Winters in Edinburgh: Things to do

In this hearing of the accused, The World, I would like to examine and put on stand my next witness, Edinburgh, who will be put to trial as a representative of its client-boss, Scotland, in a two-parts hearing session.

I visited Edinburgh in December for Christmas and believe me, I fell in love with this city the minute I got out of the Airport. The little fairytale like houses, the roads, the people, everything was so magical, that that put this city as our prime suspect in this matter against The World. The city is so small that you can walk from one end to another in a few hours, so get your sports shoes and explorer on, and do walk around!

Winters is not the best time to be in the UK, especially if you are not a winters person, or if you do not like freezing to death. Because December in Edinburgh will literally freeze you. Our first day involved getting used to the weather. I was told it is so cold there that any water or water droplets left on the road turn into ice by the night (One of my acquaintances there actually slipped on it one night and broke his rib bone!)

We realized our hotel, Radisson Blu was at the most perfect location – The Royal Mile, which is actually the main road running from one end of Edinburgh to another. Everything you need to see in the city, or everywhere you need to go is either on Royal Mile, or on the road parallel to it, called the Market Street, or on the road parallel to that, called Princes Street (where all the stores and shopping is), all linked through the North Bridge.

There is something about the air of Edinburgh, perhaps due to the holiday season. So, if you go to Edinburgh in the month of December, do NOT miss the Edinburgh Christmas Market. There is amazing food and drinks, rides and games, and basically has something for every age. Believe it or not, but I had the best Belgian waffles there! There is no waffle which has ever come even close to the waffles from that market.

 

Something that will keep you warm and fuzzy in the cold there is mulled wine. For those of you who do not know what mulled wine is, it is wine served hot with spices and orange zest, and if you have a taste for wine, you will definitely love it. Also, it is something easily available in every bar, restaurant, and of course the Christmas market. You get a choice of whether you want to have it with rum, or brandy.

If you go till the castle, you can also go to the Scotch Whiskey Experience nearby, although I thought it was a little overcharged, hence I did not go for it, but if you fancy it, you must! You can visit the store outside the museum and buy scotch, lip balms made of whiskey, and see the beautiful store if nothing else!

There are three hills surrounding Edinburgh – Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill and Castle Rock and are all hike-able. However, I only went on one of them – Calton Hill. It has a monument, an observatory and a lot of view points from where you can see the entire city from the Parliament till the Castle. The hike till there is not tedious and any person of any age group can do it.

The Dome, on George Street in New Town, is the highlight of the city, to be very honest. It is a quaint, regal architecture which is most famous for its Christmas tree and evening tea. If you ever want to sit and enjoy a light meal with tea there, DO make a reservation otherwise it is impossible to get a table there. It is a bit on the expensive side, but the locals told me it is something worth spending money on, and boy were they right!

Do visit just for its famous Christmas tree and decorations, if not for the tea or food. The entry is free and open for all.

 

 

Unusual Things to do in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is famous for its night time haunted tours, where they take you to alleys and areas which are spooky and creepy. The tour guides are dressed up as characters too. The City of Dead Tours is the most famous one.

Another things you do not want to miss there are the little by-lanes/close on Royal Mile. They might seem creepy and deserted at first (and some of them are at night, so it is not advisable to go exploring alone very late at night), but those lanes have the real feel and history of the city.

One such marvel is Riddle’s Court, initially built in 1590 but got its name only in 1700s after a wealthy tradesman named George Riddell moved into it. It is the only housing architecture in Edinburgh from that time which is so well preserved.

 

 

FOOD AND NIGHT LIFE

If you fancy authentic chinese food, you can pay a visit to the HongFu Noodlebar. It has a small single door entry, but the restaurant is actually on the first and second floor, and oh my god what food! It is expensive, but each bite is worth every cent. Their menu is endless and exhaustive and they have ample options for veg, non veg, gluten free, etc. The reviews of that restaurant are not good, surprisingly, but I had a great experience there. If you want to try a chinese restaurant with good reviews, you can go to Rendezvous Restaurant. I have read great reviews about it, however, I could not go there so cannot tell my experience.

For night life, you must visit Leith, just 10 minutes by car from the central city. My advice is to go there early in the evening, and sit by the Water of Leith and then head on to any pub or a restaurant there and spend your evening. Walks by the harbour at night are great too! I went to The Granary for dinner The King’s Wark for drinks afterwards, and both were great! But to get a table at any good bar, get there early as the Scots like to sit and enjoy their drinks for long hours.

All in all, the city has something to serve for everyone’s needs and wants. You will either love it so much that your heart will want to keep going back, or you will like it just enough for a one-time visit. Me? I wish to visit that city many more times!

Which are your favourite things to do in the city?

Until my next travel!

 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin