In March, three friends and I took some criminally cheap flights to the other side of the Atlantic. We started in Edinburgh; my sister studied there for a semester in 2018, which meant that she was able to play tour guide and take us to lots of cool places. Our weekend in Edinburgh was also marked by several mini reunions, with family & friends, which made the time extra special :) 

Here’s everything that we did/saw/ate in 36 hours! 

Friday

The flights were cheap for a reason, and the reason is this: In order to get to Edinburgh, I had to fly from Boston to Keflavik, then Keflavik to Dublin, then Dublin to Glasgow. Once I got to Glasgow, I took a bus to the city center, where I hopped on a train to Edinburgh. This took approximately 21 hours and made me feel like a re-microwaved burrito, but thankfully my angel sister met me at the Edinburgh train station with a Gregg’s Steak Bake (the real reason I returned to Scotland, let’s be honest) and I felt refreshed & renewed & ready to see the city.

We stayed in Stockbridge, which I loved and wholeheartedly recommend—it’s a slightly bougie neighborhood with lots of cute shops and curved closes lined with Georgian Townhouses. It’s also significantly quieter/less touristy than New or Old Town, and only a 15-20 minute walk to both of those places. 

My sister and I went to meet our aunt and cousin for dinner at Under the Stairs (delicious!), where we split a bunch of plates. After we got a drink with one of my sister’s friends, and then it was off to bed. 

Saturday 

We started off Saturday by walking to Old Town, stopping to peruse local farmer’s markets near Edinburgh Castle and in Grassmarket. We sampled some Mary’s Milk Bar, then checked out Victoria Street and the shops nearby, including Armstrongs & Son Vintage. 

Some of us went to Edinburgh Castle, while others went to the National Galleries of Scotland. Later we had drinks in Grassmarket Square, followed by an evening at the Oz Bar, which is always fun (Other fun spots: try Three Sisters for a rowdy night, or Hoot the Reedemer for boozy ice cream) 

Sunday

We woke up early to walk to the Salisbury Crags.  In the past, I’ve climbed to Arthur’s Seat, toward the top, but this time we did the Crags, upon Brenna’s recommendation. I ran to the foot of the park, which was lovely (I’m a BIG proponent of running on vacations, even if it’s just one time, because I think it’s such a fun way to explore) and then we battled the wind to the top to enjoy the views. 

Brenna’s friend works at Mary King’s Close, an underground tour of Edinburgh; afterwards, we went charity-shopping all across the city, and walked around Stockbridge. We finished off the day with dinner at TK. 

All in all, a beautiful little weekend, catching up with faraway friends and visiting a (slightly) familiar little city :)