Josh FisherDid I get a kilt?
Edinburgh, and Scotland in general, was high on our list to visit from the moment we landed in the UK. We just needed to find time. With a lot of other trips already planned for later in the year, we decided July would be a good time for a long weekend excursion up north and planned a trip from 28-31 July 2023.
The Planning
When planning short, weekend trips like this, it can go one of two ways. Either we don’t put a lot of pressure on ourselves planning things to do, or we put all the pressure on ourselves due to the FOMO. Luckily for us this go around, there was not a lot of pressure since we knew we’d be making our way up to Scotland again.
The biggest question for us was how do we want to get there? Plane? Train? Car? All viable options with their own pros and cons. The decision was made by us wanting to do some cycling while in Scotland so we loaded up the car with our bikes and hit the road. Though driving in the UK can be less than ideal.
Maybe now is the time to go over how we traditionally plan where we want to go for a trip? We basically have a big pool of places we want to visit, and it’s deep. So, deciding on where we want to go at a particular time depends highly on how much time do we want to spend there, and how much will it cost to get there? If we do not have to invest a lot of time or money for a trip, it can jump to the top of the list quickly, which is why Edinburgh was our first excursion since moving to the UK that was a decent distance from our home base. Now, I could plunge deeper into the planning pool, but I think I’ll leave that for another trip that where more planning is involved. Spoilers, spreadsheets are used. But I hope that provided some insight on our thought process.
The Insecurities
This was going to be our longest road trip since living in the UK though we have ventured out to Cambridge and Oxford, which you can check out some photos we took here while visiting these history rich towns. For Edinburgh, it would be a six plus hour drive. Getting to Scotland was mostly on the motorway (highway) though.
As mentioned, the roads in the UK are their own kind of special. Though we have gotten in several hours of driving by this point and were fairly comfortable, you never know what you will come across, like signs that say, “Cats Eyes Removed.” Anxiety levels can be high. Though probably not as high as those cats…
After driving around in Cambridge city center, it was not high on my list to drive in city centers again so this took some extra planning since so much is packed into the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. To alleviate these concerns, we chose to stay at the Travel Lodge hotel right off the Royal Mile. They even had dedicated parking, which is always tough to find in the UK, and was cheaper than those hotels right in the thick of it. I call this a win-win. We never had any issues walking anywhere from our hotel. If you come by train, there are also a lot of options by the main train station.
So not a lot of insecurities for this trip. Win! I think the main thing was not knowing what we were getting ourselves into with the cycling route we chose.
The Adventure
We made it to the Tweed Valley in Friday evening for some cycling “fun” the next day. This is an area that is renowned for its mountain biking, but we found a route online that said it was suitable for gravel bikes. Do not believe everything you read on the interwebs, kids. Though most of what we rode was excellent with great scenery along the way, I would have preferred a mountain bike for this adventure. We ended up having to cut our ride short in order to make to up to Edinburgh in time. It was just slow going and included about two miles of hike-a-bike along steep, technical sections. For the parts that we actually rode, we really loved it. The area itself was quiet and beautiful. Might be worth a short excursion if you are ever around Peebles, Scotland. Maybe stick to hiking if you do not have a mountain bike though. That, you can believe.
With that misadventure behind us, it was time to head to our main destination, Edinburgh. But first, a stop in our cycling gear to a roadside McDonalds. Not our usual go-to but at least UK McDonalds are better than the ones stateside. Nothing wrong with eating chicken nuggies in skin-tight lycra. It’s just the life we choose to live. Getting to Edinburgh, we had put together a short itinerary that focused around the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace with some whiskey and closes in between. In advance, we booked a tour with the Real Mary King’s Close, the Scotch Whiskey Experience, and general admission tickets to Edinburgh Castle. All ended up being sold out on the day so book things early! Saturday evening was mainly strolling through the city center to take it all in followed by our tour at the Real Mary King’s Close. Would recommend! It was a cool experience into the history of Edinburgh that took place under the current city during the time of the plague. No pictures were allowed though…but conveniently, they had a souvenir photo opportunity at the end of the tour. Pass! As we walked back to our hotel for the evening, we stopped for a sweet treat at Moo Pie Gelato. A delicious ending to our day out.
The next morning after breakfast at the hotel, we made our way up the Royal Mile incline to Edinburgh Castle. I would recommend getting tickets as early as possible if you don’t like crowds. By the time we left, it was getting a bit much. Luckily, the castle is vast and has several different areas to explore. It’s tough to pick a favorite as they all offered something worth visiting from the crown jewels to a war memorial. Again, no pictures were allowed in certain areas. Ugh! Just have to experience them yourselves, I guess. By the time we made our way through everything, it was time for lunch! With only a small window until it was time to get our drank on at the Scotch Whiskey Experience, we decided to try the café inside the castle. From our short time in the UK, I’ve quite enjoyed the cafés found in attractions. I’m used to them being a last resort in the states, but we’ve had some decent grub at these places. The café in the castle had a lot of options, and they were all pretty good.
Next up, the Scotch Whiskey Experience! Now, we are kind of whiskey snobs after touring a lot of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries. I was pleasantly surprised by the tour. We chose the Gold Pass option for some extra samples after the main tour and because I like gooooooold. If anyone read that as Mike Myers in Goldmember, you are my people. Back to the tour…they had a scratch and sniff card for the different regions in Scotland based on how they are produced. Maybe I’m just a kid that likes whiskey, but that was a neat experience. In general, learning about the different regions was the best part of the tour, along with the samples, of course. After the tour, we grabbed a couple of our favorites (Glen Scotia and Cuttysark) then went onward down the Royal Mile. Lastly, we went to Holyrood Palace. Or as I called it, Hollywood. I know, I’m dumb. It was okay. We probably won’t have the desire to do it again though. We also skipped the audio guide so maybe that would have added to the experience, but the best part was walking around the palace in silence while everyone else was listening to the audio guide so tough call on that one.
Monday morning came fast and was turning into a busy day. Up at 5:30, I was out the door for a misty run around Edinburgh. Ahhhhhhh….calmness. I ran up and down an empty Royal Mile, then made my way up towards Arthur’s Seat followed by a mile out to the Scottish National Monument. A great way to see some more sights before saying our goodbyes to Edinburgh! I really want to try to find time in every trip to get up early and go for a run now. It just hits differently. Seeing Edinburgh so calm after experiencing the crowds was something this introvert needed. I think it is one of the best ways to view a new area and get to know it a little more intimately. No need to worry about pace. Just take it all in and enjoy.
It was time to head home. Or was it? Time for an M. Night Shyamalan plot twist! “I see wall ruins.” Okay, not as memorable as, “I see dead people,” but I’m doing the best I can with what I have to work with here. If you read our post about our trip to Cabo, you know that we can be kind of spontaneous on rare occasions. On the way up, we saw signs for Hadrian’s Wall. Now, we aren’t that spontaneous, so we decided to take a peek on our way back home and researched a few top spots to visit along the 73-mile ruin, including the Walltown Crag, Sycamore Gap, Vindolanda Museum and Archaeological Site, and Housesteads Roman Fort.
If you have any interest in old walls and hiking, we recommend this small excursion if you are in the area. I would have preferred to hike point-to-point rather than driving to each area, but our time was limited. Even with the expedited itinerary, we ended up not getting home until late. I was not looking forward to work in the morning…
I’ll just add one more bit of wisdom. If you are touring around the UK, bring a nice rain jacket. You have been warned.
The Aftermath
This might be the introvert talking, but I highly recommend waking up early at least one day while visiting a new place and taking it in without the crowds. Whether that means running, cycling, or just going on a short walk, the calmness overtakes you and it really is like experiencing a new city altogether. On a trip filled with amazing sites and activities, this one topped my list. It impacted me more than I thought it would and now will be something I do wherever I go. This is coming from someone that is not a morning person so I know you can do it too!
So get out there and explore, sometimes when the sun is just coming up.
We’ll definitely be visiting Scotland again and already have some thoughts in mind for next year.
Onto the next adventure!
What are some of your experiences during trips that just hit you differently? Tell us in the comments or email us at introvertingadventure@gmail.com to be featured on our site and social media.
Oh, and for those wondering if I got a kilt, go check out our pictures from Edinburgh and Hadrian’s Wall! Spoilers, I did not get a kilt. This time…
