Edinburgh
If I were to rank the three cities we visited on this trip, Edinburgh would definitely be in second place. I even regret not spending more days here.
Strolling around the city of Edinburgh
Best Indian restaurant I’ve ever been to in my life - Dishoom
Edinburgh Castle tour
Makars Gourmet Mashed Bar, a taste of real Scottish food
Whisky tasting @ Whiski Room
1820 Johnnie Walker Blue Room Bar
I came to know Edinburgh because of Anne Hathaway's movie "One Day." Just from this film, I watched it several times and even bought the original book to read at home. PS. It's said that J.K. Rowling created the "Harry Potter" series in this city full of literary and artistic vibes! You know how the movie always makes a city or a town look extremely beautiful? Well.. the moment that I stepped out from the train station, I couldn’t help but say, “I LOVE THIS CITY”. The city is filled with liveliness and energy, which is very different from Glasgow!
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕞
If you ask me about the unexpected gem of this trip, it's definitely discovering a fantastic Indian restaurant that completely changed my perception of Indian cuisine! Even though I've had Indian food once or twice in Vancouver before, I always found it just okay. (Post-trip update: After returning to Vancouver, I started craving Indian food and tried to find the flavors I experienced at Dishoom. However, I couldn't find any Indian restaurant that I really liked, no wonder I didn't enjoy it much.)
Dishoom was recommended to me by several friends who have visited the UK. One friend said that his most memorable experience in London was dining at Dishoom. This restaurant has multiple branches across the UK, each with over 1000 ratings and an average rating of 4.5+. It's best to make reservations, especially during peak hours. When my friend and I went around 8 PM, we didn't have to wait long.
Their process usually involves: Queueing -> Once you receive a text, you can wait at the bar and order drinks -> Seating.
The service at Dishoom was exceptional, especially our enthusiastic Indian waiter. He went around asking us what we'd like to eat and then casually circled a few recommended dishes on the menu (none of which disappointed). Their Masala Chai is also incredibly delicious, highly recommended!
Note: In many places in the UK, tipping is not mandatory. However, this restaurant does have a slightly more compulsory tipping policy (they may pre-enter the tip amount into the card machine when you pay, so make sure to carefully check the total amount you're being charged, and if you don't want to tip, remember to inform the waiter).
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: ℂ𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝔼𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕘𝕙
Morning Coffee Time
I have to have my morning coffee so I picked a random brunch place to get one.
It's recommended that everyone purchase Edinburgh Castle tickets online in advance (they are usually cheaper). The castle is vast, with several areas to explore, and each area provides insights into the history of World War I and II. You'll also find many historical artifacts from around the world here.
My personal favorite part to explore was their prison. What surprised me was that the living quarters for prisoners varied based on their social status before imprisonment. Those of higher status would stay in relatively better private rooms, while the less fortunate would share a large room together.
This was the view that we saw at the top of the castle. Not bad, right?
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝔾𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕥 𝕄𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝔹𝕒𝕣
Makars is Scotland's top-ranked restaurant, specializing in authentic Scottish cuisine, and it's about a 10-minute walk from the castle. Despite being in the UK for so long, it was my first time seeing a restaurant with a QR code featuring the Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) logo. I heard their haggis is the best, but since I had already eaten a lot at the castle, I decided not to order it this time. Apart from haggis, their mashed potatoes are also exceptional (they offer over ten varieties of mashed potatoes alone!).
The ordering process is straightforward: first, you select your preferred protein from the menu (such as lamb, chicken breast, beef, etc.), and then choose a type of mashed potatoes. My friend ordered sausage with mashed potatoes, while I opted for chicken breast with mashed potatoes. Both were incredibly delicious. We also ordered a serving of Scottish eggs, which are boiled eggs wrapped in English sausage casing, and they were also very tasty.
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝕃𝕒𝕨𝕟𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕖𝕥
Look at all the cashmere!
On a street outside Edinburgh Castle, there are numerous shops selling Scottish cashmere. Scotland is the world's largest producer of cashmere, and I've heard that there are more sheep than people in Scotland! Some top Scottish cashmere brands include Pringle, Kiltane, and Johnstons of Elgin, all of which are brands worn by the royal family. After comparing these brands, I found that their cashmere feels incredibly luxurious and soft. Their scarves are all 100% cashmere, and their manufacturing plants are the same ones used by Burberry and Chanel for their scarves, so the quality is assured (after all, if it's good enough for the royal family!). The selection of scarves here is extensive, and if possible, I'd love to collect each one!
After buying the scarf, I casually found a café on the street and sat for a while. Whenever I visit a new city, my favorite thing to do is find a café, sit inside for a while, and observe what locals like to do in coffee shops.
(Note from 2024: Funny enough, my friend mentioned after visiting Shanghai that he finally understood why I love to explore coffee shops. He joked that it's carved into every Shanghainese person's genes. Is it true? I'm not entirely sure, but it's been a longstanding tradition in my family, especially on my mom's side, to be avid cafe and coffee bar enthusiasts. When I was little, every summer evening, my parents would take a stroll and stop by the nearby Blenz Coffee Shop to chat. It seemed like a regular routine to me, so I assumed visiting coffee bars was pretty common, isn't it? Haha)
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕪 𝕋𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 @ 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕜𝕚 ℝ𝕠𝕠𝕞
I'm not particularly fond of whiskey myself. Initially, I started drinking whiskey because of the lyrics in Lady Antebellum's song "Need You Now" - "Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door". And of course, after actually taking a shot of whiskey, I don't think I'd want to look at any doors.
This whiskey tour was at the Whiski Room in Scotland. As soon as I walked in, I saw a cabinet displaying various kinds of Scottish whiskey.
This tasting tour included not only me and my friend but also a girl from New York who happened to be on a business trip to Edinburgh. It was quite a coincidence to run into her again the next day at the same hotel during check-out; it felt like we were destined to meet.
During the tour, our guide briefed us on the history of Scottish whiskey and provided us with four different types from various regions and production processes in Scotland. Next to each whiskey were a small pipette and some water. The guide suggested that after tasting each one, we could try adding a few drops of water to see how it altered the flavor. Personally, I believe whiskey without water or ice is the purest and best-tasting.
The most crucial lesson learned was to smell the whiskey before drinking it, as it can transport you to different places or evoke specific memories (one of the whiskeys we tasted immediately brought me to a place with a strong campfire smoky scent).
After the round, all three of us agreed that the GlenAllachie 12-year-old was the best. The moment I smelled it, I was transported to a bakery baking bread. It had the most creamy, honeyed taste of all four, and it went down the smoothest.
A confection I failed to include in my Chinese blog (which I'm translating from) is that after the whiskey tasting, it was evident that the whiskey wasn't enough for us. We spontaneously ventured into a random restaurant down the street and treated ourselves to another 2 shots.
𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡: 𝟙𝟠𝟚𝟘 𝕁𝕠𝕙𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕖 𝕎𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕖𝕣 𝔹𝕒𝕣
Originally not intending to visit this bar, but perhaps due to lingering desire for more after drinking, my friend and I made a last-minute reservation for the Johnnie Walker bar at 9 p.m. The bar is tucked away in the Johnnie Walker Princess Street Whisky Experience. This venue is quite new, having opened in September 2021. The building itself has a total of 8 floors, but due to our late arrival, we didn't have the chance to explore each level.
The 1820 Bar is located on the top floor of the experience center, offering stunning views, including Edinburgh Castle! By the time we arrived in the evening, the scenery was already difficult to discern. It would have been better to visit during the daytime.
Despite Johnnie Walker's renowned name, the cocktails here left me with a mediocre impression, making it one of the least memorable bars of our UK journey. Overall, it's not particularly recommended.
And that wraps up our 2 days in Edinburgh! It's been truly magical, and I'm thrilled we decided to come here. Initially unplanned, Edinburgh turned out to be a vibrant and fun experience. Once again, I find myself regretting that 2 days simply weren't enough to fully explore its charm.
