Edinburgh: We'll Figure It Out When We Get There

To warm up their insides on a blustery British day, the English have tea. But the Scots? The Scots have whiskey.

We evaded rain on our three day jaunt to Edinburgh, as our £22 easyjet flight landed on a stunningly sunny Thursday. We grabbed a £3 bus to the city center and got there within 20 minutes. With only a scrap of paper with haphazard directions scribbled down as our guide, we fought our way through foot traffic to our hostel’s shuttle.

The Globetrotter Inn is another 20 minute drive and in the middle of no where, but worth going the distance. Located at 46 Marine Drive, right on the Southern coast and across from a golf course, the Globetrotter is more like a resort than a typical student hostel. For £7.50 a night, we had access to a free movie room with a big screen, TV lounge, full bar, gym, video-game center, convenience store, and an internet café (80p for ½ hour, £1.50 for 1 hour). We were almost tempted to stay at the hostel indefinitely.

A hostel shuttle runs every hour starting at 6:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. for £1.50 one way. That cut our nights short and made trips to the city pretty expensive, until we discovered the bus on day two. For a £2.40 day-pass, you have access to the entire city of Edinburgh. We decided we'd "figure it out when we get there" instead of researching the city beforehand. With just a Lonely Planet guidebook in hand, the city was our playground.

Breakfast is self-serve with toast, cereal, and OJ—and yet again, not a good cup of coffee in sight. Our first mission once we were in the city was a decent shot or two of espresso, which was obtained at locally owned Bean Scene (two locations at 2 Grosvenor Street or 133 Fountainbridge). After we were fully caffeinated and well read thanks to a few leftover newspapers, we hit the Edinburgh Castle.

It’s a feasible trek up The Royal Mile, especially when you pop into all the tourist shops that line the cobblestone streets. Once at the top you’ll be tempted to take in the view, but a better photo-op rests on the inside of the castle, so muddle through the crowds and pay the £11 to get inside (unfortunately, there is no student discount). They’ll hit you with the giftshop upon arrival, but postcards are cheaper elsewhere.

The views from the castle are truly spectacular, even on a cloudy day, which will most likely be the case while in Scotland. To get a break from the manic gusts of wind, take shelter in the Scottish War Museum or the Prisons of War segment of the castle. There’s also a café in the center.

After the castle, we grabbed a light lunch at Café Florentine, which isn’t the typical tourist trap found near the castle. Located at 8 St. Giles Street (and a second location at 5 Northwest Circus Place), it’s right off the beaten track of The Royal Mile and can satisfy slight starvation. If you were hoping for heaps of hearty food, find a pub instead.

Still on the Royal Mile, The Scotch Whiskey Experience can tell you everything you never needed to know about whiskey. For £7 you’ll see how Scotch Whiskey is made, distilled, and stored in oak barrels for a minimum of three years—which is where it acquires that red tint we all know and love. On the tour, you’ll be subjected to the “Blender’s Ghost,” a simple light projection of a man who tells about blending whiskey. Then, if you’ve managed to survive the boredom that is The Scotch Whiskey Experience, there’s a barrel ride. It lasts about ten minutes too long and goes about 10 iph (inches per hour). The only good thing to come out of the tour was a commemorative whiskey glass and a shot worth of J&B malt whiskey.

The Scots might not like the Irish, but they definitely like to drink, so St. Patrick’s Day in Edinburgh proved worthwhile down at the Grassmarket, a popular square lined with pubs. We tried desperately to find a happy hour with a pound a pint night, but to no avail.

Instead, we sought out The Three Sisters (139 Cowgate), which was absolutely hopping. We squirmed our way through the crowd of about 2,000 (seriously) and celebrated the victory of making it to the other side…only to discover the bar was at the front. By the time we made it back to the beginning of the meandering maze, we decided to find a less populated pub.

The Opium Rock Pub (71 Cowgate) also had a huge crowd, but we managed to get our mandatory St. Patty’s Day Guinness and find a table. Here’s a helpful guide for finding the perfect pub and the perfect pint.

The UK may not have invented Indian food, but it certainly perfected it. We tried finding a recommended Indian restaurant, but instead of curry we found con carne at a Mexican restaurant. Our mission was masala, so after wandering around a bit aimlessly, we saw a sign for “authentic Indian cuisine” and jumped at the chance of a good meal.

Suruchi (14a Nicoloson Street), meaning “Good Taste,” was beyond fabulous. We walked up the narrow staircase and when we opened the door we were greeted by live music near a fireplace and pleasant faces welcomed us in. They took our coats and were the most attentive staff I’ve ever experience—almost to the point of annoyance. Almost.

When asked “is it tasty” by the host, we could only nod in harmony, as our mouths were full of delicious Indian cuisine. Between the popadums (60p each), butter chicken (£8.75), and rice (£2.50), it was a great meal and well worth the money, considering pub fare would cost about the same.

Our last morning in Edinburgh we got some Costa coffee at the train station and then headed to London. It’s a five hour train ride and it seemed like a good idea at the time of booking, but it was a bit too long, though the scenery was amazing.

After three days in this captivating capital, I have to add yet another destination to my list of cities I’ve fallen in love with. Edinburgh more than made the cut, it's topping the list.