A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I headed to Edinburgh for a short city break.
We stayed in the Stay Central Hotel, which, as the name suggests, is very central but isn't overly expensive. We had booked a double room, but when we arrived we were told we had been upgraded to an XXL room. This was a nice surprise for the first day of our trip. We couldn't fault the hotel at all; the staff were lovely, the room was clean and every morning we were left clean towels, bottles of water and plenty of Tunnocks tea cakes. The hotel was also only a five minute walk from the Royal Mile and Victoria Street - two of the more famous streets in Edinburgh.
What We Did
The National Museum of Scotland:
On our first day in Edinburgh we visited the National Museum of Scotland. It was completely free to get in and there was so much to see! From Scottish History, to fashion, to modern technology there seemed to be something for everyone in the museum. Perfect for a rainy day.
Mary King's Close:
This is a guided tour through the underground closes, which reveals a lot about the history of Edinburgh. Compared to others that we had heard of, this tour was one of the ones that was not scary. There were a few little scary stories here and there, but no jump scares thank goodness.
Calton Hill:
For photo ops, Calton Hill is a great alternative to climbing up to Arthur's Seat. It offers great views of Edinburgh without the long walk.
Edinburgh Gin Factory:
We are both gin lovers so we decided to see how its made in the Edinburgh Gin Factory. For £25 we did the connoisseur tour, which consisted of learning about the history of Gin, seeing how it was made and tasting a selection of different gins. I feel like it was good value for money, especially considering we got to try a fair amount of gin.
Where We Ate/ Drank
The Boozy Cow:
If you're after a delicious burger and unreal cocktails, this is the place to go. We tried so many different cocktails and couldn't fault any of them! The place itself had a really good vibe, with good music, and the girl who served us was so friendly.
The Cauldron:
If you're ever in Edinburgh I would 100% recommend that you go to this bar. It has a wizard theme, so you get a cloak and a wand and you make your own potions (cocktails). We were a little bit sceptical heading into this as we thought it might be a bit cringey, but it was really good craic. For us, the potions master made it for us as she was so funny. The cocktails were pretty cool too.
The Caley Picture House:
Our potions master actually recommended that we go here. It's a Wetherspoons so it's cheap and cheerful, but the interior is gorgeous. It felt like something from The Great Gatsby as it in keeps with the original picture house decor. If you're looking for somewhere cheap for food or drinks, but still want to go somewhere nice, I would definitely recommend that you go here.
Toro Latino Cafe & Grill:
We were in the mood for steak, so after looking at their Menu online, we decided to go here. I'm so glad we did as the sharing steak sampler that we got was amazing. The steaks were cooked to perfection and the staff were so attentive, making sure we were warm enough during our meal.
Love, Sarah-Michelle x
