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Writer's pictureCarmela Castro

Cool places to explore when visiting Edinburgh, Scotland

Updated: Jun 14, 2020

A city so magical it feels like it belongs in a Fairytale...

The view to Edinburgh Castle from the Princess Street Gardens

Our visit to the United Kingdom started in Scotland, in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. We stayed just two miles down the road from the old city center in the lovely neighborhood of Morningside. We bunkered in Edinburgh for just over 20 days, so we really got to soak in the Scottish lifestyle in Edinburgh. Most if not all of the city and major historic sights can be seen in about two to three days depending on your pace.

There is plenty to explore and see in the city but if you are a Harry Potter fan, this city is definitely a must visit! There is wizard shops spread out through out the city and one of the most famous streets in Edinburgh, known as Victoria Street, is said to be what inspired J.K. Rowling for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films. This magical city would be where J.K. Rowling would begin to write the Harry Potter series through out the old city cafe's, like The Elephant House café. There is even a "free" Harry Potter walking tour we recommend to check out. Potter fan or not, make sure you stop by Greyfriars Kirkyard, with rich history and Harry Potter inspirations, Like the interesting but sad story about a dog named Greyfriars Bobby and his famous statue and grave.

You cannot visit Edinburgh or Scotland without tasting some Scotch Whiskey. Scotland is home to incredible single malts and great whiskey in general. Even if whiskey is not your cup of tea, you should do the The Scotch Whiskey Experience. You may even leave Scotland a whiskey expert, maybe, hehehe. But who doesn't want to go on a tour where you ride inside a whiskey barrel cart! The Scottish take their whiskey pretty serious, and with every other business in the city being a whiskey pub, literally, you should give a few whiskeys a try. Why not? I know we didn't come all the way to Scotland to try their Salads! Look in our "DRINK" blog for more on our whiskey experience in Scotland.

Edinburgh is surrounded by beautiful Landscapes and if you want to go for a nice hike, head to Arthur's seat, a beautiful rocky hill which is actually an extinct volcano that can be seen from many spots around the city. It's a nice 30-40 minute hike up the backside trail to the top with stunning views looking across Edinburghs horizon.

Last but not least, at the top and center of Edinburgh, sitting high on the castle rock you will see the beautiful Edinburgh Castle. Make sure you purchase a ticket in advance to skip the long lines the day of your visit, you will thank me later. You can spend hours walking within the castle walls and learning about its history, like the oldest building in Edinburgh, the St Margaret's Chapel from the late 11th century inside one of the highest points within the castle walls. Do make time to stop by the Scottish Regalia, where the oldest Scottish Crown Jewels are kept inside a high security vault room where no cameras are allowed. So you will have to come see the Jewels for yourself one day.

Besides the old city of Edinburgh you can venture out to the beautiful village of Deans Village or check out the dozens cool pubs and eats around the city where you can grab a pint of cask beer with a meat pie.

For you super natural fanatics, there is many haunted places in Edinburgh, including one of the most haunted places in the UK, the Blair Street underground vaults. The underground vaults is a cool adventure and tour to check out. We did the Mercat Tour to explore and learn about the underground vaults and it's haunted stories which include some pretty creepy sights.

We cannot wait to come back to Edinburgh again, the Scottish people are way cool and very welcoming. Edinburgh stole our Hearts and will be a destination we will always return to. Its also a good location to stay at when visiting and exploring Scotland as most tours that venture into remote areas like the famous Loch Ness Lake and more, depart out of Edinburgh.

We hope to return in the month of August one year for the festivities as my husband still wants to get fitted for his Kilt and join the Scottish festivities, that will be a blog of its own there!

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