I’m back with the fourth and final travel post from my May trip to the UK. And today, we’re going to Scotland.
Make sure you don’t miss my England, Wales 1 & Wales 2 posts!
I have always wanted to visit Scotland (and have been to England and Ireland, so why not?!) Scotland was such a beautiful and lovely country, especially Edinburgh where we spent most of our few days there. The people were so friendly, their accents were amazing, greenery was everywhere and the food options were incredible!
EDINBURGH
We stayed in an Airbnb close to the center of town, but still in a quiet area. I love how walkable Edinburgh was! And talk about the modern meeting the historic in this cute but busy town.
From the cobbled streets and historic castle, to the modern shops and thriving gardens, I loved it all.
Archipelago Bakery
This bakery was our first stop in Edinburgh (after getting in at 1 a.m. the night/morning before). And it did not disappoint. We grabbed some sparkling water and a few scones with homemade rhubarb jam, and it was just what we needed for a full walking day in the city. They also had lots of lunch and bread options.
Edinburgh Castle
To sum the Edinburgh Castle up in a few phrases: beautiful views and lots of people. It’s definitely worth a quick visit to look around and take part in this piece of history.
St. Giles’ Cathedral
I always try to visit cathedrals when they’re nearby, so I’m glad we stopped in at this one in the city center of Edinburgh. We even got there during an evensong service, so we got to hear some beautiful singing while we enjoyed the inspiring views.
Pinnies & Poppy Seeds
I’m so glad that David Lebovitz published a few posts about spots in Edinburgh before we went on our trip, and that Pinnies and Poppy Seeds made it on his list. At this little shop right off the Royal Mile, you’ll find this spot for incredible, buttery smells and even better buttery Scottish shortbread.
We filled a paper to-go bag with the original, Earl Grey, Scottish oat and chocolate chip flavors.
Dishoom
One of our goals on the trip was to eat as much Indian food as possible. So that’s why I knew Dishoom was a must-stop in Edinburgh. We went for a hearty and filling lunch, and we enjoyed the creative cocktails, naan, dal, paneer and warming Indian flavors.
The Scran & Scallie
Another reason why our Airbnb was so great was that they had some amazing restaurant recommendations. I hadn’t even mentioned that we were always on the hunt for good food to the host, but she sent this restaurant in her first message to me. We loved the casual atmosphere and really tasty food options at this elevated pub.
Hello, bangers and mash and some beautiful craft beers, like The Hoppy Botanist. Our hosts also said The Raeburn hotel across the street has amazing cocktails for a before- or after-dinner drink (though we didn’t get a chance to try it).
Whiski Rooms
If you didn’t try Scotch whisky, did you even go to Scotland? Well, I was at least glad that we got to sample this special drink, and so was my husband. It was fun to go to places like Whiski Rooms and try some of the distinct varieties of Scotch. I really liked the honey, fruity types, like the distillery we got to go to (scroll down to see more on that).
Royal Botanical Garden
I still can’t believe that this massively huge and beautiful botanic garden is free. If you go to Edinburgh, you must stop by. We loved spending a few hours walking around the different type of gardens, and we even went to the special exhibit of glass rooms or greenhouses.
The Magnum
This was another restaurant that our host recommended, and it was the perfect place to end our time in Edinburgh and our trip as a whole. This restaurant was approachable yet sophisticated with a killer drink and dinner menu. We enjoyed talking about our highlights of the trip over delicious pasta, more bangers and mash, and gorgeous desserts. Also, their Pimm’s cup was on point!
DAY TRIP
In addition to our traipsing around Edinburgh, we did a day trip tour of the South Highlands and to a distillery!
We walked a trail in The Hermitage near Dunkeld, visited another cathedral, enjoyed The Queen’s View and then ended with a tour and tasting at Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery (where we bought some 12-year single malt to take home).
How cute is my partner in crime/travel?
Taking a trip to the UK anytime soon?
I loved using a saved Google Map on our trip to save spots and then to see what was close when we were there. So, I’m letting you see access my map, too, to make your trip planning simple!
*You can get my entire UK Google Map (including England, Wales and Scotland) for only $15. PayPal me and I’ll share this map with you that has more than 90 restaurants, bakeries, landmarks and more already pinned for you!