Day 1: will travel for whisky

There was a train strike while I was in England, but that only meant some of the trains were canceled (not all). A few days before my jaunt up to Scotland from London, I went on the National Rail website and booked my round trip tickets for about £115 (if I had booked earlier it would have only been about £70 but with the train strike uncertainty I didn’t want to risk it).

The trip is 4.25 hrs and can go a couple of different routes, all of which are lovely and go through beautiful swaths of the countryside. I always try to book a window seat with a table so I can work on my needlepoint or read my current book. European trains are definitely my favorite way to travel, and the hours flew by on this trip. I even made use of the café car to have a snack so I could hit the ground running when I made it to Edinburgh.

I also used the time to do some reading in my new guidebook and book a few tickets for things I wanted to do. I pre-booked the three big things I mention below for the same afternoon or next day. I don’t know if it was because I was a solo traveler or the days I was there (weekdays after the holidays, Jan 2-4), but I didn’t have any trouble booking things that close to arrival.

8am in London - arrive in Edinburgh by 12:15.

After arriving and dropping my bag off at my hotel in Grassmarket (more on the hotel at the end of the post), I used my handy guide book to take a self-guided walking tour around Old Town. Highlights were definitely the castle view from the Vennel steps and the Greyfriars Kirkyard.

I picked up a copy of the Lonely Planet Pocket Edinburgh when I was in London and it proved to be a very handy guide.

This headstone / tomb marker in the Greyfriars Kirkyard was my favorite. A skeleton dancing into the afterlife with a book. My kind of remembrance.

After my nice introductory walk around Old Town, it was time to get down to the proper business of being in Scotland: drinking whisky. I booked a tour / tasting at the The Scotch Whisky Experience on the train ride up on the same day. It’s right on the royal mile, almost at the entrance to the castle (aka right in the middle of town). They have a variety of tour options, but all of them start with a ride in their “how whisky is made” interactive “experience”, followed by a bit of a history lesson and a taste of a single type of whisky. You can then upgrade your tour to include a variety of add-ons.

Scotch Whisky Experience Details:
- The Silver tour (baseline) = £21 - just includes the tour and a single drink / tasting
- The Gold tour (the one I did) = £34 - includes the tour + a total of 5 drinks / tastings
- The Platinum tour = £45 - same as the gold tour but with an extra 6th “deluxe” blended whisky added to your tasting
- There are other options that include food but I thought the Gold was a great time, and they have a bar in the tasting room where you can try more if you saw something you liked, or want a recommendation for something similar.

I went in the later afternoon in the winter, and was treated to a lovely sunset outside the tasting room window. See below for some shots of the absolutely insane whisky collection they have here (for viewing only during the tour). My favorite was the chess set, where yes, each piece holds a dram of whisky to be consumed after each piece is lost during gameplay.

By the time I had my fill of many many sips of whisky, it was high time for some food. I had earmarked a few vegan / vegetarian places in town to visit, so on the first night I decided to go to Holy Cow. This is a fully vegan place that specializes in burgers and more modest fare. I took a stroll down the Royal Mile, across the north bridge (which runs over the train station), and made my way to the north side of town aka New Town. Dinner hit the spot, and after a long day of travel and a lot of walking around, it was time to make my way back to Old Town to bed. A bonus of walking across the central park of town (Princess St. Gardens) was seeing the winter festival and many streets along the way all lit up for the holidays.

Soup of the day & the oyster mushroom burger (which was incredible)

Day 2: The Full Day for SIGHTSEEING & a good dose of history

I started my only full day in town early at Edinburgh Castle. My top tip for the castle is just that: go early. I arrived for my 9:30am entrance time and all of the areas I wanted to see were not busy / had a green light (they have a lighting system to let you know when some exhibits are too busy & you have to wait to enter). I booked my ticket the day before on the train (you pick a timed entrance window), but then added the audio guide when I got there. It’s one of the ones you hang around your neck, but I was able to plug my headphones into it for easier listening. It’s only a couple of pounds, so I definitely recommend getting one to really learn the history of the castle and make the most of your visit.

Edinburgh Castle Logistics Details:

Open from 9:30am - 5 or 6pm (depending on the time of year), you book your tickets with a 30 min entrance window - earlier is better.
You can buy tickets at the gate, but you save if you buy online ahead of time. Regular adult ticket = £18 (online)
- I booked my tickets on the train up to Edinburgh the day before. It’s a popular spot so I just recommend buying ahead of time and with an early time to avoid crowds.
I also added the audio guide once I arrived on site for an additional £3 (worth it!). Just follow signs when you enter to the booth, you can’t miss it.

Of course I found the room with the massive needlework exhibit.

The Scottish National War Memorial was very moving, I definitely recommend a visit inside even if you don’t have any relations commemorated there.

I walked around most of the main castle and saw the key exhibits & areas marked on the map. By noon I was ready to get out of the wind and grab some lunch. There are a few cafes within the castle grounds, and I accidentally went into the tea room. What a happy accident! Turns out they have a fully vegan afternoon tea menu option, so you better believe I enjoyed some lovely warming tea and a delectable array of treats while indulging in my latest book. After tea I strolled around the remaining few areas and made my way back into town.

The castle itself was very interesting and having the audio guide was a great addition. However, one of the best perks was the views!

Once I felt like I had seen enough of the castle, it was time to head a few blocks down the Royal Mile to take a tour of Mary King’s Close. This was a very interesting museum /tour that gives great insight into how people lived in Edinburgh and how the city grew during the last few centuries. Due to it’s location under a current government building, you aren’t allowed to take any photos inside, so here’s the entrance sign. Accessibility Note: You do have to go down a bunch of steps and walk over uneven ground, so if you aren’t easily mobile I don’t recommend this for you.

Ticket Info:

Open daily 10am - 5pm, this is a guided tour with limited space so definitely book ahead. As a single traveler I was able to book a ticket the day before but for larger groups or families I’d definitely recommend booking a few days in advance at least.
Regular adult ticket = £19.50

With a morning and early afternoon full of museums and history, it was time to take a stroll across the city and do a spot of shopping. I saw that there were two indie bookstores in a different part of town so I decided to take a nice walk to visit them both. This time I took the road across “the Mound” to see a different area of the Princess St. Gardens, and get a great view of the other side of the castle. This lit up Edinburgh sign is also on that route, so if it’s a permanent (not holiday) installation make your way down that particular road for a photo op.

I took quite the stroll through New Town, cut across the circus (yes Edinburgh has a similar round circus of houses like the famous one in Bath), and ended up on St. Stephen Street. On one side, Golden Hare Books is a lovely indie bookstore catering to all ages. With a charming kids room in the back and a welcoming fire in the main room, this was definitely a great local gem. Across the street you’ll find Ginger & Pickles, a bookshop dedicated entirely to children’s books, up to the YA reading level. I grabbed a souvenir book from each and made my way back towards Old Town for a well deserved afternoon pint at a pub.

I made my way back to Old Town and found the Jolly Judge. Tucked down one of the many closes off the royal mile, they have a charming low-ceiling beam interior and a great selection of local beer, cider, and of course whisky. I snagged a stool at the bar, got a glass or two of cider (regular and mulled), and enjoyed reading my book for a bit. One of the joys of traveling solo is having free time to do whatever you like. On this day I enjoyed a nice mix of cultural activities and walking a LOT to sightsee, but also mixing in time to chat with locals over a pit and read a good book. Who doesn’t love some time at the pub to warm up and rest for a bit after a long day?

After a fun afternoon at the Jolly Judge it was time to head back to my hotel and get ready for dinner. I planned my nicer dinner of the trip to be on my second evening in town, and I made a reservation at David Bann. As a single traveler it’s not usually necessary to make reservations (I can usually squish into a bar seat, etc). but I wanted to be sure I could get in since this was my only chance to go! This is medium fancy vegetarian fare and the combo of tastes and service was fantastic. Definitely one to add to your list if you’re a veggie visiting Edinburgh.

Day 3: Return to London

I had limited time to pop up to Edinburgh before needing to catch my plane back home from London, so on Day 3 I caught the 9:24am train back to London. The train back took a slightly more coastal route and it was absolutely gorgeous. I even saw an insane rainbow! The 4.25hr train was once again a delight, and I was able to book a window seat with a table again as well (my favorite).

Pro snack tip for Edinburgh: their local coffee shop chain is called Gregg’s. They do your basic coffee / tea orders, but they also have breakfast & lunch pastries/ snacks. This includes vegan sausage rolls. As a to-go breakfast on the way to the train station on a rainy morning, this hit the spot.

I made it back to London in plenty of time to re-pack and grab a nice quick final dinner before catching a bus to the airport to stay overnight at Gatwick before my super early flight home the following morning. I LOVED my time in Edinburgh, and it has definitely inspired me to plan a full Scotland tour in the future!

Accommodation Spotlight

I booked my trip up to Edinburgh rather last minute, so I just used my Chase credit card points & their booking website to see what was available and central. I ended up at the Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel right on Grassmarket. It was a great location and even had a pretty great view of the castle from the windows by the elevator. My room was spacious and had a nice bathroom, which is all I can really ask for during a quick stay. I opted to pick up breakfast while walking around the city on both mornings I was there, so I don’t have any opinions on the hotel food options. As a central spot to stay, it worked well for me.

Thanks for coming along to Edinburgh with me. I will definitely need to plan a longer Scotland trip, so if you have any must-see or do things please drop them in the comments below!

Happy Travels ~V

(All photos taken on a 1st gen iPhone SE)