Edinburgh in 24 Hours

How much can you do in Edinburgh in only 24 hours? The answer is...a lot! 

For my very first weekend trip away since living in London, my friend Chiara and I planned out a grand itinerary for our weekend in Scotland. It consisted of our main priorities:

• Eating Scottish food eg. porridge, shortbread, neeps and tatties
• Drinking tea and sampling whisky
• Soaking up Scottish culture

Edinburgh smells like...

Sweet corn. To be more precise, it's actually barley or "hops" from the Caledonian brewery. Depending on which way the wind blows, the air is permeated with this lingering smell. 

The autumn weather was slightly chilly but we basked in the sunshine and walked everywhere, breathing in the fresh "sweetcorn" air. 

I officially love B&Bs...

We stayed at Duthus Lodge, a quaint bed and breakfast. I've never stayed at a B&B before and now I understand why they're so popular. Greeted by Bracken, the bulldog, upon entering the B&B - it was warm, welcoming and utterly charming. The hosts were friendly and very helpful, even though it appeared that our booking hadn't been confirmed.

Our twin double room was bright and sunny, with a view overlooking the front garden. The room itself was well equipped with small touches like the white teapot, biscuits and chocolates making us feel right at home.

The breakfast on Sunday morning was the best part of our stay! We were incredibly pushed for time as we had to duck onto a train ride to Inverness. However the breakfast was better than any hotel breakfast I've ever had. It was a substantial Scottish breakfast with sausages, bacon, a poached egg on a pancake, baked beans and toast. A heartwarming feast.

Must Do's in Edinburgh

Visit the National Portrait Gallery
The NPS is incredibly patriotic. It boasts of its Scottish artists featured in the lowest level of the gallery with a large collection of William McTaggart. His watercolours were my favourite, evoking a sense of calm.

Visit Edinburgh Castle
This isn't just a castle, it's almost a miniature village as it's comprised of several separate buildings. We joined a short and sharp 30 minute tour which gave us an overview of the castle complex. Definitely check out the sombre War Memorial, the small but peaceful St Margaret's Chapel, which had only just hosted a wedding for its maximum guest space of 25 people, Mons Meg, the giant cannon and the Crown Jewels. You can also see the Royal Apartments where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to King James VI.

We lunched at Queen Anne's, eating wild boar sausages with tatties and gravy and Scottish brew so thick you could stand your spoon in it!

Walk the Royal Mile
Although it's touristy in some parts where there's wall to wall shops selling tartan, kilts and toy bagpipes, the Royal Mile brings you to the heart of Old Town. St Giles Cathedral is located further down the Mile. You can almost imagine royal processions taking place in yesteryear.

Savour an Afternoon Tea
A ladies weekend always involves afternoon tea - preferably with scones gently warmed just so your strawberry jam and cream can melt in your mouth. There's no such thing as too many scones...We enjoyed our scones at the Scottish Cafe.

Party at...Frankenstein Bar
On Halloween where else would you go but a bar named Frankenstein? The three level nightclub was full of zombies, witches, cats, lions, a Spongebob Squarepants and an Amy Winehouse. The bar's mascot Frankenstein made an appearance, as the mannequin was dropped down from the ceiling and brought to life on the table!