Autumn in Edinburgh

celiclu
Nov 15, 2018
3 min read

I'm starting to learn that the best deals for traveling are usually right after summer, less crowds and cheaper. This year I snagged a great price to Edinburgh, Scotland. Anyone in New York can tell you that flying out of JFK Airport will be costly, but there's a new airport in town, Stewart International in Newburgh, New York. It's small, but the quickest and friendliest airport I've ever booked.

I still have to see more of the UK and Ireland, but once I saw Edinburgh for that low price I knew I couldn't wait. Sometimes it's those impulse moments that end up doing more good than regret. Visiting this year even though my stay was short will be memorable.

Here's my quick guide of what to do if you 're on a short holiday in Edinburgh,

I stayed at the Grassmarket Hotel, located in Old Town on the corner of Grassmarket and Victoria's Street (the inspiration for Diagon's Alley from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series). The hotel is a deal! Reasonable prices especially booked prior, friendly staff with amenities and cleanliness, its worth it! It's also conveniently located to visit popular attractions.

I recommend visiting Edinburgh Castle first and then walking down the Royal Mile to Arthur's Seat. It's about a 25 minute walk unless you stop in the shops. You will be tempted to buy beautiful cashmere scarves.

I was stunned once I got to the end on Royal Mile and what was before me, let's just say I'm out of shape. The walk up is worth it, a bit steep, but doable, and the views are simply amazing! Just a heads up, I went on a windy day and the winds can get quite strong.

The next hike I planned was to visit the Pentlands. There are different bus routes you can take to start your hike. I took the Lothian Bus No. 10 to Bonaly to the last stop. There are no signs pointing you, but I assure it's easy to find the starting point. There are pamphlets outside the gate to help guide, too.

After a good solid four hours and my hike to Scald Law, the highest point at 579 meters, it felt amazing. I went on a weekday and it was not crowded at all, practically no one, and almost a little creepy for a city girl, but you'll find the peace you need.

Scotland is a beautiful country, so whichever city you visit, you're bound to walk into a green nature bliss, but before you leave, I strongly suggest to visit the Highlands. I can sum up the Highlands in only one way, anything you imagined about Scotland will be ten times more beautiful than you envisioned. There are different tour services that offer whole day rides to Fort Augutus (where famous Nessie lives) and up to the Highlands, and you can find tours for under 100 USD. Just book it. You might also stumble upon those unique creatures, the Highland Cows.

My stay was brief but luckily had time to check out some of the attractions. I recommend Camera Obscura, the Real Mary King's Close, Museum of Scotland, Scottish National Gallery, St. Giles Cathedral, and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. To eat? There are a lot of options to choose for food, but you must try haggis, sheep's liver, heart, lungs, all the yummy parts of the sheep, and the seafood! For a traditional Scottish breakfast, I recommend the Edinburgh Larder Cafe and Angus Cafe and for seafood, The Mussel and Steak Bar and The Outsider. These recommendations are coming from a spoiled New Yorker foodie, these spots are good!

Lastly, I will write this, if you have some cash to spare, but you're being scared to spend it on travel, do it, because you'll always get your money's worth.

Helpful Links for your journey....

Be sure to follow them on social media for updates!

http://www.musselandsteakbar.com/therestaurant.php

http://www.theoutsiderrestaurant.com/

http://www.pumpkinbrown.com/

https://www.edinburghlarder.co.uk/cafe/

https://www.camera-obscura.co.uk/

https://www.nms.ac.uk/ - Museum of Scotland and FREE! (suggested donations)

https://stgilescathedral.org.uk/

https://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.com/

https://www.realmarykingsclose.com/