In this blog series, I am talking about one of my major passions, traveling to Europe. First, I shared five more countries in Europe I loved visiting. In the last blog, I described five reasons I love visiting Scotland. Let’s go even deeper by looking at Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. It is brilliant.
My wife and I recently visited Edinburgh for a long weekend
Let me give some context for this blog post and YouTube video. My wife, Kim, and I recently spent a long weekend in Edinburgh Scotland. This capital city is a popular weekend destination, especially for those who live in Europe. I’m here to tell you it is also doable from the States. We flew directly from Dulles International Airport (located in Northern Virginia where we live) to Edinburgh Airport. For lodging, we stayed on the Royal Mile. If you’ve never been to this city before I recommend you stay either on or near the Royal Mile. Our plan included three full days on the ground. We flew out on a Thursday night and back on a Monday. Also, we pre-booked four tours for this trip including a tour of the castle, the Oldtown, a ghost tour, and a food tour. We prefer private tours. I highly recommend you book private if your budget allows. It is a much better experience than with a large group.
Reason #1 – Sights
Edinburgh is full of excellent sights to see. Be sure to visit the castle, the Royal Mile, churches, and museums. You can easily fill an entire day of sightseeing and still have things to visit the next day.
Reason #2 – Scottish Culture
Scotland has a very distinctive culture that the people are proud of. Fun fact, the Unicorn is the national animal of Scotland. Edinburgh showcases many parts of Scottish culture, especially in the National Museum. You will learn that the Scots invented everything. In the picture below that I took in the New Town part of Edinburgh you see a few examples of Scottish cultural distinctions such as tartans, tartans, and bagpipes. The Scots also serve some unique foods like haggis. Yum-yum.
Reason #3 – Whisky
The Scots are famous for scotch and they make a whole lot of it. Be sure to visit the whiskey experience right up by the castle. It is a fun place to take a tour, do a little sampling, and do some shopping. Get your scotch to bring home and enjoy fond memories of Edinburgh and its wonderful whisky culture.
Reason #4 – Pubs
Edinburgh is packed with fine Scottish pubs, especially all along the Royal Mile. You cannot walk more than ten steps without seeing another Scottish pub to visit. Pub culture is not for everyone. However, I highly recommend you spend some time enjoying a pint at the local pub in Edinburgh. The food in pubs is usually reasonably priced and you will get a chance to mingle with the locals.
Reason #5 – Green spaces
Edinburgh has beautiful parks and green spaces all over the city. It is easy to step away from all the hustle and bustle of the city by visiting one of these areas such as hiking up to Arthur’s seat. Of course, the reason everything is green here is due to all the rain. Be sure to dress appropriately while visiting.
Bonus Reason – It’s spooky!!
Kim and I went on a ghost tour in Edinburgh. It was fun and super spooky. Edinburgh claims to be one of the most haunted cities in the world. They say that this city is built on the bones of the dead. After visiting a few of their graveyards, I believe them.
One thing I do not like about Edinburgh Scotland
Let’s talk about one thing I don’t like about Edinburgh. The airport is not big enough for the amount of traffic that goes through it. I was surprised at the size and wondered why it was so small. Contrast that with the train station which drops you off right in the middle of the city, an awesome location. If you have a choice I would recommend taking the train not the plane to get to Edinburgh.
Three of my favorite things in Edinburgh Scotland
- Place – The Royal Mile. It is the best place to start exploring this wonderful city.
- Favorite sight – Edinburgh Castle. It is majestic. You get great views of the city from here.
- Architecture – this city is full of magnificent architecture, especially the Old Town.
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to my sons.