Days 5 & 6 of Europe were spent in Scotland. If you're new here, check out parts 1 & 2 of my Europe Series! We started our day in France and took the Aeroport bus to a smaller airport (BVA) about an hour from Paris to catch our flight to Edinburgh. When in Europe and traveling in the Schengen area you are guaranteed free movement and can easily pass borders without long waits and special formalities. We flew on Ryanair, a budget airline and a very economical way to travel within Europe. The airport was packed, with a line almost out of the doors so I added priority to our flights while in the parking lot and that allowed us to skip everyone in the line. Definitely worth it for $10 a person. Our flight from BVA to EDI was about an hour and a half, then we gained an hour due to the time change. Be sure to read the luggage requirements, the carryon bags have much smaller requirements. We did have to check one bag and it took awhile for them to unload the luggage. I had arranged for a private driver to pick us up(through the Ryanair app) and they were very understanding and accommodating of the delay. Be sure to have Whatsapp downloaded as that is an easy way to communicate with various suppliers, such as the the transfer company. That is how we communicated our delay at the baggage claim. Our driver's name was Eddie, he was hilarious! Told us some funny stories and gave some great tips on sites to see, he even pulled over so we could get a pic of the Edinburgh Castle on the way to our hotel.
I booked us for two nights at Motel One Edinburgh Princes. Princes street is a great central location that is walking distance to everything we wanted to see. The rooms were a lot bigger than you would expect in Europe. Promptly after checking in and unpacking we walked to grab some lunch at The Queens Arms.
"A hidden jewel below the cobbles of Edinburgh’s Frederick Street. The Queens Arms is everything a comfortable, quality pub should be, steeped in heritage with a passion for quality.
Between our fantastic home cooked dishes made with some of Scotland’s greatest product, handpicked cask ales and craft beers from Scotland’s top independent brewer, and our cracking range of malt whiskies, wines and cocktails you’ll find something you’ll love."
We ordered Haggis, Neeps & Tatties for the table and I went with Fish & Chips and a Gimlet for myself, all being choices that I would never typically order but wanted to give the traditional fare a go. Very much enjoyed all of it!
After lunch it was time to start wandering the streets of Scotland! Next stop was a block down at The Boozy Cow. A burger and bar joint with fantastic drinks, including spiked shakes. We were on a mission to explore so we decided to have just one drink and a shot decided by the roll of a die. On to the next few stops, walking past the Princes Street Gardens onto the Grassmarket area. First stop, The Wee Pub, smallest pub in Scotland & Biddy Mulligans. Then onto the Armstrong's Vintage, a thrift store where I found my absolute favorite purchase of the whole trip, a beautiful vintage silk scarf.
We then took a stroll through Victoria Street, definitely an Insta worthy area and visited Greyfriar's Kirkyard, a 16th century cemetery surrounding Greyfriar's Kirk (church). If you are a Harry Potter fan then this is a must, it is said to be the place where JK Rowling found the names for characters of her Harry Potter novels. We were able to solve the riddle and find Thomas Riddles grave. But my favorite story of the kirkyard is the one of the bestest boy, Greyfriar's Bobby! Greyfriar's Bobby was a Skye Terrier or Dandie Dinmont Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray, a nightwatchman who worked for Edinburgh Police department, until he died in 1872. Sadly he was not allowed to be buried with his owner as the ground is sacred, so his final resting place is just outside the kirkyard's gates about 75 yards from his beloved master.
Of course we had to check out Dropkick Murphys Bar, seemed like the touristy thing to do. We enjoyed some live music there for awhile then ended the night at The Three Sisters Bar, which is three bars connected on two levels with a huge courtyard and more live music.
Day two in Edinburgh, day six of Europe. We woke up to a typical rainy Scottish Day and walked up to Edinburgh Castle equipped with an umbrella. Our tickets were for 9:30 and though the tour was sold out for the day we didn't have much of a line to wait in. We purchased the standard admission and was able to explore the castle at our own pace. As you enter this absolutely beautiful, historic landmark you will pass through the castle's Esplanade. An outdoor concert venue graced with the likes of Rod Stewart, Kylie Minogue and Tom Jones to name a few. You might also catch the Military Tattoo there. Tattoo in Scotland is a performance of music or display of armed forces in general. The term comes from the early 17th-century Dutch phrase doe den tap toe ("turn off the tap"), a signal sounded by drummers or trumpeters to instruct the innkeepers near military garrisons to stop serving beer and for soldiers to return to their barracks. The castle itself is absolutely stunning with a view of Edinburgh to match. Upon crossing the drawbridge you will be greeted by William Wallace & Robert the Bruce! Probably my husbands favorite part. Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe. With a long rich history as a royal residence, military garrison, prison and fortress, it is alive with many exciting tales. When you climb Castle Hill, you will walk in the footsteps of soldiers, kings and queens – and even the odd pirate or two. Built in the 11th century the castle is the most besieged place in Britain. Throughout you will see tons of info on the timeline of the castle's history. I really enjoyed visiting at our own pace but also would have loved a guided tour. It was fun to read about the royal history of the many kings and queens who live there, especially Mary Queen of Scots. Throughout the various areas you can view different attractions and artifacts like the Honours of Scotland in the Crown Room or the Stone of Destiny, Mons Meg, Half Moon Battery, National War Museum, The Royal Palace or St. Margarets Chapel. So much history in this breathtaking stronghold! Castle tickets here.
We had about an hour to kill before lunch, by then the rain had subsided so we wandered down the royal mile. Edinburgh truly feels like a page out of a Harry Potter novel. There were owls and bagpipe players.
Lunch reservations were at The Witchery. I had made reservations pretty far in advance as they are required and I heard they are sometimes hard to get into. You are required to put a card on file, if you no show or cancel last minute you be charged a $50 fee. While my initial thought was that the restaurant was more of a fun novelty experience I quickly realized that it in fact is a more formal dining experience. Located within a beautiful boutique hotel, the restaurant offers an award winning a la carte menu with an extensive wine list. The Witchery has been awarded the title of "The Best Restaurant With Rooms in Scotland 2023" at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards. I highly recommend paying The Witchery a visit but be sure to be dressed for the occasion!
After lunch we walked back to the hotel for a couple hours to rest then set back out on foot to explore some more. When researching "free" things to do in Scotland I stumbled upon multiple suggestions to walk around Circus Lane, so we did just that. It is one of the most photographed spots in Edinburgh and rightfully so! This hidden gem is full of history and absolutely beautiful!
We continued our journey on foot stopping by a couple bars, both of which happen to be dog themed. What more could you ask for?! The first was The Wally Pub and the second was St. Vincent Bar or better known as The Vinnie. The walls are lined with portraits of pups that have visited over the years and once a month they host a photoshoot for dogs to join the wall. You can follow The_Dog_Wall on insta! If you know me you know this is my kind of place! We finished the evening with dinner at Dirty Dick's Pub. A perfect little dive bar with amazing food. After that it was time to call it a night as we had an Uber lined up first thing in the AM to catch a flight back to France!
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