One Day in Edinburgh!

In 2014, I spent one extremely busy day in Edinburgh while visiting my cousin, who was living in London at the time. I could have spent significantly more than one day roaming around the streets of this beautiful Scottish city. Thankfully, the city is configured in a way that makes it quite easy to get to major sites.

FAST FACTS

HISTORY: There is a long history of tension and hostility with their neighbors to the south. Scotland remained politically independent until 1707 when they combined with England to form Great Britain.
POPULATION: ~5 million people
LANGUAGE: English. Scots and Scottish Gaelic are also spoken in Scotland
RELIGION: Christian (59.5%), Muslim (4.4%), and Hindu (1.3%) are the three predominant religions.
CURRENCY: British Pound (GBP). As of this post, 1 GBP = 1.29 USD

TRAVEL

I wanted to maximize my single day in Edinburgh, so I made sure to get an overnight flight from Chicago. I arrived around 6am, affording me the perfect opportunity to fight off jet lag by tackling this wonderful city head on. 

Usually the first thing I do when I land is find the nearest ATM to withdraw some local currency. I find that ATMs have a better exchange rate than airports, banks, currency exchanges, and hotels. Plus, they're easily accessible and convenient. 

The next thing I look for is the best mode of transportation to where I'm staying. In Edinburgh, this meant finding the bus that took me to Waverley Train Station, located a short walking distance from my accommodation.  

ACCOMMODATIONS

I stayed at Castle Rock Hostel (fun fact: this was the first hostel I ever stayed at). It's highly rated on both TripAdvisor and HostelWorld. You cannot find a better location for a hostel. As the name suggests, it sits right next to Edinburgh Castle. Being near the castle means you are at one end of the Royal Mile. This main thoroughfare in the Old Town section of Edinburgh offers numerous shopping and dining experiences. At the opposite end of the castle sits the Scottish Parliament building. The hostel is also within short walking distance to a number of pubs and restaurants. 

As far as the sleeping arrangements, I was in a dorm with seven other individuals. Castle Rock provides a small locker for storage at the end of the bed. The bed was comfy and my roommates were respectful. It was extremely cheap ($14.25) considering the phenomenal location. 

FOOD

 

After arriving at my hostel and storing my luggage until my bed was ready, my attention turned to breakfast. There was only one place that I considered: The Elephant House (pictured above). Harry Potter fans will know it as the birthplace of Harry Potter since this is where JK Rowling is known to have penned the classic series. She was inspired by the Edinburgh Castle, which can be seen through a window in the back dining room. The food consisted of the usual breakfast items, but the real attraction is the view of the castle from potentially the very same seat that Rowling used as she wrote her masterpiece. 

My other major meal of the day came at the Hard Rock Cafe (pictured below) for dinner (I know, I know. Not the most Scottish meal). I actually met a fellow traveler from Illinois earlier in the day during my adventures, and we decided to stop there for a drink. I also make it a point during my travels to frequent Hard Rock Cafes so I can collect their uniquely painted, guitar-shaped magnets. 

Later in the evening, I made a point to do some pub hopping around Grassmarket. The World Cup was going on, so it was a wonderful opportunity to experience the passion for football in a European setting. Note that I said "football" in that previous sentence. I learned very quickly to not say "soccer" in Europe. You will be ridiculed thoroughly, and any opinions you may have had about the sport become quickly invalidated.


EDINBURGH CASTLE

Edinburgh Castle was my first stop on my Scottish adventure. Originally thought of as a strategic stronghold, Iron Age peoples claimed the spot. Since then, it has been home to armies and monarchs. You are able to walk around the castle and see many of the places where soldiers have fought and died, as well as places where kings and queens have occupied. 

The castle still functions as a military location, which means there will be parts of the castle that are off limits. You'll also see active Scottish military around the castle. There is a cannon firing (see below at 2min mark) every day (except Sundays, Christmas, and Good Friday) at one o'clock. I spent about three to four hours here roaming the castle grounds. If you're interested in history, then I'd plan on no less than three hours.

HOLYROOD PARK

Arthur's Seat is the name of the peak atop this surprisingly formidable hill that is a short walk from the castle. The challenging part of this hill is the sharp increases in elevation. There is also a fork in the path: left is more challenging while the right has a simpler slight incline. At the top, you are treated to incredible views of Edinburgh. You might want to bring a jacket, as the top of the hill can be very windy!

BEST PLACE TO REFLECT ON YOUR TRAVELS

Even during my busy twenty-four hours in Scotland, I was able to find two main spots to reflect on this amazing city. The first was during my hike, looking out over the city and all of the wonderful history that has taken place on this land.

The second was in a pub while watching Costa Rica play the Netherlands in the World Cup. It was quite an environment! Dutch supporters were cheering loudly while wearing their customary orange clothing. While watching the game, I was approached by a couple my age who struck up a conversation. It began by them complimenting the United States' football team for advancing in the World Cup, but I couldn't help asking a question about the Scottish state of affairs at the time.

In 2014, just months after my visit, Scotland was set to vote on a referendum that would enable them to break from the United Kingdom and become an independent nation again. I took this opportunity in the bar to ask someone my own age about their thoughts regarding this political situation. The resulting discussion became one of the best conversations I've ever had in my life. He went on to describe the complicated nature of being a Scotsman working in England and the challenges that presents. Ultimately, he came to the prediction that Scotland would vote 52% NO to 48% YES for independence. The final vote was not far off at all. Scotland voted 55% NO to 45% YES.

Learning from a local about their country was a formative moment in my traveling life. I strive to have meaningful conversations with locals, keeping an open mind to their points of view and earnestly learn about where they're from.