How to Spend 24 Hours in Edinburgh, Scotland
Stepping out of Edinburgh’s Waverley station, I had a real-life, movie-moment gasp as I saw the city for the first time. Despite the grey skies and damp, windy weather, I was floored. On one side of the tracks, the old town seemingly rose out of the craggy cliff face, dwarfed by Arthur’s Seat in the background. On the other, Edinburgh’s gorgeous, slightly more modern, high street with the House of Fraser and Balmoral Hotel sitting quite dignified. It was a perfect juxtaposition.
Although Edinburgh is Scotland’s second largest city, it has the feel of a town. It is walkable and beautiful, with an incredible history. Particularly for Canadians like myself who have grown up in places with relatively little history, I think European cities with centuries of stories can induce a sense of awe and an overwhelming feeling of smallness. And although the pace is slower, and the skies a bit drearier, the people are as lively and sunny as any I’ve met.
I was only in Edinburgh for a couple days, one of which was spent touring over 300 miles of the Highlands, and one of which was Canadian Thanksgiving, spent having Sunday Roast with new friends from about 10 different countries. From the approximate 24 hours I spent actually walking around Edinburgh-proper, these were a few of my favourite stops (along with a couple recommendations from locals that I unfortunately wasn’t able to do but wanted to pass along since I trust the referrers).
If I were to plan your day out for maximum impact, I would say, start with the Gardener’s Cottage for breakfast. A local mainstay, the Gardener’s Cottage is a quaint little cottage (hey, they don’t pay me the big bucks to get inventive…), a little farther from the action but definitely walkable. They specialize in local, seasonal, sustainable fare, some of it grown outside in their gardens! The food is certainly British, with some French stylistic twists.
Once you’ve checked a classic English breakfast off your list, stroll back into the heart of town for the day’s adventures. I would recommend making your way across the bridge, past Waverley, over into Old Town. Enjoy the many bagpipers and tartan store displays as you make your way up to Edinburgh Castle. As you may have gathered from a few of my travel posts, one of my must-dos in any city is find the best view. Personally, I think the view from Castle Rock offers a really unique perspective. You can imagine yourself a part of history here - where soldiers were able to look out over their city during the wars of Scottish independence or the Jacobite uprisings. The noble slopes of Arthur’s Seat wouldn’t have looked too different five hundred years ago. Fun fact - the castle is built upon an extinct volcano!
From the Castle, make your way eastwards towards Mother India. It’s time for lunch and a rest for your feet - there’s lots more ground to cover today. Anthony Bourdain included Mother India in his Scotland episode of Parts Unknown (albeit the Glasgow location). However, while in the UK, Indian food is a must and Mother India is an institution.
Spend your afternoon wandering the grassy knoll of Arthur’s Seat. It’s not a difficult hike - I did it in leather pants and probably too light a jacket considering how windy it gets up there. But the view is well worth it, particularly of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh. If you are lucky enough to have a rare sunny (or non-precipitous) day in Edinburgh, try to fit this climb into your schedule.
Now that your legs are nearly shot and your cheeks nice and rosy from the wind burn, I would recommend making your way back to the North Side of the city and popping into Harvey Nichols for a cuppa tea. Warm up, get cozy, and relax with a lovely view of St. Andrew Square from the third floor. Before dinner, pop into a shop or two - the House of Fraser, Scotland’s flagship department store, was my favourite. I love the feeling I get in old-school department stores. They are so refined and remind me of a bygone era of design. Sadly, the rumour is that the store may be shuttering its doors and reopening as a Johnnie Walker experience.
By now, your stomach should be growling after a day of walking and hiking. Although you already had Indian food for lunch, if you only have 24 hours in the city, make sure you go to Dishoom. It is unbelievable food, gorgeous decor, and you are about one thousand times more likely to get a table in a reasonable time than any of the locations in London. We split a ton of dishes and I truly believe you couldn’t go wrong, whatever you order. It is superior dining. The Chicken Ruby and Chai icecream were both top contenders for my favourite dishes (although I’m pretty basic when it comes to Indian food - there’s lots to experiment with and try).
Now, if you are in the city in October like I was, you’ll realize pretty quickly that Edinburgh does Halloween pretty damn well. We ended up going on a ghost tour (I’m pretty sure it was run by City of Edinburgh tours), to get in the mood for the season. They take you to Greyfriars Kirk, the cemetery with headstones that inspired many of J.K. Rowling’s most famous characters. You also hear interesting stories about John Knox and the Reformation period at St. Giles Presbyterian Church, and head underground to the vaults where many of Edinburgh’s famed witch trials took place (it’s said to be quite haunted down there). I’m a bit of a baby but didn’t find it too spooky - there was tons of great storytelling though!
Last stop on your jam-packed day… make your way over to the landmark, Balmoral Hotel. Treat yourself after the near-marathon you walked today, with a wee dram or two of fiery Scottish whisky (you can bet your bottom dollar I said that with an accent). Try a flight, see if you can tell the difference between the Speyside dram and Islay. Even if not, at least you know you’ll sleep well tonight! Slàinte!
