Scotland

The next stop after Ireland was Scotland. I have a friend who goes to school there full time and my main reason for going was to see her but I for sure had plenty of time to explore Edinburgh. It reminded me of Ireland because it was still so green and beautiful but somehow there was an... older vibe here. There looked to be more ancient buildings, more historical statues in places, and stuff like that. There's a stretch leading up to the Edinburgh Castle called the Royal Mile and it gave me strong Harry Potter, Diagon Alley vibes. There's so many old buildings through out the city which gave me plenty to see as I walked around. 
Princes Street was full of people and cars because of all the shopping to be done along there. Right across the way though, I started my city adventures in the Princes Street Gardens which was gorgeous and right at the base of the castle which sits on a large essentially flat rock that overlooks the city. The park had everything from a church to a graveyard to statues to a fountain to vendors, anything and everything really. After grabbing lunch I decided to have a picnic for one on one of the hills in the park and even though the weather was overcast, I was beautiful. Edinburgh Castle is a must visit and I loved how intact and authentic they had kept it. Getting there was a little bit of a hike but well worth it. 
Carlton Hill is another well known attraction in Edinburgh and it wasn't hard to see why. You could see the entire city from the top of the hill where there were old ruins, a small museum, and numerous walking trails. I spent a good amount of time here just getting lost on the trails. 
One thing my friend taught me about the city is there are so many hidden gems when it comes to restaurants and bars. There was one we went to that had once been an old theater and had been transformed into a higher class bar and it was one of my favorite places. Saying goodbye was sad but it was great to see her again and I am so glad I got to enjoy Scotland like a real local. When I come back, I've already decided I'm taking a trip to the highlands. 






















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