My first encounter with Edinburgh was March of this year when my friends came to visit me from the States. We went to Dublin (read about why you should visit here) first, and our next stop was Edinburgh. As soon as we landed, I could already tell that Scotland would capture my heart. Edinburgh is a large city, but it has a certain charm. It was a no-brainer that when my mother told me she was coming to visit me, I would take her there. Not only is it Fall, but I knew my mother would love the experience. It was her first time in the UK, after-all.

{Mother/daughter holiday}

After a 4 hour train ride from Hull, we arrived to the Edinburgh Waverley train station. We were exhausted so we checked in to our hotel, the Old Waverley Hotel. It was in the perfect location – 3 minutes walk to the station and situated right on Princes Street. There was so much activity in the area. The downside about the hotel however, was that for 2 nights we paid £250, and the room was so small. They gave us one bed, and the view out of the window was the fire escape. While I thought the hotel was charming, I was a bit disappointed. I noted that it wasn’t very handicap accessible as well. From the entrance, we had to carry our luggage up several flights of stairs just to get to the reception area. The lifts were also not working properly. They also requested that we return our key every time we leave the building. I thought that was a bit odd, and both my mom and I didn’t trust leaving our documents in the room, since anyone could just request our room key from reception. But other than those minor inconveniences, we had a great stay. It was comfortable and clean.

{Beautiful gardens off of Princes Street}

{The Scott Monument}

This is the Scott Monument. Contrary to it’s Gothic appearance, it was built around 1844. It was built in memory of Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish writer. Some of his more famous works include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Lady of the Lake and many others.  I remember thinking that it looked so old when I first saw it, so it’s relatively young age surprised me. When I think of Edinburgh, I picture the Scott Monument first.

{View from Edinburgh Castle}

Next, we went to the castle. The castle has some incredible views of the city. There is a lot of interesting history that comes attached with the castle, including Mary, Queen of Scots. My mom had never been to a castle, so I had so much fun taking her to this one! The Brits love their war memorials, and there is a very beautiful one in the castle dedicated to the Scottish men and women who lost their lives serving Britain. Also, the crown jewels are displayed as well, and that is something every jewelry lover can appreciate (*coughmom*).

{It was a bit chilly at Edinburgh Castle, if you can’t tell from our layers}

{This is the oldest building in Edinburgh. It’s St Margaret’s Chapel.}

{Stained Glass in the chapel}

{Mom absolutely adored Edinburgh}

{You can’t go to Edinburgh and not go shopping on the Royal Mile}

The Royal Mile is the street descending from the castle to the bottom of the hill. It has lots of scottish wool shops, cafes, pubs, and whiskey shops. It’s essentially the most stereotypical “Scottish” experience you can get in Edinburgh. Of course, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, but it’s also really beautiful.

{Mom on the Royal Mile}

{I snuck a photo at the St. Giles Cathedral}

{Me, happy with my conquests}

{The fall colors are just so incredible. We took so many photos!}

{Is this even Scotland?}

Halloween weekend was just the perfect weekend to be in Scotland. Mom and I don’t really do anything for Halloween, but the streets were so alive and bustling. We had the most amazing weather. We were even lucky enough to have a glimpse of a stunning Scottish sunset (I hear that seeing the sun is quite rare up yonder). If you ever have a chance to visit the UK, a stop in Edinburgh is an absolute must!

To hear more from me…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caffeineberry

Twitter: https://twitter.com/caffeineberry

Instagram: https://instagram.com/caffeineberry/

Snapchat: CaffeineBerry

If you have any inquiries or questions, email me at caffeineberry@gmail.com