Edinburgh
Edinburgh is truly a city for everyone. History buff? Edinburgh is your city. Architecture buff? Your city. Music and Arts? Your city. Ghost stories - you guessed it - your city! It has so much to offer, and you can spend a week there without doing everything on hand.
STAY: When we are in Edinburgh, we stay at the Edinburgh Backpackers Hostel on Cockburn Street or with friends in new town. I would suggest staying somewhere close to the Royal Mile, but in truth, Edinburgh is extremely walkable and booking further away from there will save money.
Day one we dedicated to Edinburgh's History, waling the Royal Mile, and visiting both the Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. They are both slightly pricey, but they are also the only paid museums in the city. The rest are free, which is amazing!
Morning: Head to breakfast at any one of Edinburghs lovely cafes or breakfast spots. I have tried many and have never had a bad thing to say. One I would highly recommend is:
Southern Cross Cafe on Cockburn Street - they do a great traditional Scottish Breakfast. Try haggis if you dare! It is actually quite good.
The Milkman Coffee - famed in Edinburgh
After breakfast, head to the Castle up the Royal Mile. Pre-Book your tickets to the Edinburgh Castle a couple weeks in advance for around 9 or 10am the morning on your first full day. I would spend about 3 hours in the castle - there is so much to see, from the Crown Jewels, to the Prison Museums, to the Mary Queen of Scots exhibit, etc. Going in the morning tees up Holyrood Palace well in the evening as well, as the history flows quite nicely. It is a spectacular walk through centuries of history.
After the castle, head for a slow lunch on the Royal Mile or Haymarket / Castlegate. Pick any decent looking pub and order the Steak and Ale Pie or the Fish and Chips. Both traditional to Scotland and delicious. Peruse the mile, do some shopping, or simply admire how gorgeous this city is. You can always pop into St. Giles Cathedral (Stunning) or the Tronkirk which is now a crafts market. By this point, it should be around 3pm and you can make your way down the Holyrood at the end of the Royal Mile (hint, it is only a mile walk from the castle to Holyrood all downhill).
Book a ticket at Holyrood for 5pm, or the last slot. Holyrood Palace really surprised me. I have seen quite a few Palaces in my day, but Holyrood is something special. The history, travesties, victories, and stories that have happened thre are gripping. The tour is short (an hour) and engaging, and the Abbey ruins and gardens attached to Holyrood are stunning. You also get an amazing view of Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags.
After Holyrood, you'll be tired! But, I recommend heading to dinner straight after, as things in the UK close quite early. The latest kitchens close around 9pm usually. If you have had your fill of Scottish food, Edinburgh has food from all over the world to choose from. One of our favorite (and lesser known spots, and CHEAP) is an Indian Restaraunt called The Original Mosque Kitchen (not to be confused with the Mosque Kitchen that has a brick and mortar storefront - brotherly rivalry). The original is in the Mosque itself. It does not look like much, but it is amazing food and huge portions.
After dinner, if you fancy a night out, the pubs across the city light up. Many of them have traditional folk music "jam" sessions, where folk come to play Scottish Folk music unannoucned together. There are usually reserved seating for the musicians, and it is honestly one of the coolest things I have ever seen. The most famous for nightly sessions are:
Sandy Bells, from 9:00 (original pub famed for it)
The Royal Oak, from 9:00
If you don't cap day 1 with this, you MUST do it another night. It is a true glimpse of Scottish culture.
