In honor of St. Andrew’s day today, here is a post about my time in Edinburgh in April. Edinburgh was the first European city to steal my heart, back in 2010. So, when the opportunity arose to spend a couple days there this year, I couldn’t pass up that chance. I was already in Dublin for an extended stay, so it made sense to pop over to Scotland for a bit.
Cheap flights on a budget airline
While Ryanair is far from glamorous or luxury, it serves a good purpose for cheap flights within Europe. I was able to book a return ticket from Dublin to Edinburgh for 24 Euro. This rate only allowed a personal item sized bag as carry on, but I was able to fit 2 days worth of clothes and a few toiletries into my small backpack. The flight was early in the morning. It was at 07:30 and because the Dublin airport was a disaster of long lines at the time, I had to be there roughly 4 hours before the flight. It made for a long day with a lack of sleep, but the cheap fare could not be beat. The plane itself is like a bus in the air, nothing fancy, seats were alright, I was seated at the back of the plane, and no one was in the middle seat which made it better. The flight to Edinburgh is only about 45 minutes so I was not bothered by the plane. I could see how it would be less comfortable for longer haul European flights. I wish we had more budget airline options for short trips in Canada. I was amazed at the flight prices to go to anywhere in Europe from Dublin. We are not nearly that lucky in the prices we must pay to fly within Canada.
Early morning arrival with no hotel to check into
The one downside to the early morning flight was I could not check into my hotel until later that afternoon. The group of friends I was meeting, also weren’t arriving in Edinburgh until late afternoon. I was unsure how I should go about my day, until I happened across the hop on hop off bus people. For the price, it seemed to be the best option to have a place to sit and ride around the city and see the major attractions. I rode the bus around for the entire loop to get a feel for the city. It had been 12 years since I was there last, and I wasn’t familiar with everything. I then picked a place to get off and do some shopping and sightseeing. I then went to the Beehive pub for lunch. This pub holds a special place in my heart as it is the first place my late Mother and I went for a bite to eat and a pint of cider when we were there in 2010. It was heartwarming to see they were still there, and I was able to have a nice lunch there.
The National Museum requires a full day or multiple days to explore
After lunch I still had time to kill before going to the hotel, so I took advantage of the free admission to the National Museum. There is a hop on hop off bus stop nearby so it was easy to get there. The museum is extensive and there is a lot to see. I wandered through a few of the exhibits near the main entrance. But my main interest was the history of Scots exhibit. This was 5 levels of the museum and started from the beginning of Scotland up to modern times. Lots of relics from various time periods and lots of historical information. It was honestly too much to even absorb in such a short visit. I’d love to return one day and spend more time there. Hopefully I can go when I’m back in Scotland in 2023. I feel this museum is well done and worth a visit if you’re in Edinburgh with some time to explore the many exhibits.
Finally, time to meet my friends
My friends arrived in Edinburgh, and I was able to meet up with them at the hotel. We were staying at the Doubletree by Hilton. The location was fabulous as it was walking distance to a lot of places. I was able to walk to a Café Nero for coffee in the morning. I’m not one for hotel coffee and prefer to walk to a coffee shop when I can. The rooms were a standard room, nothing fancy but nothing wrong with them. The one thing I did notice, was the rooms felt very narrow. But otherwise, they were suitable. I’ve stayed in much smaller rooms in Scotland before.
Edinburgh Castle visit
The morning meant a visit to the Castle. Edinburgh Castle is one of my favourite places in Scotland. They history is incredible; the scenery throughout does not disappoint. It’s hard to put my finger on why I love exploring there so much, but maybe it’s the Scottish lineage I have. The castle grounds contain the oldest building in Scotland – a Chapel named for Saint Margaret, built by her son King David I. The crown jewels and the stone of destiny are also on display within the castle. One thing that struck me as I walked across the esplanade is how different it looks without the Tattoo grandstands. When I was there in 2010 it was August and at the height of the Tattoo event. The esplanade looked much bigger than I remembered. The weather was a bit chilly, and it got windy while we were there. I was happy I had ear warmers and a good jacket. The castle is located on the top of a rocky hill and when walking outside you are exposed to the elements. There are many buildings that make up the entire Castle grounds and you must walk outside to go between them. Layers are important in Scotland, and especially at the Castle. I could have spent way more time exploring the castle, but it was getting cold and the friends I was with suggested we go get tea and a bite to eat. We went to the tearoom at the castle, and it was a nice cup of tea. But a misunderstanding caused a bit of an issue with the staff when they didn’t realize we were joining others who were already seated, and we didn’t realize their procedures for seating people. A travel faux pas on our part perhaps, perhaps a bit of overwhelmed staff. Either way everyone apologized, and I hope they were not too upset. Travel is not always easy and it’s important for everyone to remember that how you do things in your own country is not necessarily the same way in other countries.
https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/
A highland dinner and show
We had the privilege to attend a highland themed dinner and small show that evening. It was at the Scotsman, and it was such a great way to spend the evening. The food was delightful and so well done. There was a piper who played, they piped in the haggis and did the address to the haggis to show how Scottish people celebrate Robbie burns and the haggis. There were also highland dancers who performed for us. The piper found out that I’m a highland dancer and invited me up to do a dance for everyone while the dancers were taking a breather. It was an honor to get up for my friends and even if I wasn’t wearing a kilt, I still got up and danced for everyone. This was a special night for everyone, but it was really special for me as I felt at home. After dinner we enjoyed some drinks in our hotel bar before heading to bed.
A short visit
Just like that it was time to head back to Dublin. I had a mid afternoon flight back to Dublin so I was able to go for a nice coffee and breakfast before leaving the hotel. We took a taxi to the airport and checked in for the flights. I had a digital boarding pass and no luggage so I was a bit confused if I had to check in at the Ryanair desk or could just proceed through security. There weren’t a lot of staff members around, but I was lucky and was able to speak to someone who confirmed I could proceed to security. My friends were on a different flight to Dublin that left a couple hours before mine, so I went with them and had lunch, then just relaxed in the airport until it was time to board my flight. The boarding process was a bit stressful as people were trying to bring carry-on luggage they were not supposed to, and no one seemed to know what was going on. You must walk outside to board the Ryanair flights and we were stuck in the tunnel on the ground for quite a while and everyone was getting restless. Once onboard it was a fine short flight, and I was in Dublin in no time. A quick nap and then we were there. I had to go through Irish immigration again, I just explained to the officer that I took advantage of the cheap flights and went to Edinburgh for a few days and was not returning to Ireland. He stamped my passport, and I was free to head back to my Dublin accommodations.
