Day 1 Edinburgh

I landed this morning at EDI around 10am. The flight was early and there was hardly any line at passport control. All in all I was out of the airport and on the bus towards the city center by 11am! (It probably helped I had no checked bags so I breezed by that chaos!)

I got off a little before the city center at Haymarket and walked less than a half a mile to the inn I am staying at. I was able to check in and get my keys. 

Below you can see St. Mary's Cathedral on the way to my inn.


I was determined not to let jet lag get to me, so I dropped of my backpack and headed towards the Royal Mile. On my way I walked down Princes Street and the gardens there. I had some beautiful views in and around the park as well as of Edinburgh castle. Naturally, I stopped at a street stand for a Nutella crepe and diet coke to get some energy!

The weather has been really beautiful. Partly cloudy and around 60 degrees. From Princes Street I continued to walk the length of the Royal Miles and arrived at at Holyrood Park. This has been a destination I had been most looking forward to since I started planning for this trip. From Holyrood Park I hiked to the top of Arthur's Seat and took a side trail to the ruins of St. Anthony's Chapel. All I can say is, it was worth the wait! Here are some pictures on the way up:

To keep on theme for this literary inspired trip I listened to two of my favorite bookish (although not Scottish) playlists: Crave Series and Starlie Series. The view from the top of Arthur's Seat (fun fact: it is an extinct volcano) was stunning. I could see the Edinburgh Castle to the aqueduct, to Holyroodhouse Palace. While quite windy, it was still a perfect spot to rest and enjoy the views! Here is the view from the top:
On the way down I took a short side trail to view the chapel:

You can see my full route here on Strava.

After my hike, I decided to tour the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It is the official Scottish residence of the Queen. I picked this tour over Edinburgh castle because of the connection to Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Stuart). I wanted to see his portraits and this was where he hosted his infamous lavish ball after succeeding in taking Edinburgh (unfortunately for him the rest of his campaign did not go well). Lots of great history on this tour, including about the infamous Mary Queen of Scots. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the palace, its grounds, and of course a few portraits of the Bonnie Prince.


Overall it was an afternoon well spent! I plan on taking my time meandering back up the Royal Mile and then scouting out a good restaurant for dinner closer to where I am staying!

Update: After recaffeinating at the café outside of the palace I decided to head back towards the Royal Mile and Edinburgh castle. Even though the castle was closed, I thought it would be the best route. On the way I passed by St. Giles Cathedral and did a free, self guided tour. I thought it was interesting that so much of the church's placards were dedicated to famous writers and veterans. 

I had worked up an appetite and was ready for dinner by this point. I stumbled upon a food truck and ordered some fish and chips! 
There was a nice area to eat outside, and it was a great way to close out my day. I headed back to my inn via Edinburgh castle and I am ready to get rested in anticipation for my Outlander tour tomorrow!

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