A Weekend in Edinburgh!!

This past weekend I went to Edinburgh, Scotland! We left Friday morning from King's Cross Station in London and it took about 4 and a half hours to get to Edinburgh by train. I woke up early in order to get to the station in time to take my picture at 'Platform 9 3/4' :D There was even an awesome Harry Potter gift shop where I got my one way ticket to Hogwarts!

I took a picture of some of the beautiful props and replica jewelry that I stared at longingly for a while wishing I could afford it all.... I think I actually liked this shop better than the Harry Potter Studio one, and that's saying something! So needless to say, this was a great start to my weekend :)

Can I have it all?

We left the station at exactly 9:30 am, and a group of my friends luckily got booth seating with a table! I really enjoyed the train ride, I definitely prefer seeing the landscape of wherever I'm traveling. And of course, the English countryside is beautiful! We even got to see the ocean for a little while as we got closer to Edinburgh. :)

Blurry ocean

Countryside

We got to Edinburgh around 2 pm and immediately set off on a guided bus tour of the city. I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful Edinburgh is - there is a view from everywhere!! The city is extremely hilly, but small enough to be easily walkable. 

Just a few minutes walk from the city center is a stunning volcanic hill - if you climb the path it's just over 3 miles - this city would be PERFECT for running if I lived there! I honestly wish I brought my sneakers and a pair of running clothes!! The views were unbelievable from the top. Looking to one side you can see both the Old and New Towns, and Edinburgh Castle perched at the top of the Royal Mile. Looking to the other side, you see a stunning valley with a lake and village. Absolutely beautiful; words cannot describe how much I loved it!

After the bus tour, we checked in at the hostel and then went to find dinner. Another reason why I love Edinburgh so much is because it is EXTREMELY easy to eat gluten free there. We went to dinner at a little bistro/cafe place, and the menu didn't look very promising for GF. I asked the manager if there was anything they could do for me, and she was extremely helpful and willing to make something special for me. I ended up with a baked salmon fillet, huge baked potato, peas, and a salad. Best meal I've had since I've been in the UK!

My friend and I walked around High Street in the Old Town, also called the "Royal Mile." I loved all the shops and street vendors on this street! Found some great souvenirs :)

Saturday morning, my friends and I toured Edinburgh Castle. The views were also stunning from here because it is located at the top of (another) hill :). After that, we shopped along the Royal Mile and then met up at 5 pm for the Harry Potter walking tour!! I won a wand from the tour guide, as well :D. I loved seeing JK Rowling's inspirations for characters (many of which came from the headstones in Blackfriars Graveyard). 

This was a little cutie statue that I loved and had to take a picture of:

Greyfriar's Bobby!

Saturday night was dinner at Mamma's American Pizza House - you should have seen how excited I was when I saw the huge sign outside saying "GLUTEN FREE PIZZA" :D I chose not to go to the pub after because I knew I wanted to be up in the morning to get more sightseeing in. A quick yoga session and shower and I was off to bed! 

Sunday my friend and I ventured into the New Town and had fun looking in the stores, but I definitely prefer the Old Town; it is more charming and the buildings are older, the shops and cafe's are quainter, and it just feels more like a quintessential Scottish town. 

For example, I loved this little alleyway:

Side note - we popped into this cafe and I got excited about this.....

..... until I saw "almond" -_-

We climbed Calton Hill, another of the many hills with monuments for viewing the beautiful city. We got lunch at Pizza Express (gluten free pizza again, no shame), and then it was time to meet for the trip home.

We left Edinburgh at 5 pm, and got back to London around 10:10 pm. I was a long ride but again, so beautiful.


Edinburgh has byfar been my favorite place, and I honestly wish I could go back for a visit!!


Lots of Love,
Casey