Edinburgh

Castle at Night, Edinburgh, Scotland

July 24 – August 19, 2020 (Summer)

Scotland’s capital is a city of celebrations, famous for wild and popular festivals like Fringe and Hogmanay. The summer of 2020 was Edinburgh at its most desolate. Covid lockdowns collapsed the tourism industry, driving arrivals (and prices) to historic lows. Infections also hit a low point, a sort of eye in the storm, and the country began to flirt with reopening. But the changes were conservative, the attitude still one of caution and prevention. Altogether it was an ideal place for cautious optimism.

We arrived from London by train. Social distancing was enforced, and mask compliance was good✨. Still, nobody enjoys being locked in a tube with strangers during a pandemic✨. We managed to enjoy the ride despite the stresses, watching the scenery✨ change as we swept up the coast to our new home.

Castle Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland

Stepping out from Waverley✨ Station into the cool, misty afternoon, it immediately hit us that we were no longer in England. The accents differed wildly. Blue and white Scottish flags replaced the Union Jack. And in a rarity, we were met (outdoors) by family of of Danielle’s, who showed us the lay of the land and made sure we were well-fed on arrival.

Edge of Grassmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland

Our Airbnb sat in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle✨, just a few minutes west of Grassmarket Square. It was everything we hoped: spacious but cozy. Fabulous kitchen. Central to just about everything. A perfect home and a perfect home base.

Cadenhead's Whisky, Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland allowed non-essential shops to reopen a few days before we arrived, with controlled entry. Thankfully that included whisky retailers! Cadenhead’s, right on the Royal Mile, consistently attracted their maximum of customers. The extraordinary selection showcased plenty of smaller producers, including their own single malts that, as we found out, were excellent. Punny✨ souvenir stands and many amazing and overstuffed bookshops✨ were also among those that reopened.

Wojtek the Soldier Bear Memorial, Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh takes author-worship to new heights, literally. The central Princes Street Gardens✨ has a monument to Sir Walter Scott that dominates not only the park but the city skyline. The same space holds an adorable monument to something even more unexpected: Wojtek↗, the Polish fighting bear. Like many Polish troops during and after World War II, he found himself in exile in Scotland.

St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland

The historic center traces the Royal Mile. This is the most touristic corner of town, lined with overpriced shops and nearly always bathed in bagpipe music. Not far from the Mile is Greyfriars Church and Churchyard. The most famous and loyal resident, Greyfriars Bobby✨, is memorialized in a statue along the street out front.

Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Princes Street Gardens were good for a stroll on the way home. But when the weather was nice, we found plenty of more impressive green✨ space. We headed often to Holyrood Park. Steep hills✨ carved from an extinct volcano provide a stunning✨ backdrop for the city. The meadows are crisscrossed✨ by paths, the most popular leading to Arthur’s Seat✨. Its peak was full✨ of people jostling for panoramas✨ and selfies✨.

To the Top! Edinburgh, Scotland

A few hundred meters away, however, equally gorgeous summits sat ignored. We preferred these lonlier✨ sections. At the park’s lower reaches is the Palace of Holyroodhouse and, facing it in a power flex, the Scottish Parliament. Scotland’s different-ness abounds, right down to the currency↗. These are banknotes✨ in the historic sense of the word, printed by commercial banks✨ and exchangeable for British pounds (the local ones aren’t accepted outside of Scotland).

Dean Village, Edinburgh, Scotland

Tucked in a quiet but built-up corner of town is historic Dean Village. Quaint and looks old-fashioned, it’s the quintessential image of a Scottish burgh. From there a trail✨ follows the Water of Leith for several miles into Leith✨ itself. This area has changed substantially in the last few years. Now its main streets✨ are full of ice cream shops and craft bars rather than shipyards.

Path by the Union Canal, Edinburgh, Scotland

Another waterside path tracks the Union Canal’s route. Walking down Fountainbridge Street, it was impossible to guess that behind a Tesco and a coffeeshop is the start of a waterway that can be navigated all the way to Glasgow. While tourists may be less likely to explore this corner of the city, locals love it. We dodged runners and bikers and watched canal boats work through the tight✨ corners.

All that walking builds an appetite. Like London, Edinburgh’s food scene embraces the international. During our stay a scheme✨ was launched to help restaurants recover from Covid shutdowns; the UK government would pick up half the price of any eat-in meal. (Yes, this was their actual comeback plan from a pandemic transmitted by airborne droplets.) We waited until we found outdoor seating to capitalize, stopping at Nanyang Malaysian for a meal of hokkien mee and char kuay teow. Not quite the perfection we experienced in Penang, but as close as we were likely to get any time soon. Local cuisine didn’t disappoint either. Haggis✨ defies its bad rap. The… spread? sausage? pudding? can be served deep fried or topping eggs or a burger. It is seriously good stuff and reminded us of morcillas we had in Uruguay.

Devil's Advocate Whisky Tasting, Edinburgh, Scotland

And to compliment a good meal, or better yet enjoy on its own merits, what better than a nip or two of Scottish whisky. The Devil’s Advocate tasting flights combined samples from around the country for a crash course in Scotch. Slightly salty Campbeltown malts were a favorite. Another iconic local flavor is Irn-Bru. The steely-orange can and tough-sounding name did not prepare us for the bubble-gum sugar rush within. The mighty Irn-Bru will knock your teeth out alright, just not in the way you expect!

Jedburgh Abbey, Jedburgh, Scotland

After a couple weeks in the city, we decided to venture a little further. Danielle’s aforementioned family lives in the Borders, between Edinburgh and England. They very graciously offered to show us around. The region is famous for its ruined Catholic abbeys; Melrose✨, Kelso, and Jedburgh✨ are just a few towns✨ where they can be found. Between these outposts are rolling verdant hills covered in fields and dotted with sheep✨. Scotland’s Highlands get more recognition, but the Lowlands are certainly pretty in their own right.

National Gallery During Covid, Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland’s museums took even more precautions than those in London. Most didn’t reopen until after we’d left. The lone exception was the Scottish National Gallery. It didn’t take too long see everything the gallery deemed safe to visit, but we appreciated the gesture. The Gallery has many notable✨ works, including the often-imitated The Monarch of the Glen. But the best piece might be an unassuming painting of a dog with a dead rat. In a troll for the ages, a gallery patron donated a large sum of money in 1919 with the condition that the picture hang in the gallery in perpetuity. Other works come and go, but little rat-dog✨ is here forever.

Whisky Experience's Collection, Edinburgh, Scotland

We also booked tickets on The Scotch Whisky Experience✨‘s very first tour after reopening. Undoubtedly the safest and cleanest the tour had ever been! We knew very little about proper whisky before coming to Scotland, to our shame. The Whisky Experience helped fill in the gaps in our knowledge and gave our taste buds something to celebrate. They also have a very trippy barrel ride introduction that, because of technical difficulties, we had to save for last. Turns out, it actually works better in that order!

Spooky Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

Then, too soon, we were on a flight back to the continent. Even at pandemic firesale✨ prices, we couldn’t keep up an extended stay in the UK. But we’d learned we loved this land; Scotland fit✨ us like a glove. It has everything: whisky, rainy✨ weather, literature, whisky, Poptarts, castles✨, kilts. Whisky. But there was so much we left on the table as well, thanks to Covid. Disappointing for us, but devastating for the musicians and artists and hospitality industry that depend on those visitors and festivals to survive.

New College, Edinburgh, Scotland

Clearly we’d have to return. To see Glasgow. To hike in the Highlands. To sail the far-flung islands. Once the pandemic✨ is past✨.

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