During the winter break, I went on a trip to Scotland and stayed in Glasgow. While in Scotland, I decided to explore the vast country within the limited time I had. And so, on a gorgeous sunny morning, I found myself in the historic Edinburgh Waverly train station, ready to explore the grand city as much as possible within a single day. Even the inside of the train station is majestic, and I had high hopes for this daytrip.
Immediately outside the train station, I was bombarded with 100s of years of history and cultural marvels of Edinburgh. It felt awe-inspiring and a bit overwhelming too. As I was traveling with friends and we had planned the trip in advance, we decided to first head to the Edinburgh Castle as it was the main attraction we wanted to check out.
On the way to the castle, we walked through the Princes Street Gardens and saw architectural marvels such as the Scott Monument shown below as well as the Adam Black Monument, Scottish National Gallery, The Monument of the Royal Scots, and the Scottish American Memorial. The area is also the main shopping district of the city and was very lively even in the early morning. The park itself was quite green, even in winter and had many picturesque artworks and fountains too.
The walk to the castle proved to be an uphill walk showing centuries of heritage of the city. We reached the top of the hill where the College of University of Edinburgh towered the landscape. This area was quite filled with tourists and souvenir shops as it is within the Royal Mile walkway to the castle. There are a lot of local food options and bars as well.
It is important to book your tickets to the castle in advance online as the queues to buy tickets can get quite long. There are always tourists who want to experience this landmark throughout the year. The castle itself is a fortress with many buildings inside, with the entrance being protected by the Gatehouse and the Forward and Half Moon Battery.
There are many signs and guides who were very helpful with any questions. It took hours to explore the Royal Palace, Museums, and the fortifications within the fortress all of which were spectacular, and I would highly recommend visiting the castle if you visit Edinburgh. One very pleasant surprise here was the Tea Rooms where I had my first ever traditional afternoon tea with a pot of tea and delicious pastries. The variety and flavour included was up to par and it was a good place to rest while exploring the Castle. From the castle, the views of the surrounding landscape is also spectacular, and I want to highlight the New Town area shown below which seemed like it was right out a storybook. No wonder it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
After spending hours exploring the castle, we then headed to the St Giles Cathedral which is also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh. This Cathedral is nearly 800 years old, but the architecture of the façade and the interior is timeless and shows French medieval church architecture which is quite rare in the UK. From the castle, we walked to the University of Edinburgh, exploring the various buildings within.
By this time, it was late in the evening, and we had missed our chance to visit the Queen’s Gallery, Palace of the Holyroodhouse. We did end up exploring the exterior of the landscape as well as the Scottish Parliament Building nearby. The last part of the trip was spent climbing Arthurs Seat to watch the sunset and the amazing view of Edinburgh from the top. If you are into hiking, this is an activity well worth the views that you see from it.
Night had fallen and we were quite tired and spent time relaxing and having dinner at the Princes Street Gardens. The trip was definitely a success, and I had a great time in Edinburgh. My only disappointment was that the trip was too short, and I am already looking forward to revisiting the capital of Scotland as soon as I can!
Slàinte Mhath!
Shaulan
