If you’re in London, it’ll be a waste if you don’t take a sidetrip to Scotland considering it’s less than an hour away by plane. Thanks to budget airlines, traveling to Edinburgh (Scotland’s capital) is affordable. Another alternative is by train which will take about  4+ hours.

our plane going to Edinburgh

Welcome to Edinburgh!

Edinburgh is a small, charming city. What’s so fascinating about the place is you can find the Edinburgh Castle right smack in the middle of the city.

Check out these places when in Edinburgh.  All are within walking distance of each other so no need to take public transport.  Edinburgh is mostly hilly, so make sure to wear comfy shoes.

• Rosslyn Chapel – just outside the city of Edinburgh, is the famous chapel (I guess largely attributed to the Da Vinci Code).  The bus ride took less than an hour making it very accessible to tourists.  Entry fee costs £9/adult, free for children.  We visited on an Easter Sunday and they were celebrating Easter mass, which we attended.  Since there are no pictures allowed inside, attending the mass provided us with an opportunity to marvel at the impressive architecture of the chapel.

a statue in the cemetery near the chapel

the chapel’s exterior

Eucharistic missalette

inside the church

• Royal Mile – located in the the Old Town part of Edinburgh, this place is a mile long (hence the name) lined with shops and restaurants (or pubs).  Some offer pub crawl  or bar hop till you crawl 🙂  St. Giles Cathedral can also be found in the Royal Mile stretch so make sure to pay a visit. Named after the patron saint of Edinburgh, St. Giles is also the patron saint for lepers.

bagpiper!

• Edinburgh Castle – the most visited attraction in Edinburgh is this castle sitting on the hilltop. Check out ticket prices and hours of operation here. One important place in the castle is St. Margaret’s Chapel, built by King David as a private chapel for his family, it is one of the oldest building in the castle.

• Holyrood Palace – this is the official residence of Scotland’s royal family. I particularly liked the ruins of the Hollyrood Abbey. Queen Elizabeth spends some time in this palace every summer – another come on to visit the palace.

ruins of the abbey

• Calton Hill – part of Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, it offers a sweeping view of the city. It is also the Scottish Government’s headquarters. Be sure to take a photo at the Scottish National Monument, a structure patterned after the Parthenon to honor Scottish soldiers killed in the Napoleonic Wars.  It’s a public place so no tickets 🙂

overlooking the city

Scottish National Monument

• Arthur’s Seat – if you are up to some easy climb, visit Arthur’s seat. Myth has it that it’s one of the possible locations for the legendary castle, Camelot.  Its peak, offers panoramic view of the city. Too bad we didn’t have pictures here as we forgot to bring our phone.
• Princes Street is the main shopping area of Edinburgh. Most hotels are also found here. Along the stretch of Princes street is a Gothic monument dedicated to Sir Walter Scott. There is also a park where it’s nice to just lounge around or enjoy the sun when it’s out (considering the city’s very cold climate – temperature when  we were there was a low of 2C and high of 12c).

basking in the sun

Sir Walter Scott’s monument at sunset in Princes street

• Scottish National Gallery is home to works of art from these famous artists – Boticelli, Bernini, Raphael, Monet, Da Vinci, Van Gogh. What’s more, admission is free!

• Balmoral Hotel is one of the more prestigious hotel in Edinburgh along Princes Street. Making it famous are several things – Sir Sean Connery officially re-opened the hotel after its refurbishment. It is also a pilgrimage site for Harry Potter fans as this was the place where J.K. Rowling finished the Harry Potter series in 2007, specifically in room 552. The room where she stayed was turned into a suite costing a whopping almost £1,000 a night! It is also famous for its clock, which since 1902 is set 3 minutes advanced so that people don’t miss their trains.

Majestic Balmoral at dusk

Balmoral clock up close

While in Scotland, I suggest that you also visit its largest city – Glasgow. Going there is easy via train which takes under an hour.

very comfy ride from Edinburgh

cute traffic sign

We visited the following places which I think may be covered in 2 days:

• University of Glasgow and Hunterian Museum – the University  is one of the oldest universities in Glasgow. It is also home to the Hunterian Museum. Most of the collection came from the Scottish anatomist and scientist – William Hunter. Items on display include coins, books, biological specimens, scientific instruments among others. He also financed the construction of the museum.

Main Hall of the Hunterian Museum

• Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the most popular free-admission museum in the UK outside London. It has one of the finest collections of arms and armour in the world and a vast natural history collection. The art collection includes many outstanding European artworks, including works by the Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh among others (Wikipedia)

• Necropolis, a cemetery where about 50,000 individuals were buried.  It also has 3,500+ monuments. What’s interesting about the cemetery is that it is on top of a hill. Down below is St. Mungo’s (patron saint and founder of Glasgow) Parish Church, with very impressive architecture.

• Buchanan street is a major shopping area in Glasgow, known for its Victorian architecture.  The Royal concert Hall may also be found as you traverse Buchanan area.

• Duke of Wellington statue – just outside Glasgow Modern Gallery of Art is a statue of the Duke of Wellington with a traffic cone. Why with a traffic cone? Said to be a tradition in the city, it is said that it represent the humor of the locals.

And don’t forget to try Scotland’s haggis – it is a dish made of sheep’s internal organs (heart, liver and lungs) with spices.   May not sound too enticing but my husband loves it!

haggis for breakfast

scotch and beer 🙂

bar chow!

Given the chance to go back in the UK, I will definitely visit Scotland again – perhaps look for the famous Loch Ness monster this time 😄