Edinburgh Day Trip
I have definitely caught the travelling bug. Who'd have thought that within the space of 7 weeks I'd be off exploring again? Certainly not me! But with March being my birthday month I requested this flight to Edinburgh as one of my gifts #PrincessTreatment!
So why Scotland? When I moved to my second childhood home I acquired a lovely Scottish neighbour, she was truly the most loving little lady. I was fascinated by her accent & always said that one day I would visit Scotland - so here I am nearly 3 decades later doing what I said I would always do #BetterLateThanNever
Flights
Top Tip: When you see flight discounts, book immediately. By the time my flight was booked the ticket prices had increased to +£30! Even though I didn’t pay for my flight, I was annoyed that I wasn’t more decisive in what I wanted for my birthday.
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Flying with EasyJet is a bit of a mixed bag. While check-in online is free (unlike Ryanair if you haven’t paid for a seat), I am sure that every flight I’ve booked with EasyJet has been struck by delays. Which is why I always opt for the earliest flight possible. My OB flight was delayed by 15 mins, whilst my IB flight was delayed by around 40 mins. After walking around 25k steps I was cranky AF!
Travel
Preparation of travel is key! I researched my travel routes 2 weeks in advance & I was pleased to know that the travel system was as simple as it is in London - tap & go.
From the airport it was £8 for a direct bus/coach service to the city centre with an open return. You can purchase your ticket online via a QR located at the airports exit or alternatively purchase at the bus stand.
Local buses cost c £1.80 per journey. I walked everywhere, but the transport system seemed easy to navigate.
Breakfast
Like most people I now utilise TikTok heavily for my travel itineraries. However, it took me a while to settle on somewhere to go for breakfast. That was until I came across a restaurant with a view of Edinburgh castle: Chaophraya.
Chaophraya is a Thai Restaurant which is open:
Monday - Thursday: 12pm - 12am
Friday - Sunday: 9am - 12am
What did I order?
Tropical Pancakes
Lychee juice
Refresh herbal tea
Service
The service was lovely & they had made a note of my request to sit on the rooftop terrace with the view of Edinburgh castle.
Rating
I would definitely go back to try their other items. I’d give my experience 8/10
Edinburgh Castle
Top tip: Book in advance!!!
Top tip 2: Wear comfortable trainers for all of the walking you will be doing!
I really enjoyed my trip to the castle, the views were amazing!
Prices: Standard adult £19.50 - £21.50
Standard child £11.40 - £13.00
Tours are available, as well as audio guides!
Writer's Museum
Location: Lawnmarket, Lady Stair's Cl, Edinburgh EH1 2PA
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday 10am - 5pm
Key Info: It is FREE entry, however a recommended donation is £5.
I personally found this museum really boring 😆 I wouldn’t go back.
Bookshops
Rare Birds Bookshop - 6 Melville Terrace, Newington, Edinburgh EH9 1ND / Monday - CLOSED / Tuesday - CLOSED / Weds - Sun 11am - 6pm
Fun fact: They only stock books by female authors!
Book Lovers Bookshop - 13 Raeburn Pl, Edinburgh EH4 1HU / Monday - Saturday 10am - 5.30pm / Sunday 10am - 5pm
Fun fact: As if the name of the shop wasnt obvious enough, this is a romance book shop!
Unfortunately, I didn’t get round to visiting the below book stores, but I will visit them when I next head back to Edinburgh:
Waterstones - 128 Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 4AD / Monday - Saturday 9am - 7pm / Sunday 10am - 6pm
Topping & Company - 2 Blenheim Pl, Edinburgh EH7 5JH / Monday - Sunday 9am - 9pm
Edinburgh books - 145-147 West Port, Edinburgh EH3 9DP / Monday - Thursday 10am - 6pm / Friday & Saturday 10am - 5.30pm / Sunday - closed
The Edinburgh Bookshop - 176 Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh EH10 4DF / Monday - Weds 10am - 6pm / Thursday - Saturday 9.30am - 6pm / Sunday 11am - 5pm
Matcha my Vibe
I also visited the viral The Milkman - because apparently that’s where everyone goes to get a hot drink & pastry.
What I ordered?
Matcha latte with oat milk & honey
Salted Caramel brownie
The service: Friendly & speedy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
This was due to the smallness of the shop & the drink sizes were mean 😆 I’ll likely stick to Blank Street for my matcha lattes moving forward.
Other Things to do in Edinburgh
The Meadows
Carlton Hill
Edinburgh Whisky Experience
National gallery
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
Royal Mile
Dinner in Edinburgh
I had seen Little Capo on TikTok, the service was good but it gets very busy in there. They operate on a small plates basis. It wasn’t to my taste buds, so I wouldn’t go back 😅 The only reason I ended up here was
1. The restaurant I wanted to dine at was fully booked.
2. It was a short walk from Rare Birds Bookshop
I also tried orange wine for the first and last time. It tasted lovely, but it left me with a terrible headache.
Travelling whilst Black
Absolutely no issues, everyone was really friendly and helpful.
My thoughts on Edinburgh
My day trip was great, but I definitely think I will be back at a later date to explore some more… Maybe for the Edinburgh festival… who knows.
Let me know if you plan on taking a trip to Edinburgh 🙏🏾🏴