I’ve had a lot of opportunities to travel over the years to a lot of different places, but it sometimes amazes me how little travel I do close to home. We have so much to see in Ireland (some of which I hope to see before the year is out), but also on our neighbouring island. I’d never been to Scotland before, and had always wanted to, so when my sister suggested a cousins trip, I was fully on board.
So my cousin Emma, my sister Jenny and I headed off to the Scottish capital for 2 nights last week, and it’s safe to say we had a fantastic time. Though we had booked a few things, we decided to leave most of our time open and it served us so well. Edinburgh isn’t a huge city, but there is a lot of choice and so much to see and enjoy. We found some amazing places, too many to go into in detail, but here are our top 6 stops during our amazing 48 hours in Edinburgh.
- The Department of Magic
Though it was Jenny and I’s first time in Edinburgh, our cousin Emma had briefly stopped in the city a few years back. With her family, she had done a Harry Potter-themed Escape Room in the Department of Magic, and they really enjoyed it. As a family, we are big Harry Potter fans, and having never done an escape room, I decided I was up for the challenge. The three of us spent nearly an hour trying to raise the Dark Lord from the dead while locked in a well set up room that carefully tip-toed around trademark restrictions. It was such an enjoyable experience, and with help from our guide, Daniel, we were able to complete our quest. Definitely a nerdy way to spend an afternoon, but we would definitely recommend it.
- Nachos and a pub quiz at The Auld Hoose
Try and say that name with a Scottish accent, I definitely butchered it. We found this little gem while searching on Google for the best nachos in Edinburgh and we were not disappointed. We also found that the Auld House was home to a weekly pub quiz on Tuesday nights, and with no plans for the evening, we headed to the bar for nachos and a bit of fun. The quiz didn’t go as well as hoped – though we didn’t come last – but the nachos were amazing. We got the vegetarian nachos for two and there was more than enough food for the three of us. If you’re a bit hungrier, you can attempt to eat what is the biggest portion of nachos in Edinburgh city, weighing in at 2.7kg and recommended for 6 people, but we stuck to the small size. Drinks in the Auld Hoose were also great, with lovely bar staff who offered samples of cool beers and gins for only £4. Though it was probably a chiller night out than we had planned, we wouldn’t have done it any other way, and I’d definitely go back to this pub if I was in Edinburgh again.
- Mary’s Milk Bar Ice-cream
A few weeks ago, I watched a video by one of my favourite Youtube channels, Sorted Food, where the team took on a food marathon in Edinburgh. One of the 26 dishes they tried was ice cream from Mary’s Milk Bar, which is made fresh daily and regularly has weird and wonderful specials. I really wanted to check the place out, as both an ice-cream lover and fan of the show, and wow the ice-cream was amazing. I tried the geranium and lemon curd special, which was like nothing I’d ever eaten before, while the girls played it safer with an amazing salted caramel. Though the inside of the shop was beautiful, we took our ice-creams across the road to a hill where we sat in the evening sun enjoying how good the ice-creams were. Mary’s Milk Bar is 100% a must-visit for anyone who enjoys ice-cream, and I’d recommend getting there early enough in the day, as by the evening a good few flavours were sold out. I only wish we had gone there more than once!
- The National Museum of Scotland
Though we really enjoyed Camera Obscura, an interactive museum focused on optical illusions and peering at people on the street, I personally preferred the National Museum of Scotland, which is smack bang in the centre of the city. The museum had something for everyone, with sections on Scottish history, World History, Science and Technology, and fantastic temporary exhibitions such as Body Beautiful. There is also a fantastic interactive zone in the centre of the museum where children (and adults) can play games and experiment with the exhibitions. To top it off, there was a great viewing deck on the top of the museum, with beautiful views of the whole city. Entry to the museum is free and it’s a great spot to pop into for an hour or so.
- Arthur’s Seat
Something that will also take you an hour or two is the climb to Arthur’s Seat. This extinct volcano is located at the edge of the city and provides you with the best views of Edinburgh. We took the green route, and for it, I definitely recommend good shoes, as the walk to the top is quite steep and rocky. We took a few breaks along the way to take in the view (and for me to breathe) and each little section has great views of the city below. If you want to do it the lazy way, there is a much shorter route available, but you’ll probably need a car to get around to the start. Though I don’t really plan on doing it again, I really do recommend it for the amazing views at the top. It’s probably your best photo opportunity too, if your face isn’t too red at the end.
- The Clam Shell for deep-fried Mars Bar
Now I am quite surprised that I’m writing that a deep-fried Mars bar was one of my highlights of this amazing city, but it was honestly just that good. We went to the Clam Shell on the Royal Mile and paid £4 for the pleasure of a Mars bar, dipped in batter and fried, served with vanilla ice-cream. I’m not a big fan of Mars bars, but the added crispy layer on the outside was delicious. I’m very glad we split it between the three of us, but I have been left craving more ever since. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, but just don’t try too many of them. This is certainly a guilty treat.
There were lots of other wonderful stops on our trip, such as lounging in Prince’s Street Gardens, sampling fudge in The Fudge Kitchen and having more gin at The Tron bar, but these 6 stops are things I really loved about Edinburgh and would be very glad to go back to. I’m so glad I finally made the trip over to Scotland and hopefully I’ll get back there again soon, but for now, I’ll be dreaming of lemon curd ice-cream and deep-fried Mars bars.
From Meath to Madrid 
We totally agree! Edinburgh is a beautiful city – there’s so much to do. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work.
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