An Adventursaurus’ guide to a weekend in Edinburgh

The capital of Scotland is one of my favourite cities on the planet and no I’m not just saying it because my photographer lived there for a while. I find October to be a bit of a boring month, the nights get longer and the rain gets rainier. So the chance of a city break in one of my favourite places really cheered my up.

Getting there

Edinburgh is really easy to get to, you can fly, drive or get the train to the city. I chose the train because the journey up the English/ Scottish coastline is simply beautiful. The best part is on a stormy day the sea usually puts on a dramatic show. I had the opportunity to travel on the new Azuma train which provided me with a comfortable window seat to enjoy my coffee and the views as I made my way to Edinburgh Waverley.

Where to stay

Edinburgh has an abundance of hotels to suit every price range. I won’t go into details about where I stayed as I have a blog post about it here. I chose to treat myself and stay in a luxury hotel, The Sheraton Grand Edinburgh. I like to stay near the city centre so I can walk to lots of the tourist sites. But, a bit further out there are some reasonable hotels on the bus routes which have car parking facilities. I find the West End a great place to stay because it is near to the bars and restaurants. Another nice area to stay is the South side which is filled with grand architecture and old houses that have been converted into B&Bs.

Saturday morning

A swift and easy check in to my hotel meant I had lots of time to explore and do a spot of shopping. I had lunch at Ryan’s because they do a fabulous vegetarian club sandwich. I also headed up Calton Hill for a beautiful view over to Fife and the city centre. Although it’s October, the sun was warm enough to sit in Princes Street gardens with a takeaway coffee before heading back to the hotel for a quick change.

Saturday evening

it’s not often I have plans for a Saturday night, but when I do I make the most of it. Reservations had been made at Amarone restaurant on St Andrew Square. It is a lovely Italian restaurant with a modern twist. Well worth visiting because it isn’t as pricey as other restaurants along George Street. The pumpkin ravioli was delicious.

Next stop was the 4th floor of Harvey Nichols, not for shopping but for cocktails. Edinburgh Cocktail Week was putting on special cocktails on cheap in several bars around the city. It’s a great place for a drink but the cocktail week was a total rip off. It made me angry that my photographer had to pay extra for mocktails, after the website said they were included. Penalizing those unable to drink alcohol for medical reasons is mean, sober humans like to socialise with their friends too! Though I didn’t let it down because I got to see a beautiful sunset.

Then it was off to Edinburgh Playhouse to see the King and I. An amazing musical which had me engrossed from start to finish. I am not saying much about it, other than go see it! Back to the hotel for a quick nightcap using the free drink voucher I received, the it was off to bed for this tired Adventursaurus.

Sunday morning

Sunday mornings are meant to be easy, Lionel Richie told me so. I tried my hardest to relax, I managed to sleep in, in the worlds most comfortable hotel bed. This was followed by a leisurely breakfast and swim in the hotel’s pool before heading to my photographer’s favourite place on the planet, Stockbridge.

It is a friendly, bohemian and old district of Edinburgh. There is a Sunday market which sells delicious food and homemade things. Not much to buy, but I enjoy walking around the area. The hill back to the city centre is huge, so I stopped for a coffee in The Pantry, a great place for brunch and I love how they use china cups.

Sunday afternoon

My afternoon was filled with a visit to the Dome for afternoon tea. I’ll be posting a separate blog on it so stay tuned!

Sunday evening

A visit to Edinburgh isn’t complete without a walk up Arthur’s Seat to watch the sunset. I love how a city has a piece of countryside so close to the city centre.

Then it was time to get the train home with a rather emotional photographer. I hope one day I fall in love with a city as much as they have. Until next time Edinburgh, I know I will be back soon.

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