It has always been a dream of mine to go to Scotland. I don’t know if it was because my mother is a Campbell or if I was attracted by the beautiful scenery in Harry Potter, or even the romance books that filled my mind with brawny love interests, but Scotland was always a far away dream. So of course when a good friend offered me to stay at her beloved home in England I made it my business to schedule a visit to the land of scotch, kilts and rolling glens. Yes loves I was off to Scotland with a heart full of hopes and wishes.
I booked my flight on Easyjet using Expedia and my hotel stay at the Mercure Hotel via Hotels.Com. Both websites offered a wide variety of options and were easy to navigate. The flight of one hour was suitable and the flight crew friendly enough. The Mercure hotel is an older hotel and although many may say that it needs to be renovated I found the decor of rich reds and grand chandeliers intriguing. Maybe the bathroom could have been updated a little but even so it was tolerable.
I have a take a moment to thank my Travel Bestie for accompanying me because I dare say without her encouragement I probably wouldn’t have gone by myself. We arrived on a Saturday night and was immediately welcomed by the frigid winds of November, but I reveled in the brisk feeling. A polish Uber driver took us to the Mercure Hotel and he was both friendly and knowledgeable to the sites and foods of the region. Making friends in strange places is always heartwarming don’t you think?
The drive alone was breathtaking with views of pointed and ornate steeples against the midnight blue sky, contrasting with the round fullness of the huge yellow moon. It was a fairytale and I was soon lost in the stories of my mind. We stepped out of the warmth of the Uber onto the cobbled Streets and into the red welcoming grandeur of the hotel. Our concierge “Anita” shared that she was from Hungary and had visited Scotland and never left as she found her love there. All the staff were welcoming and every store and establishment we braved the cold air to adventure to that very night were populated by folks that spoke with the coolest accent and were open to conversation and laughs. I was called “love” too many times to count and I loved it.
The next day we walked the Royal Mile to the Royal Castle, visited the Writers Museum, the National Gallery, and immersed ourselves in the sounds of bagpipes and dramatic city views. I was enthralled with the beauty of the steeples both by day and by night. With cobbled streets, intricate and bold architecture, strong towering buildings,hearty drinks and a people with the cheeriest smiles and kindest words, Edinburgh Scotland won my heart entirely and is my favorite city to visit to date. I only regret I didn’t get to the Highlands or even to the Royal Palace and I must be blessed with these visions in my lifetime.
To sum it all up Edinburgh had more pros than cons. Hotel price and flight was reasonable at less than $100 usd. Walking the Royal Mile is free and so is the National Gallery, the Royal Castle was a little expensive but if you’re into Castles worth it. The only con would be that food was a little pricey(two tacos were £15), but you can find cheap eats if you look. The city is beautiful and it’s people sublime and friendly. It has a personality distinctly its own and is a must see.
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