I’d been wanting to visit Edinburgh for a while, so when a family friend offered up a soon-to-be expiring voucher for a free hotel stay I jumped at the chance. I booked cheap weekday flights which cost just £42 per person to fly there and back. It was the first time I’d done a local internal flight, and the lack of hold baggage cut so much time – no bag drop and no passport checks after landing.
Different pound notes, four-petaled poppies and the lovely Edinburgh accent awaited us. It was also very, very cold! My boyfriend and I wasted no time and after dropping our bags at the hotel we headed to the National Museum of Scotland as a starting point. The architecture of the interior was a wonderful clash of old and new. Then we explored the surprisingly small Holyrood Palace, the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. I still didn’t quite feel I’d experienced anything truly Scottish. For dinner we found a charming pub which also specialised in Whiskey tasting – a bit more how I’d imagined things! That evening we managed to buy on-the-door tickets for The Stand Comedy Club, and were so impressed with the talent at a beginner’s showcase night. I would highly recommend it!
Thankfully the next day was milder and we visited the castle. The views of the city were fantastic and gave me a much better sense of my surroundings. We also went into the Scottish Parliament Building and watched a small part of a debate – you can just walk in for free! For dinner we decided to treat ourselves and shared a delicious Chateaubriand steak at Miller & Carter. After dessert we’d planned to visit a gin bar but they were closed for an event. Instead we managed to find details of a secret cocktail bar online: Panda & Sons. I love the secret bars of Bristol and this one didn’t disappoint with its hidden entrance and quirky drinks.
On our third and final day we explored the Royal Yacht Britannia which was one of the highlights of the trip, and completely worth the bus ride out of the city. It was fascinating to see how The Queen had chosen to decorate the yacht – very homely and a lot less grand than her residencies on land. We even had a spot of afternoon tea in the Royal Deck Tea Room.
You really can squeeze a lot in during just a two-night stay and get a good feel of the city. I’d love to do some short city breaks to Europe throughout the next couple of years.
Where’s next on your travel wish list?
Alexa
ALEXA ELIZABETH 