Meeting England's brother, Scotland

After 2 months in England, it was time to take our UK experience to the next level and get to know its sibling up north.

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

When: November 2020

Why/how we picked it:

Part of our plan to “work our way up north” over the months we had in the UK. We were also craving a bit of city-life after being in the countryside for 2 months, and Edinburgh sounded just like the perfect place to be.

What we did:

• Hiked up Arthur’s Seat for the most incredible views.

• Visited the Edinburgh castle and its surrounding Farmers’ markets.

• Took many beautiful photos from below with the castle (which made it as our 2020 Christmas card!) as it’s proudly perched on a hill.

• Walked along the Royal Mile (of course)

• Went to Grassmarket square a fair number of times.

• Climbed up Calton Hill for that classic shot of Edinburgh.

• Marvelled at the Scott Monument

• Went on the Water of Leith Walkway, which has been touted as one of the most beautiful places in Europe. Walked from Dean Village down to West End and back.

• Checked out the University of Edinburgh, it was so pretty! The Meadows was a nice stroll as well.

• The National Museum of Scotland. Was. Amazing. And FREE!!!

• Even visited the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, not something we always do, but it was lovely. I think it was because there were some interesting art installations there then!

• Went to Stockbridge for the cafe scene and admired the quaint homes. There was even a statue of a man standing in the river (but its purpose is to measure water height lol).

• Walked to the Leith neighbourhood: The Pitt (warehouse restaurant), had coffee, food, beers (called Leith Juice lol), along the way. And watching people “magnet-fishing” (for phones and electronics).

• Strolled in Greyfriars Kirkyard and saw the dog statue which accompanied its owner by its grave. The cemeteries felt so serene and welcoming!

• Also… tried haggis! Had some REAAALLY interesting gin (with Sichuan peppers) and whisky (mostly Eric).

• Last but not least, we left Edinburgh for London and almost missed our train hahahaha will forever remember that stress.

Our favourite part about Edinburgh:

The charming cobbled streets, the luxurious apartment, the easy access to nature, culture and city comforts. It's amazing how much we did, just within Edinburgh alone!

Key takeaways

To be honest the most exciting thing to us was living in an old historical building right on the Royal Mile. In Eric's words, it felt like we were living the scenes out of a storybook! The listing had just been put on the site with no reviews, and thanks to that AND the pandemic, was going at an incredibly cheap price. Pictures showed that it was furnished with branded furniture and antiques – so luxurious that we couldn’t help but feel suspicious and wondered if it was a scam. :') I remember searching the host's name (pretty unique) on the Internet and finding her Linkedin profile… which gave us the guts to book it. And it turned out to be one of the most magical stays (I believe) in our three years of travel! The kitchen alone was super stylish and equipped with some of the best quality appliances and utensils that I’ve ever laid my hands on.

I also indulged in asian groceries SO MUCH as Edinburgh is really diverse with many international communities. Cooked and baked so much (lucky Eric!), a lot of our photos reflected my culinary expertise as well :P

Eric also got one of the most handsomest haircuts he’s ever had right in Scotland, after 3 months of growing out his hair AND beard. It was so refreshing, like I was dating a brand new man, haha!

Edinburgh was also where we woke up to the results of the US 2020 Presidential Election. It was a nerve-wrecking moment as I'd watched Eric fill up his ballot and send it all the way back from the UK! #UnnecessarilyInvested lol

We honestly didn’t feel the need to stray far from Edinburgh because that itself alone was so dang beautiful. I really think I could live there.

One thing we missed doing (as it was closed during the pandemic) was the Real Mary’s King Close, a maze of hidden streets under the city. Will definitely be back!

Also… we saw a BIG FAT MOUSE running across our living room! It was so cute and gross at the same time, and we weren't even mad about it hahahaha. I attribute it to the super old building, but definitely informed the airbnb host privately about it. A very conflicting moment, but still a wonderful time :)