Travel Agent Equestria

We had been living in London for 2 years and we still hadn’t seen snow so on our last Christmas in the UK, we decided to go find the snow for ourselves and we were assured that Scotland would have a white Christmas so this was our deciding factor to travel to Edinburgh – as luck would have it, that Christmas it snowed in London and not in Edinburgh!

Nevertheless we spent 5 days in Edinburgh but did a day trip to Inveraray which included lunch at a guesthouse called Glenorchy Lodge in the area Dalmally, overlooking the huge Ben Cruachan Mountain and lovely valleys. All along this drive we stopped at castles (Doune Castle, Kilchurn Castle, Stirling Castle) and lochs (Loch Lomond, Loch Luibnaig) to take photos. Although it was freezing and there was no snow, the ice on everything was amazing to see.

We stayed in a lovely quaint guesthouse called West End Apartments in Edinburgh’s New Town – the location was perfect, only a 10 minute walk to Princes Street (the main hub) and the walk itself was a beautiful little outing as we crossed Thomas Telford’s Dean Bridge over the Water of Leith with a historic little village in the valley.

My favourite meal during my trip has to be the traditional Scottish Haggis – although the thought of what we were eating didn’t appeal to us much, it is a “must do!” Just to be able to say you have tried it and in fact, it has quite a nice nutty texture and savoury flavour. Haggis is Sheep’s pluck (heart, liver & lungs) minced with onion, oatmeal, suet and spices. In the olden days, it was boiled in the animals’ stomach for about 3 hours but these days it is prepared in a casing similar to what is used for sausage skin. It was served with “Neeps and Tatties” which is actually mashed swede, turnip or potatoes.

We enjoyed the many great markets, quiet parks, quirky restaurants in Edinburgh. At Christmas time there is a night market in Princes Street gardens (opposite Princes Street) which was all lit up with Christmas lights creating a wonderful festive atmosphere.

Another spot which was not on all the maps is St Giles lucky heart – this is in a heart shape in the paving outside St Giles Cathedral and you are meant to spit on it for good luck so we did!

The Last Drop Pub in the centre of the historic old town is also an interesting outing as this pub is located at Grassmarket which is where the wrongful people of Edinburgh were hung. The exact spot where the gallows once stood is marked with a cross in the paving.

Within Edinburgh Castle, we found a cemetery for the soldiers dogs, it is a small garden used since the 1800’s and is something unusual and most touching.

My best travel tip for others planning a visit to Edinburgh is to choose accommodation within walking distance from the main town as getting around by foot is an experience on its own, during the day or the night. The day trip out to the castles and loch’s is also highly recommended as you see the country side of Edinburgh which is a total contrast to the city life, at any moment I was expecting Braveheart’s William Wallace to appear from the rolling valleys!

The best way to get around is the ‘Hop on-Hop off’ bus which is great for getting orientated with the city. There is more than one bus that you can chose from – A Majestic Tour, the Edinburgh Tour, the City Tour and the Mac Tour each visiting different areas. Once you have done these routes, spend most of your time exploring the alleyways by foot as you will come across little pubs, restaurants and shops off the main streets that will have the Scottish ambiance that you are expecting. Small coaches are best for the day trips as they are more intimate and personal for asking questions.