I spent three days on a girlie trip to Edinburgh and I thought it was about time I got all the info on a blog post! Firstly, we had a ball! It’s a city that has some really amazing food and you could spend days just strolling around, soaking up all the old buildings and history! There was also some really great shopping – especially home décor shops, so we were in our element! Although, all the shopping contributed to the baggage fine of £45 I got at the airport coming home! 😭The Ryanair staff were out with measuring tapes checking everyone’s bag!
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Accommodation
The four of us stayed in a two-bedroom apartment in The Knight Residence. The apartment was a great size and really comfortable! (I’m currently trying to find the pillows online to buy them for myself!) It was almost like a hotel – our rooms were serviced everyday and there was a really helpful concierge who gave advice on the best things to do and see. The location was in the old town – to the south of the castle. This meant we could walk to everywhere within 20mins and there was a lovely area of nice pubs just around the corner called the Grassmarket.
Stockbridge
This was our first stop in Edinburgh and it absolutely spoiled us! We started with brunch, but ended up spending the whole day there! The shopping was fantastic – lots of art and prints shops! You can also stroll along the river to Dean’s village, which is a picturesque village, (but nothing else to really do there to be honest).We enjoyed the walk more than the destination to be honest! If you can go to Stockbridge on a Sunday, there is a small but cute market until about 4pm.
Things to do
We didn’t do an awful lot other than strolling around. LOVE those kinda holidays! But we did go to The National Museum of Scotland which was actually brilliant! I would highly recommend it! It’s free to get in and the exhibitions are interactive and interesting -we even saw Dolly the Sheep!
Edinburgh Castle is one of those must-do’s. There are some great views from there and parts of the castle are interesting, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best castle I’ve to or anything! It’s very strange that there is no manned ticket office before 2pm, so we had to go and book our tickets online. This would be very difficult for people who might not have access to a smart phone/internet.
On the last day, we had about an hour to spare before leaving for airport and it started lashing rain! We spent the whole time in the cutest bookshop Topping & Co and it was heavenly! Do you see those library ladders?!
Food and Drink
We had so much good food!!!! Even before we left I got lots of recommendations from people of where to eat, so I’ll add those to this list too!
Leo’s Beanery – Gorgeous breakfasts.
Café Modern One – nice lunch option near Dean’s Village.
Greenwoods – A popular brunch option, it was booked up when we went, but it looked really cosy and the food looked yum!
Alchemist Bar – A really cool cocktail bar that’s worth going to! My drink came in two parts, one which had dry ice. So when I poured part two in, it all smoked up. Loved it!
Bar Italia – We had a last minute change of plans one evening, so we just went to this Italian close to the hotel. It was so tasty!! Felt like authentic Italian food and the place was bustling with people, even on a Monday night!
Solti Indian – If you like Indian, you’re going to love this! We had dinner here on our first night and I highly recommend it!
Café Andaluz – Dinner on our last night was here and it didn’t disappoint! Tasty and the wine was gorge! They have two locations. We ate in the Old Town one.
Rabble Taphouse and Grill – When we didn’t get into Greenwoods for lunch, we popped into this place next door! The interior is gorgeous!
Top Tips
Get the tram to and from the airport. It’s £6.50 each way and it brings you right into the city centre. You buy your tickets on the machines at the stop.
Like Lisbon (you can see my Lisbon blog post here), a trip to Edinburgh is very hilly, so throw on your comfy shoes when you’re walking around!
If you are going to a specific place in old town, follow a route on google maps! Parts of the old town have streets on different levels, so it can be easy to end up in the wrong place. We once thought we were in front of a restaurant when in fact it was on the street right over our heads!
And finally, don’t forget to stop and look around! There are so many beautiful buildings to see on a trip to Edinburgh! And there are so many nooks, crannies and little alleyways everywhere that it would be easy to pass them by!
If you are going, have an absolute ball!!! And we would love for you to comment below if you have any of your own tips or recommendations for places in Edinburgh!
