Best Attractions in Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland has been at the absolute top of my “To Travel To” list for YEARS.  While I did not have even remotely enough time there, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future to visit again. 

I loved almost everything about the city of Edinburgh.  The culture, the kind people, great history, and let’s be honest, those adorable Scottish accents.

Here is a list of some of the top attractions in Scotland that I visited and adored.

Edinburgh Castle

Scott Monument

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tours:

• St Giles’ Cathedral & The Hub: My friends and I walked by both of these and they are stunning and worth spending a few minutes admiring!
• Edinburgh Castle:  This was one of the neatest things that we saw in Scotland.  Taking a tour of this castle while in Edinburgh is a must.  Not only is the history amazing, but the tour guides answer all of your questions and are extremely nice.
• Ghost tour:  This tour was an absolute blast and one of the most fun things I did in the UK.  I am a huge baby when it comes to ghosts.  I would love to tell you that I sucked it up and was not scared, but that would be a lie.  My friends and I did the double-decker tour with the City of the Dead company.  This meant that we went underneath the city, the Greyfriars Graveyard, and into the Covenanter’s Prison where there was a poltergeist.  It was one of the best experiences I had there.  I learned so much history about the town that I would not have learned about had I chickened out. 
• Royal Yacht Britannia:  I debated for a while if this was something I wanted to do because it was so much money, but it was for sure something that surprised me.  It was really interesting walking through the yacht and listening to all of the histories of the royals and the time that they spent on that yacht.
• Holyrood Palace:  This is somewhere I myself did not get to visit because I wanted to walk along the Edinburgh beach instead.  However, I had a couple friends who did a tour of the Queen’s palace and loved it.

If you are on a budget:

• Arthurs Seat: Absolutely my favorite thing that we did in Edinburgh!  This was a short hike, yet a very steep one.  I did not feel like I had my fill of hiking in England so when I finally got to do this hike, I felt alive.  The entire trail was absolutely beautiful and picturesque, and although a bit difficult at times, not as bad as it looked like it would be.
• Museum of Edinburgh:  If you are on a budget and need to kill a little bit of time, this is a cool place to visit.  The museum is free, and although small, is very interesting and has some cool little nuggets about the town.
• Calton Hill:  It was a little bit of a hike to get to the top of the hill, but it had a spectacular view.  Architecture nerds, do your research before you go up here.  At the top is the National Monument which has a pretty neat history.
• Beaches:  Hit up one of the local beaches!  While the water may be freezing, even in the summer, it is fun to walk along the shoreline and people watch.

Where to eat:

• Deacon Brodies Tavern:  We ate here for lunch one day, and I absolutely loved the food I ordered.  I had a selection of fish that was a marvelous choice because of how fresh it was, along with a local beer that was great.
• Elephant House:  Harry Potter fans!  You have to do see this.  The Elephant House is the coffee shop that JK Rowling wrote the books in.  Too cool!

 

Even if you are on a budget, there are some great things that you can find to do in Edinburgh.

What do you like about this great city?  Comment below!

 

With love,

Mattie

My First Weekend In a Hostel- Would I Do It Again?

My First Experience in a Hostel

I am not sure what I expected when we arrived in London for our first weekend trip and realized that we would be staying in a hostel.  I suppose I expected a little hole in the wall, a very sketchy looking building with shady people hanging around. What I got was the opposite. Upon entering, the place was very hip and obviously catered to individuals around my age.  Modern furniture and light fixtures scattered the place, and even the workers were in their 20’s and dressed fashionably. I truly enjoyed the vibes that the hostel gave off. The bar downstairs came alive at night and there were loads of interesting and diverse people flowing in and out at all times.  

What held up to the infamous rumors was the community bathroom and our tiny rooms.  The rooms were small, as expected, with barely enough room for two people to be standing in the center at the same time.  The bathrooms were not the best, however, there resemble any other community bathroom.

To say the least, I was definitely showering with my chacos on.  

The thing I was most disappointed with was the food.  When purchasing this trip deal from Harlaxton I was secured a hostel for the weekend, transportation to London and back, and breakfast in the mornings.  Because of this, we were provided with a very cheap breakfast for our group. The normal hostel patrons that were not with our group had a wonderful breakfast in another breakfast room.  So if you will be staying at a hostel anytime soon, make sure to check out their menu before staying for a weekend.  After having a small unappetizing breakfast every morning, I ended up being hungry by 10.  

My overall stay was enjoyable.  The beds were comfy and the bedding clean.  I was only in my room for a couple hours at night and by the end of the day, I was so tired that I passed out in seconds.  I guess you don’t need much room if you are only using your room to sleep for 5 hours a night.

Would I stay in a hostel again?

I would stay in a hostel again if it was similar to the one I stayed in this past weekend.  Sure it wasn’t the best and I would WAY rather be pampered in a nice hotel. However, when it comes to budgeting and staying somewhere that will just be for a couple hours a night, I think it is worth it.  I was rooming with other students from my college, however, normally you could be sharing a room with strangers from all over. How cool would it be to meet a new travel buddy on the road!

Do your research first, and then try out a couple hostels before you decide if they are for you or not.  They just might be if you are looking for cost-efficient, interesting, and cheap travel.

Have you ever stayed in a hostel?  What was your experience like? Comment below!

With love,

Mattie

Journey to My New Home

The last 14 days have been absolutely crazy and amazing!  

I began my trip to the UK with a bit of a rough start- a flight cancelation.   I flew to the wonderful town of Philly and my 9-hour layover turned into a 24-hour layover.  Although I was exhausted, felt disgusting, and a bit disappointed that I would have to navigate through London by myself upon arrival, I was excited to have a few extra hours in Philly.  I had never been, so why not make it an adventure? I visited the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, met some really cool people, and had the BEST Philly cheesesteak I have ever had in my life.  My amazing Uber driver insisted that we stop for one on the way to the airport. Thank goodness we did! The sweet thing paid for my cheesesteak and insisted on taking my picture in front of the famous Geno’s, which I highly recommend if you are ever in Philadelphia.  

I eventually got on a flight and made it to London two days late…which meant I had to somehow navigate from the center of London to Grantham where I am currently living.  How I did it, I am not quite sure. I hauled my way-too-heavy luggage and took a deep breath and began the confusing route to my new home.

I kept calm and really, just followed what the (clearly) Londoners were doing.  I made it down to the underground and took the tube to Kings Cross Rail station and then hopped on a train to Grantham.  I made all the mistakes you can make, stopping and staring at the directions for too long, not getting off the tube quick enough, not knowing how to use my tube ticket correctly, etc.  Let me tell you, London is a whirlwind and is not named one of the biggest cities in the world for nothing.

On the train ride from London to Grantham.  I happened to meet the coolest dude on the train who had been traveling for 8 months and was just now heading home to surprise his family not far from where I am now.  He taught me so much that I didn’t know about England!

Finally, I jumped off the train and made it to a taxi and into Grantham and then I finally felt the nerves leave my body.  My breath was taken away as we weaved in and out of the countryside and began to see the manor in the distance.

I was awestruck and in love at the ease that I found in traveling alone, how inviting and exhilarating it was, and how many amazing and interesting people I met along the way to my destination.  

I have heard so many people tell me not to travel alone, that the world is big and dark and scary.  Sure there are evil, bad people out there. However, traveling alone and not knowing where you are going is an experience that has been life-altering.  I will from now on always see opportunities like this one as an adventure. Traveling alone, even if only for three days, is an experience that everyone should have.  I will forever wonder what stories are brewing in the minds of the people around me.

Try some solo travel.  You never know what your uber driver or the person sitting next to you on a train can teach you!

Click on this link to read some of my tips on traveling!

With love,

Mattie