Spending The Week In Edinburgh

What a fantastic trip we had. Everything that was on my list this time I completed and am very happy about it although now writing this from the train I am ready to go home and take a nap. Here is the list of what we did and I hope this helps when you are planning a trip to Edinburgh.

When we arrived in Scotland I had booked a Haunted Vault Walking Tour and it was amazing! We met up with the guide just down the hill from Edinburgh Castle. He took us outside of St. Giles Cathedral and told us that the old prison used to be just across the street before it was torn down. An awful place it was with torture, disease and horrible living conditions. The tour guide also pointed out something I would have never noticed if it wasn't pointed out to me and this is the Heart of Midlothian which is the place where the Old Tolbooth entrance used to be. Apparently you are not supposed to walk on it that will bring you bad luck but if you spit on the heart it will bring you good luck. As we continued our tour we went down a dark alleyway where it is said to be haunted from plague victims, it was very dark and spooky to say the least! Finally we made it to the place where the vaults are. The tour guide told us two stories on how the vaults were discovered in the 1970's but I am going to rely the one I believe. Before we went down to The Vaults we were shuffled into a small room with relics of torture devices in them but before it was on the tour it was a student flat. So students moved in and at all hours of the night they heard screams, banging and random noises coming from The Vaults. When the students couldn't take the noise anymore they grabbed a sledgehammer and broke down the wall exposing the long forgotten Vaults. On our way down to The Vaults I felt a cold draft and suddenly felt very uneasy but it passed quickly. It was so damp and musky in there I can't imagine anyone would want to spend any real time in there but was told that this is where they used to house homeless people since the storage was no good and everything would get moldy. In one vault I was quite frightened as soon as I walked in the horrible feeling returned and I felt a tightness in my chest and a sense of dread. We were told this was the most haunted vault and I could definitely feel that. A great tour for only £11 but I warn you it is spooky!

The Wednesday started as a rainy day as it tends to do in Scotland but the weather won't stop us! I went to the cutest little coffee shop close to our hotel called The Coffee Cove and has the best cappuccino I have every had and when I was talking to the owner he said they had a saying in Scotland that there is no bad weather, just bad dressers, so dress for the weather! After I went for a little walk and went to a beautiful brunch place that was very Scandinavian inspired and felt very Hygge having a piece of toast and another cappuccino. Next we just chilled out for a bit before I went our to go explore the city at night. Edinburgh is such a gothic city and you can really feel the spookiness in October.

On Thursday our last full day in Edinburgh we had an Edinburgh Dungeon Tour booked. We went to one in York previously and really enjoyed it so we thought why the hell not? The actors and the attraction are so well done that we had quite the freight and James even got put on trial for murder, theft and the worst... Spilling another mans whiskey! We were all sentenced to hang. I enjoyed how they told some of the dark history of Edinburgh throughout the ages and there is a lot of history there. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun as well. Below is the picture of us on the hanging ride and I think it is a hilarious photo. We walked around the Old Town again and had lunch at this lovely cafe called Rabbie's and watched all the people going by. Soon it was time for our live stream walking around Edinburgh. We went up to the castle at night and looked out, Greyfriars Graveyard which is the spookiest place I have every been to. In the middle of such a busy city it is eerily quiet and very dark. It is said to be one of the most haunted places in Scotland which I can believe. This is also the graveyard where a lot of inspiration of the names from Harry Potter came from including Tom Riddle. From there we were feeling quite hungry so we took off and went to find a pub that served haggis. We found one and since it was such a beautiful night we decided to sit outside on the patio and there we made a new friend from Virginia who also tried haggis for the first time yesterday. I have tried it before but was made to try it again and I still don't like it but James seems too so he can have my share of them. We also ordered something called Cullen Skink which is like a seafood stew and it was delicious! After we walked around a bit more we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel room.

Friday it was time to go so I woke up a bit early and had to get to Starbucks for coffee and to get one of those Scotland mugs to add to my collection. Off we went to the train station and headed home. I am already dreaming of the next time I go to Scotland and more exciting adventures.

Happy Hygge!