Edinburgh, Scotland (Days 29-31)

First off, this city is pronounced ed-in-burrow for those that (like me) might have been confused.

Edinburgh! How do I even sum up Edinburgh in a few sentences? I love this city, and I’m definitely coming back some day! Edinburgh is a pretty big city in comparison to some of the other stops we’ve made recently, but its not quite as busy and metropolitan as Dublin. I don’t know what exactly it was about Edinburgh, I just really loved the way it felt to walk around that city. There was a really nice energy everywhere I went. There are castles, statues, and cobblestones just as there are clubs, art galleries, and designer brand stores. 

...And it's all covered in plaid.

We were only in Edinburgh for a brief time, but I could definitely see myself living there. I’m not sure if its just the city or if I have some undiscovered Scottish in me, but Edinburgh felt more like home than anywhere else we’ve visited. (Seriously considering purchasing a Scottish Terrier, naming him Eddie, and keeping him in my apartment next year as a living memento. Hope my roomies will be cool with that.) 

We did so many cool things in Edinburgh… A few of my favorites: 

• The National Gallery— currently divided into two buildings: one featuring modern art and the other featuring classic works. I explored both buildings with a few of my friends, and we enjoyed the entire collection! 

As we walked out, we were greeted by a street performer with bagpipes in a kilt.
Every Scotland stereotype is real.

• Shopping— Edinburgh has some adorable boutiques, designer stores, and tacky (but fun) tourist shops for Scottish knickknacks

shop til you start to lose your mind and get really goofy, right?

• Edinburg Castle— The best birds-eye view of the city 

• Delicious Indian cuisine for dinner with my best friends (not pictured: the friends) 

• Elephant House— I only stuck my head in, but this is the cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first couple of Harry Potter books

fan graffiti covering the walls in the bathrooms

But of all the cool things we did in Edinburgh, I think my favorite was just the wandering the spectacular streets and getting lost… It is a beautiful place.