Dec 19- 21, 2018
We HAD to stop in Edinburgh for a few days on our way to Stonehaven. I’ve been to Edinburgh once before, in 2012. I knew Jono would absolutely love this beautiful city. As I’m recapping this, I’m amazing with how much we fit into our short stay. Here’s a list of things we loved, things you should do and what we will do next time!

**what we Loved:**

1. Stay: The West Wing
We were so pleased with the Studio Apartment. The location was perfect, close to the train station and just off the Royal Mile. This building has so much character from the high ceilings to the chevron hardwood floors. Although there was no front desk, check in/out and storing our bags was no problem. (for a great deal, we booked it via booking.com If you’re new to booking.com, use this link for $25 off)
(28 North Bridge, Old Town, Edinburgh)

2. Food and Drink Tour: Eat Walk Edinburgh
We were lucky enough to have owner, Alan as our guide. The Old and New Town Tour filled our bellies with single barrel whiskey, Haggis neeps & tatties, gin, beer, cheese and dessert too! A great part of these tour is that Alan has a microphone and headsets for everyone, so you could hear his commentary as we walked to each destination. Even in our small group this made a big difference.

3. Breakfast: The Edinburgh Larder
What a perfect place for breakfast. If you tell me your restaurant is Local & Seasonal, I’m in. Like a hipster moth to the basic flame. I went out of my usual breakfast comfort zone and got a smoked haddock hash that was DIVINE. Jono had an over the top Full Scottish Breakfast. Get that food from the farm and into my belly!
(15 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh)

4. Cocktails: The Pop Up Geeks
This adorable cocktail bar keeps it fresh with an ever changing theme. Every 3 months the team changes everything They recommend reservations, but we got lucky enough to get a walk in table for Once Upon A Time. This Fairytale Theme was so fun and also very tasty. The attention to detail was incredible, from the menu in the form of a story book, to the themed glassware. Their current theme for the summer is “The Upside Down”
(27 East Market Street, Edinburgh)

5. Cocktails: Panda and sons
To access this quirky speakeasy, you go downstairs and through a bookshelf. It has a warm, inviting atmosphere. The staff were incredibly attentive and helpful in making recommendations from the large cocktail selection. Jono loved his “TIKI TAKEAWAY” served in a Chinese take out container and garnished with spiralled cucumbers “noodle” garnish. (79 Queen Street, Edinburgh,)

Eat Walk Edinburgh // The Edinburgh Larder // The Pop Up Geeks // Panda and Sons

6. Art: Liberty exhibition: Dovetcot Studios

One of my favourite things in the world is Liberty of London textiles. I was lucky enough to find Dovetcot Studios had a Liberty Art Fabric and Fashion exhibit on while we were in town. It was beautifully curated, and there was a lot of pieces there for such a small space. A lot of the pieces were on loan from private collectors. (Cleo & Mark Butterfield, I’d like to be friends with you, please). If you’re a lover of fashion & textiles I’d check out their current exhibits. They also have a viewing gallery to watch artists work in the Tapestry Studio. Sadly, we had a train to catch and couldn’t wait until the studio opened at noon.
(10 Infirmary St, Edinburgh)

7. Exploring:
Edinburgh is such a great walkable city centre! We spent lots of time just walking the Royal Mile, exploring beautiful Victoria Street, and down to New Town (don’t let the name fool you, it was built a long time ago). Because the Royal Mile (the main drag of Old Edinburgh) was built up the spine of a big hill, the Closes that run off it are very steep. Because of the relief of the city, from looking at the map we often thought we could connect up with another street, only to find it wayyyy above us. We got a little lost a few times, but nothing google maps couldn’t fix. Jono took a spill on a particularly pretty set of marble stairs, so, be careful?

8. Train from Edinburgh to Stonehaven via Scotrail
I love traveling by train. Our 2 hours trip from Edinburgh to Stonehaven was a beautiful combination of scenic costal views and inland fields. We especially love the train when the alternative is driving on the ~wrong side of the road.

Victoria St // Edinburgh Castle // Looking up Cockburn St from Market St // Robertsons Close

tourist classics.

You don’t need me to tell you about them, there’s tons of information about them. I do think these are worth the visit:
1. Edinburgh Castle
2. The Real Mary Kings Close
3. Edinburgh Christmas Market

next time. there’s never enough time for everything.

1. Stay: Our stay was so short, so we wanted to be in the middle of town. Next time, I’d love to stay in this AirBnb Stone Cottage. It looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale!

2. Stay: A gorgeous luxe option would be The Glasshouse Edinburgh. I love the beautiful combination of old facade and modern interior.

3. Hike: We didn’t have the time or the weather window to hike Arthurs Seat. I would love to see Edinburgh from this vantage point.

4. Gin Tour: Edinburgh Gin
I didn’t realize how far in advance this gin tour would sell out. I still drank my share of gin this trip, but I would have liked to see this facility. We picked up a limited edition bottle of 1670, an innovative partnership with Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RGBE) for my Sister. I think we all agree it’s the best gin we’ve ever had.

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