We started our trip in Edinburgh Scotland and really enjoyed all that this city had to offer! From walking and exploring, photo taking, a castle visit, getting to hold an OWL on the Royal Mile, the Scotch Whisky Experience and more we want to share our self guided tour of Edinburgh with you and hope to inspire you to take a trip and experience it for yourself!
Just LOOK at this beautiful city filled with rich history! Spend an afternoon walking around the main streets and side streets of Edinburgh: The Royal Mile, Candlemaker Row, Princes Street and more. See the shops, the pubs, the restaurants and take in the culture. If you listen carefully enough you just may hear this awesome bag pipe player playing as the music floods the street.
The Royal Mile, the name given to a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The Royal Mile is made up of an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, pubs and visitor attractions. During the annual Edinburgh Festival, the High Street becomes crowded with tourists and entertainers!
The Scotch Whisky Experience Whisky Tour
It was an experience! We watched a video and became part of the whisky making process on a swirling, bubbling ride through a virtual distillery. We signed up for the Silver Tour, an introduction to the world of whisky a 'one-hour-whisky-expert' as our guide imparted their expertise, culminating in a tasting in their stunning whisky collection.
It was really a great educational experience on learning about the whisky regions in Scotland and whisky tasting! Price: £15.00 each. Here we were able to view their massive Whisky Collection, which comprises 3,384 bottles of Scotch Whisky, making it a priceless record of whisky history. The Collection is held in a marble and glass vault, and every visitor will get the chance to taste their dram of Scotch whisky within in its golden glow.
TIP: The Scotch Whisky Experience sits at the top of Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile, right next door to Edinburgh Castle. So if you are planning to do the tour to sample whisky, see the castle and shop the Royal Mile you can knock out all three on the same day!
Hold an OWL on the Royal Mile. Harry Potter anyone?! We got to hold an OWL on the Royal Mile, how cool is that?! Definitely an awesome experience! As we were taking a stroll down the street this is something we just happen to come upon and it was so great!
Edinburgh Castle - We did an entire post on this. You should check it out here! We recommend it, but watch the time of day you arrive as it was really crowded in the early afternoon!
Grab a craft beer and a pizza and take a relax break at Brewdog, Edinburgh! Known as a glimmering craft beer oasis in the heart of the city's historic Old Town. Address: 143 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JS, UK
The Elephant House Gourmet Tea and Coffee House. Continue on a Harry Potter search! JK Rowling wrote the Potter books over coffee and cake in this relaxed writer/reader-friendly cafe. Opened in 1995, The Elephant House has established itself as one of the best tea and coffee houses in Edinburgh.
Made famous as the place of inspiration to writers such as J.K. Rowling, who sat writing much of her early novels in the back room overlooking Edinburgh Castle. Address: 21 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EN, UK
Keep walking and keep exploring! Just look at these city streets!
CHEESE PLEASE! #Cheesemonger It's simple. Visit I.J Mellis Cheesemonger. Amazing selection of local, Scottish cheeses and imported ones. Address: 30 Victoria St, Edinburgh EH1 2JW, UK. Amazing cheese shop close to the Royal Mile.
Dinner at The Witchery. TIP: Make your reservations way in advance! We booked two months out and still had to eat dinner at 10:30 on a Sunday night, yes you read that right folks, 10:30pm! This was our fancy dinner out in Edinburgh! Stay tuned for a food post and see the details of what we ordered!
We hope that you have enjoyed our self guided tour, tips and pictures of Edinburgh and encourage you to look at our other posts on the Edinburgh Castle, Stockbridge and other highlights of our Scotland adventure! If you have questions, you know the drill, just ask!