En Route To/Fun In Edinburgh

En route to Edinburgh, we decided to make a mini-detour to Melrose Abbey – one of Scotland’s most acclaimed historical sights. The Abbey dates back to the 1100’s when it was founded by Cistercian monks per request of King David I of Scotland. To this day, it is beautifully in tact and sits nestled in a valley within the town of Melrose. It really is breathtaking as you approach, with lush green hills that look like they were painted into the background. 

We were gifted with the perfect weather – albeit a wee bit windy, but gloriously sunny – for our tour. Patrick clicked away on his super-Canon while I walked the old gravestones and admired the scenery. We climbed to the top of the Abbey where you can still see sculptures from the 12/1300’s carved into the stone, and take in the view of Scotland’s rolling hills from miles away. On the east side of the Abbey there is also an old museum that has relics of sculptures and carvings that used to adorn the stone walls of Melrose and other nearby abbeys, so we walked through the halls and admired the history. We had time for a quick stop at a local market where we grabbed some gelato, and talked to some of the locals before continuing on to meet friends in Edinburgh for dinner. 

Navigating the streets of Edinburgh was somewhat traumatic – but after we snagged a free parking spot – we easily located our AirBnb for the next two nights and settled in. Our apartment literally overlooked Edinburgh castle – which was such a treat! Our location, for context’s sake, was just next to the Grassmarket which is now known for amazing food and a fun bar scene – but was once used for public hangings back in the day. Lovely, huh? 

We grabbed local beers from a nearby grocer and freshened up for our first night on the town. Our dinner spot was recommended by a few US-based, UK friends — The Queens Arms — which is just off of Queens Street in Edinburgh. The food was Gastropub-esque but with a Scottish spin and it was delicious… the Scotch was top notch too… Obviously. And the company was even better! As luck would have it, two of my friends from my first job at Porter Novelli Atlanta (Christy and Blair) were ALSO in Edinburgh on “holiday” and joined us for dinner and drinks.

We made our way from the Queens Arms to a hole in the wall bar/dance club called Brambles, where we drank Old Fashioneds and jammed to 90s American pop. It was brilliant! And made for a great first night in Scotland. 

The next morning we woke early to squeeze in as much sightseeing as possible. I ordered some traditional Scottish porridge from a cafe across the street from our apartment, while Patrick opted for the roll stuffed with egg and cheese – we got them to “take away” (their version of “to go”) and hit the road.

Patrick and I ventured down the old stone streets of Edinburgh and admired the architecture that is visibly uniform – all the same colored stones from the 1800s and beyond. We passed bagpipe players clad in the full Scottish formal-wear (yep, kilts too) and other tourists roaming the streets. We walked down the Grassmarket towards the Royal Mile which was the main drag in Edinburgh many, many years ago – and still functions in the same fashion today, but with more of a draw for visitors.

At the end of the Royal Mile, you hit Hollyrood Palace, which is the residence of the Queen when she’s in Edinburg. It is a massive stone mansion that looks like a humble version of the castle. Its broad gates and sweeping gardens keep unwanted visitors out and also double for wonderful picture taking. 

We admired the scenery before heading to the path behind the castle that leads to Arthurs Seat – an impressive lookout point that boasts stunning views of the entire city and surrounding areas. The hike to Arthurs Seat was insanely steep at times, but we lucked out with sunny skies, so the sweat was worth it. We were huffing and puffing by the time we summited a few hours later. The views were stunning, and we tried to spend a moment soaking it all in. Scotland is just so damn pretty. That’s all there is to it!

After climbing down the massive rolling hills, back to the Royal Mile, Patrick and I were off to grab lunch at The Devils Advocate which sits on a remote side street, perfectly tucked away. Fish and chips, and a Scottish burger later… and we were fueled for our next stop at Edinburgh Castle. 

The castle views were everything we had hoped for and the famous jewels of the royal family were so much fun to look at in their original glory – gold, rubies, ancient sterling silver – one thing was more grand than the next. 

From there we took our time hiking the castle grounds which are lined with yellow and white lilies, and of course, bright green grasses that are so vibrant they look spray painted. 

Tired from a “hard days work” of about 25,000 steps, Mr. Cash and I regrouped at home before meeting back up with Christy and Blair for dinner and drinks to round out our second night together in the city. They were heading back to London the next day, while we were continuing on to St. Andrews and then Aberdeen. After drinks and live music at a local Grassmarket pub, we parted ways with hugs all around and forever memories of our fun filled, #dramgram nights in Edinburgh. 
Up next, the Eastern Coast of Scotland. -TFT