Welcome to Edinburgh - 05.22.25

We landed in London, England on Thursday morning for a quick layover before our short flight over to Edinburgh, Scotland. We landed in Scotland and took an Uber to our hotel, Apex Grassmarket Hotel. Our hotel was centrally located in the middle of Grassmarket, a picturesque market square. We were walking distance to sightseeing spots, surrounded by restaurants and shops, and had a stunning view of the Edinburgh Castle. I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Apex Grassmarket Hotel, especially the water refill station placed near our floor’s elevator. One thing to note with a centrally located stay is that you may be subject to nightlife noises. While this did not personally affect me, my mother and sister’s sleep were disrupted by rowdy passersby.

Once we settled into our new home for the long weekend, we went out to explore Edinburgh. We walked through Victoria Street and part of the Royal Mile. Victoria Street is a colorful and historic cobbled street and is said to be the inspiration for Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley. The Royal Mile runs between two significant locations in the royal history of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. The Royal Mile contains a variety of shops, restaurants, public houses, and visitor attractions. After exploring, we settled on eating at Castle Arms. Castle Arms is a Scottish Bar and Bistro, featuring over 50 different types of Scotch. Here I ordered, Scott Eggs (two boiled eggs covered in pork sausage meat and breadcrumbs, peas, mash and gravy) for $13.95*. I also had a half pint of Innis & Gunn, an Edinburgh lager with full flavor and smooth finish for $3.95*. My mom had Lamb Shank (Scottish lamb with creamy mash and rich red wine gravy) for $18.95*. My sister had Breaded Scampi (served with fries and garden peas) for $15.95*. My mom and sister had tea for $2.75*. Unfortunately, my food was a miss for me, thankfully there was a special on it and it was half priced. Fortunately, my mom and sister enjoyed their meals. I enjoyed the pub-like atmosphere of Castle Arms, and I would consider going back and ordering something different from the kitchen. 

After we were fed, we went to the National Museum of Scotland. The museum was free to enter and had thousands of objects across multiple galleries. The featured galleries included: Grand Gallery; Art, Design, and Fashion; Natural World; Science and Technology; Scottish History and Archaeology; and World Cultures. A bonus feature of the museum is the Roof Terrace on Level 7 that gives an unforgettable view of the Edinburgh skyline. A highlight exhibit for me was seeing Dolly the sheep, who was the first cloned mammal ever to be created from an adult cell. We saw and learned lots at the National Museum of Scotland and I think that it was the perfect way to begin our time in this beautiful and historic country. 

To end our day, my sister and I got gelato at Mary’s Milk Bar in Grassmarket, near our hotel. At Mary’s no day is the same as the flavors change every day. I had the dark chocolate, and it was delicious! We ate our gelato while in the square with stunning views of the castle. Tomorrow we would tour the castle and live like royals, more or less.

*All dollar amounts are in pound sterling.