reflecting the golden sunset off it. But they are strict about closing certain galleries and exhibitions around 4:30pm so I would probably suggest a slightly earlier time than we came. Before the castle tour, I’d suggest checking out Granny’s Green Steps which are directly to the left below the Castle and give a unique perspective as well.
WALK OLD TOWN
The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995, so wherever you turn is gorgeous stone walls and single pane windows with colorful painted shops below. Some of the areas for those instagram spots are Victoria Street, the Royal Mile, Cockburn Street, and Melville Street.
CHECK OUT LIVE MUSIC
Elios in New Town was by far my favorite place we went out to at night, just good vibes and a mixed crowd. Another good spot for live music was Boozy Beaver, which is new town but closer to Stockbridge neighborhood.
GO ON A HARRY POTTER WALKING TOUR
We went with the company The Potter Trail, which is a pay what you can tour. I am a pretty nerdy Harry Potter gal, but I learned so much about JK Rowling’s early stages of writing the series and where she gained inspiration from the city. Plus I loved that the guide kept character the whole time and even sorted us into our houses on the tour. I’m Slytherin (which is no surprise to my sister who is a Harry Potter aficionado haha).
CALTON HILL
A collection of historic monuments, with 360 views of the city. There’s even a restaurant at the top and a museum.
Insider tip: JK Rowling’s handprints are located in Edinburgh off Mary King’s close, which they won’t show you on the tour.
FOOD & DRINK
Insider Tip: You can use Opentable to book almost all restaurants. I’d suggest booking your dinner spots at least two weeks in advance for the top rated ones.
Friday we had lunch at The Ivy, which is a favorite of all my friends here in the UK. It’s a goal of ours to eat at all locations in the United Kingdom. The style and decor of each restaurant changes, but the amazing food and drink menu never disappoints. I always get the Ivy Royal Champagne drink and the Chicken Milanese.
For dinner on Friday, we had a reservation at an Italian restaurant called Vittoria. Personally, I don’t think I’d recommend it as the pasta wasn’t anything extraordinary (again, I live with an Italian so maybe I’m just spoiled), but the ambiance was super cute so maybe would be a good spot for a drink at the bar.
For Brunch, we really enjoyed Greenwoods. A local spot in New Town, it seats only about 10 tables and you literally walk through the kitchen to get to the toilet. Everything on the menu was amazing and it must be a popular spot as it was packed.
Cute coffee spots are all along the city like The Milkman, Black Sheep, Zebra Coffee company, and Edinburgh Press Club. I liked Milkman the most for a basic Oat Latte, but if you like some flavors Black Sheep is probably a good shout.
The highlight of the weekend though was Makars Gourmet Mash Bar. HOLY SH*T this place was amazing. Like so good I ordered more mash on the side. And the peppercorn sauce *chefs kiss* I’m still swooning over it. Finish it off with their sticky toffee pudding which was divine. Plus at only £25 pp for our chicken, mash, dessert and a whole bottle of bubbly, this place is a steal!
There you have it, your guide to a wonderfully windy weekend in Edinburgh! Have you ever been? Let me know in the comments your favorite things to see and do.
Sincerely,
Sarah
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