5 Things I noticed in Edinburgh

I knew next to nothing about Edinburgh before we decided to add a week’s stay there following Steve’s business travel in London. All it took was our ten-minute walk from the train station to our Airbnb in the Old Town to fall in love with the city. Here are five things I noticed in Edinburgh.

5 Things I noticed in Edinburgh

#1 Edinburgh Castle is Everywhere

From its perch on Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle is visible from almost everywhere as you make your way around the heart of the city. Occupied since the 12^th century, it is still in use today. We did not buy a £20 ticket to go inside (I know! We’re just not castle people), but we did make our way up the rock for the sweeping views of the city. Day or night, the castle makes a striking impression in the distance.

#2 There is a spooky story around every corner

With hundreds of people accused of witchery strangled and burned at the stake and a bevy of strange tales and ghost stories, Edinburgh has acquired the reputation of the most haunted spot in the world. We were lucky enough to spend Halloween in Edinburgh, which was perfect.

One tale that captured my attention is about a  group of boys hunting for rabbits in 1836 on the famous Holyrood Park peak known as Arthur’s Seat. They stumbled upon a set of 17 miniature coffins containing little wooden corpses in a cave. How they got there and who created them remain a mystery to this day, but some believe they were related to the case of a couple of serial killers who sold the bodies to a local anatomy researcher. They were thought to be responsible for 17 murders in total, so the math works. Theories include that one of the murders’ wives knew about grizzly crimes and wanted to give the victims some type of proper burial. The coffins are on display at the Royal Museum. Is that not creepy?

#3 Many famous people came from Edinburgh

Many seriously accomplished figures hail from Edinburgh. From Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson, Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conon Doyle, Philosopher David Hume (who is buried in Old Calton Burial Ground), to 007 actor Sean Connery.

#4 You do see men in kilts on the street!

About ten seconds after we left the train station upon arrival in Edinburgh, a gentleman wearing a smart kilt walked past us. I didn’t expect that, even though I’m aware many Scotsmen wear a kilt on special occasions. It’s got to be the most recognizable cultural clothing in the world. Did you know the kilt’s origin dates back to the 16^th century? The word kilt is derived from the ancient Norse word, kjilt, meaning pleated and tucked up around the body. There are many formal kilt tailors in Edinburgh, and I quite like the look. In honesty, aside from a couple of kilt-wearing bagpipers busking for tourists, we only saw a few men donning the national dress of Scotland.

#5 Even in Scotland, I don’t like the taste of whisky

Ok, whisky lovers, I’m sorry. I knew before visiting Edinburgh that Scotch is not my drink. But, you know, when you’re in the birthplace of the libation, you need to give it an honest try.

In a city where it seems like every second or third door belongs to a pub, finding a spot to try a flight of whisky isn’t difficult. There are hundreds of different varieties, so getting the bartender to select a few to try is the way to go if you’re a newbie. We did just that at Whiski Bar + Restaurant. You can do a formal tasting with an educator, which might have been a better idea, but we opted to go it on our own. Our flight came with instructions for how to savour Scotch along with tasting notes.

There is apparently an old Scottish saying, “Today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky.” I think that says a lot about the dedication of the country to this amber spirit.

I appreciate that but I still don’t like the taste of whisky.

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