MY EDINBURGH ADVENTURE: ONE FULL DAY EXPLORING CASTLES, PUBS, AND HISTORY!

Welcome to my blog post on my Edinburgh Adventure in the Scottish capital. This city is a wonderful mix of tradition and history, with its mysterious alleyways that guide you through the city, to the cobblestoned medieval-looking streets lined with shops that look as though they’ve been in the same spot for thousands of years. I realise of course that the local buildings would have changed hands on several occasions over their lifetime, but I doubt they would have altered much physically over the past two hundred years, making this place somewhat of a living time capsule.

With so much to see, can you really experience all of Edinburgh in a day? There’s no doubt it would be a challenge, but it would certainly be a fun one to attempt, so that’s exactly what my family and I decided to tackle a few years ago for my birthday. Read on to discover all the places we visited in a day.

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A VERY EARLY START…

Our Edinburgh adventure started well before the crack of dawn, hours before the sun showed its face. We were catching the train that day from Manchester Piccadilly Train Station at 6:15 AM. I remember applying my black eyeliner at 5 AM in the bathroom that morning, thinking, “Why am I punishing myself on my birthday by getting up this early?” However, once the train departed, I soon got the usual excited butterflies in my stomach, which I normally get from the anticipation of exploring somewhere new for the first time.

Surprisingly, the train was pretty full for such an early start, so I sat back in my window table seat, chatting with my mum and husband Zac while gazing out the window at the countryside whizzing past us.

MY BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE BEGINS

Just after 9:30 AM, we finally pulled into Edinburgh Waverley Train Station. We were among the first people off the train, eagerly making our way out of the station to start the day. We crossed the road and headed down a narrow passage called Fleshmarket Close. Immediately, I began imagining how this alleyway got its name and the type of shops that would have lined the street here many years ago. To get a name like that, it must have been a place where many unfortunate souls met an untimely and gruesome death…or more likely, a butcher’s lane! Either way, imagine the smell. Ewww!

About halfway down the alley, we passed one of the tiniest pubs I think I’ve ever seen, called Halfway House. It was so small that I reckon you could only fit around four people inside before it became too crowded.

From Fleshmarket, it was only a few minutes’ walk to the iconic Royal Mile, where we would really start our day. Despite the bitter cold, we were excited to be in the Scottish capital and were lucky enough to be greeted with bright blue skies without a cloud in sight. Before starting any real exploring, we decided we needed to fortify ourselves with a large coffee and perhaps a cheeky bit of cake. Well, it was my birthday after all!

THE FAMOUS ROYAL MILE

With cake and coffee down the hatch, we headed back along the Royal Mile towards our first stop of the day, Edinburgh Castle. This was at the very top of my birthday adventures, with Holyrood Palace being next in line. These historical icons had been on my bucket list for years, so I knew that once I ticked them off, I would be satisfied. Actually, no, that’s wrong—I’ll never be fully satisfied, as travel is something that always leaves you wanting more. It’s a curse!

THE MOST SCOTTISH SOUND

As we made our way up the Royal Mile, admiring the beautiful architecture and marvelling at the brave locals wandering around in kilts (despite the bone-chillingly cold weather), I came to a sudden stop. My ears were being graced by the most Scottish sound in the whole world—bagpipes! I turned towards the sound and spotted a musician. He was dressed in full regalia with a sporran and tassels, kilt, a fantastic big, black fluffy hat, and checked red and white stockings. He looked so smart. I couldn’t help but stand and listen to him play for several minutes before I was forced to keep moving to avoid freezing to death in the bitter cold outdoor winds!

ST. GILES’ CATHEDRAL

Just a few steps away, I came across the beautiful St. Giles’ Cathedral. It’s no Notre Dame or York Minster, and it certainly doesn’t have their same commanding presence, but still, it’s a beautiful building and one that seems well worth taking a look inside. Sadly, due to time constraints, I only had a moment to admire the outside before quickly nipping in to see if they sold collectors’ pins to add to my collection, so there’s not an awful lot I can say about it. However, it’s on the way to Edinburgh Castle, so it’s easy to fit into your itinerary, and it’s a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the Royal Mile.

EDINBURGH CASTLE

At the top of the hill stands Edinburgh Castle, watching over the city like something out of a fairy tale. This historic fortress has been the site of many sieges, especially during the Wars of Independence, and has changed hands multiple times. (> > > Click here to read full post < < <)

You could easily spend a whole day here, but we only had a few hours, so unfortunately, we didn’t get around to seeing everything. Eager to head inside and start exploring, we crossed a small bridge, likely once a drawbridge, flanked by statues, and passed through a gatehouse, imagining the iron portcullis slamming down to keep out intruders.

Inside the main gate, we were surrounded by thick stone walls and cobblestone paths. We joined a long queue for tickets, and my advice would be to pre-book them, which you can do here.

Once inside, we explored the castle ramparts, offering commanding views of the city and the sea beyond. We spotted Calton Hill from this vantage point, home to the National Monument dedicated to Sir Walter Scott. Following the cobblestones, we passed the Argyle Battery and the One O’clock Gun Cannon, finally arriving at the Museum of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, which showcased military uniforms and history from past battles to modern times.

After a morning of exploration, we had lunch at the lovely Redcoats Café before continuing on to St. Mary’s Chapel, the oldest church in Scotland, surrounded by beautiful gardens and wildflowers. This quaint chapel added a touch of serenity to our visit.

THE GREAT HALL

My favourite part of the castle was the Great Hall, originally built for King James IV. It was converted to a soldier’s barracks by Oliver Cromwell but later restored for ceremonial use. Inside, the hall was adorned with rich wooden panelling, swords and knives displayed on the walls, and suits of armour. I imagined knights warming themselves by the grand fireplace, bringing to life the many medieval books I’ve read.

THE ROYAL APARTMENTS

Before leaving, I explored the Royal Apartments, once home to Mary, Queen of Scots. The rooms, while not as lavish as other palaces, had intricate details like carved fireplaces and Celtic ceiling designs. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I missed seeing the Honours of Scotland, including the Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny.

Once we’d finished exploring the Castle, we noticed that the skies had turned a dull grey, making it look like it would rain, but thankfully it held off (must have known it was my birthday). While meandering down the Royal Mile, we stopped to check out several shops selling beautiful tartan, and I got very close to convincing Zac to buy a kilt, but he chickened out at the last minute. I think they are so handsome. I’ll definitely try again on our next visit.

OUTLANDER FOR LUNCH

The next stop on our Edinburgh Adventure was the ‘World’s End Pub’ for a birthday drink, located about halfway down the Royal Mile. I was first introduced to this pub through the Outlander books and the hugely popular TV series, thinking it was nothing more than a fictional place. However, while researching our trip to Edinburgh, I was excited to discover that the pub really did exist! Considering they shot an episode of the show outside here for Season 3 (Claire’s long-awaited return to Jamie in the past), obviously, I just had to go.

The pub has been here for many years, and its location is significant as it is where the old 15th-century Flodden Wall gates used to be, which formed part of the city walls. According to folklore, the establishment got its name because the walls stretched from Edinburgh Castle to the World’s End Pub, and it was here where the world as people knew it ended, as you had to pay to leave the city. If you couldn’t pay, you didn’t leave. Hence, it was the world’s end for a lot of people. How depressing!

We entered the small but cosy pub and headed straight for the bar, where I ordered my drink of choice – dark rum and coke. Not whisky, I’m afraid! It was very busy since it was a Saturday afternoon, but there was a good atmosphere, with a really warm and welcoming vibe.

I looked around the pub and noticed it still had its traditional décor. Many past visitors had stuck old banknotes and beer coasters to the walls and ceilings over the years, with some having handwritten messages on them, which I thought was cool.

Eventually, a pokey little table became available right by the window, which we snagged straight away. We must have been having a bit of birthday luck that day! Anyway, our tiny, cramped table soon had to squeeze in three locals about 30 minutes later, with whom we ended up having a good laugh. Getting everyone to sit so close together encourages you to speak to those next to you, which generally adds to the pub’s lively atmosphere.

As we chatted with the friendly Scots at our table, the waitresses kept torturing us by taking delicious-smelling food past a few too many times, making our mouths water. We gave in to temptation and decided that we were now hungry again (it’s the cold weather. It does this to you. We’re not greedy, honest!).

The food was traditional and so yummy! Mum ordered fish and chips, while Zac and I had steak and ale pies. They were so good and comforting on a freezing Scottish day (I may have mentioned once or twice that it was cold!). It was clean plates all around.

FINDING JAMIE FRASER…

Now more fortified against the weather, I decided it was time to find Jamie Frasers Printshop from Outlander season three. The problem was that I didn’t exactly know where it was. All I had to go on was the information from the book, which mentions his shop is on a fictional lane called CarFax Close, off the Royal Mile and near the World’s End Pub. My Mum and Zac weren’t interested in helping me with my quest, as I wasn’t sure of the exact spot where the filming for the show took place. But they agreed to patiently wait at the pub while I wandered off for a few minutes down the back streets, seeing if I could find it, to no avail.

I re-joined the family a short while later, and we made our way down Canongate, the lower end of the Royal Mile, where we passed the ‘Tollbooth Tavern.’ This used to be a horrible prison back in the 16th century as well as a tollbooth, as the name suggests, to collect a toll from anyone entering and leaving the city. Nowadays, it’s a pub which serves Scottish grub and is reputed to be haunted!

HOLYROOD PALACE

It wasn’t long before we reached the end of the road and our next stop of the day: the Palace of Holyrood! I was so excited to get in and start exploring. Despite loving Edinburgh Castle, I was eager to see some super lavish royal palaces because, you know, I’m never going to be royal. It doesn’t run in our blood. This type of life just ain’t for us! Man, I do love that song.

We eagerly headed inside to pay. We walked up to the counter, but the super patronizing guy who served us said in the most disinterested voice, “Sorry, we’re closed!” Oh no, had my birthday luck finally run out? Surely not. I looked at my phone to check the time, and it wasn’t even 3 PM! How on earth were they closed? I raised this with the guy, who just brushed me off. I said that we’d be happy to pay full price, even if I could only look around for 15 minutes, especially since, according to their website, you can still enter up to an hour before closing (4:30 PM). I begged him to let us in, explaining that it was my birthday, but he couldn’t care less.

Gutted that I wasn’t going to be able to tick the palace off my bucket list today, we turned to go before he said, “Don’t worry, we’re open tomorrow,” but even telling him we were only here for the day still didn’t change his mind. I just walked away in disgust. So, I’d love to give you the rundown on this Edinburgh icon, but sadly all I managed to see was a bit of the outside of the building and a cranky front desk representative.

Let this be a lesson to anyone travelling to the UK in winter: everything shuts super early, sometimes before the scheduled times, so bear this in mind and definitely plan ahead. Oh well, I’ll be going back to Edinburgh again at some point in the future, so I’ll stick it at the top of my list for my next visit.

THE FINAL STOP ON OUR EDINBURGH ADVENTURE

Determined not to let that miserable mole from the Palace ruin what had been a great day, we had to figure out where to go next. I got my phone out and loaded up Google Maps. It turned out the National Museum of Scotland was less than a five-minute drive away, so we quickly flagged down a taxi and headed over to what would be our last stop of the day.

According to their website, the museum closes at 4:30 PM in winter. Since it was around 3 PM, we still had plenty of time to look around. The building had a modern exterior, which, in my opinion, made it look downright ugly. Despite my initial impression, I soon discovered there was still a lot to love about this museum.

Once inside, we saw just how big the museum was and quickly realized that we wouldn’t get through everything in an hour. The museum houses many items, which have been split into different sections and spread over multiple floors, from prehistoric times right up until the 1990s. My advice would be to give yourself at least 2-3 hours to see everything.

On the first floor, we spent some time looking around the Fossil Section, where I saw some dinosaur footprints from a town in Scotland called Dumfriesshire. This was really interesting, as they were massive! However, due to time constraints, I didn’t spend much time in this section.

Next, we stumbled into the Science and Technology galleries, which was my favourite area. The room opens up to an atrium-like design with artifacts displayed around the balcony areas, so you can peer over the sides and see all of the pieces displayed on the other floors, almost like a Victorian shopping arcade. There was so much happening that I didn’t know where to look first.

A MAD SCIENTISTS LOOKING LAB…

One thing that caught my eye straight away was the two small hot air balloons in bright yellow, which moved up and down between the floors. There were also warplanes suspended in mid-air, looking like they were about to attack, large medieval siege equipment, and various crazy artwork. The place looked like a mad scientist’s factory. It’s a really fun museum.

Regular readers of my blog will know that I’m not a big fan of modern art, and some of the contemporary stuff was a bit rubbish. For example, there was a chair on display made from melted plastic! I mean, is that seriously supposed to be art??? There was also a blown glass sculpture of a woman lying in a provocative position, with a man on his knees… ahem… making himself ready. All of which, in my opinion, is not art.

HILARIOUS OLD TECHNOLOGY!

There was a hilarious section displaying old technology, which we couldn’t stop laughing at because some of the objects were so large and clunky. I recognized some of the items from my childhood, such as the old dialler telephones. We used to have one mounted on the wall of our dining room. They were such a pain as it took forever to dial the number! Then came the phones with actual buttons! As a teenager, I spent most of my evenings on one of these devices.

There’s also a cool Earth and Fossil section, which is well worth exploring. I would recommend first heading to the floor above so you can look down at the life-like animals and dinosaurs in the “Animal World” section. They’re so realistic, and many are true to their proper sizes, such as the elephants and polar bears. The lions, including the cubs, have been grouped together and look like they’re hunting together in a pack. Also, be sure to catch the two male deer locking horns in a fighting stance, probably battling over some female deer (Ray, a drop of golden sun – sorry!).

By now, it was closing time, and that was all we managed to see, but unfortunately, there was still a lot more to explore. We missed out on seeing the Early People and Kingdom of Scots gallery, which would be fantastic, as they have a lot of royal artifacts on display from past monarchs. There’s also the brilliant-looking ancient Egypt and Exploring Asia sections, which I’ve recently read about online. They have my name written all over them.

So that just about wraps up my fantastic day in Edinburgh. We wandered back to the Royal Mile, which was now busy with the evening revellers coming into the city for a night on the town (it was Saturday night, after all).

If I were to do this day differently, I would have ended the day at the ‘Worlds End Pub’ and had dinner in the warm and cozy atmosphere while waiting for our train back to Manchester. We now had a little less than two hours to kill, and everything was closed! So, we ended up back at the pub for round two. Well, it was my birthday, after all!

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

Would you recommend taking a train from Manchester or another mode of transport?

Yes, I would recommend taking the train from Manchester, as it’s much quicker than driving. However, if you can avoid going on a Saturday, do so, as the trains are super busy. On our return journey, it was a Saturday night, and the train was full of people heading out for the night, making it super noisy.

Any tips for dealing with early closures, especially in winter?

I recommend calling the attractions in advance to speak to a human and double-check the closing times. Don’t always rely on guidebooks and Google.

How much time should I allocate for Edinburgh Castle? What are the must-see parts of the castle if you have limited time?

I would recommend at least 2 hours due to the size of the castle. I loved exploring the Great Hall, imagining the ceremonies and countless royal business conducted there. Wandering through the Royal Apartments to see how the other half lived was fascinating! However, I missed some parts, such as the Royal Honours of Scotland, which is a must-see spot.

How should one dress for a winter trip to Edinburgh? Any specific clothing or gear you found particularly useful?

Definitely layer up. In winter in Scotland, temperatures are mostly below zero. The warmest temperature that day was around -2°C! You’ll need a thick winter coat, as well as a scarf, hat, and gloves. Comfortable winter boots are a must since you’ll be doing a lot of walking.

What other attractions are there in Edinburgh?

There are so many attractions that it’s impossible to fit them all into a single day. Some places you should add to your bucket list are Camera Obscura, Edinburgh Old Town, Calton Hill, and the Britannia Yacht.

What are some lesser-known attractions in Edinburgh that are worth visiting?

The Royal Botanic Garden and The People’s Story Museum are both worth a visit.

Thanks for joining me on my Edinburgh Adventure! It’s truly a remarkable city with so much to offer. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t squeeze in all the sights—I guess I underestimated just how vast Edinburgh truly is. Plus, with many attractions closing early during the cold season, planning becomes even more crucial.

For those considering a trip to the UK in winter, I highly recommend checking opening times beforehand and having a solid backup plan in place. Even then, as my experience with the Palace of Holyrood demonstrated, unexpected closures can still occur. Despite these challenges, our day was filled with memorable experiences, making it one of my best birthdays yet. I mean, exploring one of the UK’s most iconic castles on your special day—what could be better than that?

So, are you ready to embark on your own Edinburgh in the Scottish capital? Don’t wait any longer—immerse yourself in Edinburgh’s charm with one of these unforgettable group tours!

Have you visited Edinburgh, Scotland before? Are you planning on a trip here soon? Let me know in the comments section below.

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