Edinburgh is one of my all-time favorite cities. When I studied abroad in Scotland, I’d take the train to spend the day there at least a few times a month! I love how medieval it is, and how all the old buildings and walls inspire your imagination with all the things they must have seen.
One of my must-visit shops in Edinburgh is Jeffrey St.! We stopped in to do a Scotch tasting here, and Jordan and I both agree that it was one of our favorite memories! We sat down with our whisky tutor Hector and learned all about the history, politics and style of Scotch. It was so fascinating, and we both learned a ton! I was especially interested to learn about all of the different rules and regulations distilleries need to follow in order to produce an official (and legal) scotch.
Jeffrey St. is also a great spot to stop if you’re hoping to bring a bottle of Scotch home, since they have an incredible selection to choose from!
After our whisky experience, we made our way up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. This is probably one of my favorite castles in Scotland. Again, because it’s so intact, and I can let my imagination run wild.
One of my favorite parts of the castle is the dungeon (since I’m an invited guest who can leave anytime!). You can actually still see graffiti on the walls from prisoners, mostly cursing various government officials, not surprisingly haha! I wish I could have taken pictures to show you, but turns out they don’t care too much for ambient light in prisons. Go figure! So you’ll just have to make a trip to see it!
We took our time on the way back down the Royal Mile, popping into various shops, stopping for a cider, and exploring little streets and wynds. There were kilted men playing bagpipes at various points along our walk, which was so fun and definitely “pinch me, we’re in Scotland” moments!
I was sorry we didn’t have time to see more of Edinburgh, but I know we’ll be back soon! Jordan and I are already planning our next trip to Scotland, to focus more specifically on Scotch! But this time we were headed off to the coast to breathe some sea air in the golf haven of St. Andrews.
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