Three days in Edinburgh -Doing it Differently

Our three-day trip to Edinburgh

We have been to Edinburgh lots of times and we love this great and wonderful city.  It’s full of mystery and history with lots of things to see and do. We decided on this visit we wanted to try things we had never done before or hadn’t done in a long time so we went for it. I went off and researched all things Edinburgh to come up with different and new things to try and that’s what we ended up doing.  So this is not a traditional three-day visit but the one we did while in search of new and exciting things to do in one of our favourite places.

The Planning

First off we booked a few things before we went this seems to be a necessity for most things these days post-pandemic. We booked the HO HO bus tours run by city sightseeing through get your guide. Three different tours are offered the city sightseeing tour which is the red bus that takes passengers around many of the main sights including the palace of Holyrood house, the Scottish parliament, the Scot monument, Greyfriars Bobby, Edinburgh castle, and the world-famous Princes streets and the Royal mile. It gives a lot of in-depth information on Edinburgh. There are 8 stops on this route and you can hop off at any of them or do the complete circuit. The second route is the Edinburgh tour and this is a live tour with a guide it does do a very similar route to the red bus.  However its really worth doing this route and is the one I would recommend you do if you are short on time. The third and final one is the Majestic tour and this tour takes you out to the royal boat Britania at Leith. This was my least favour tour. Tickets are valid for 24 or 48 hours. Prices vary depending on how many of the tours you plan on taking and combi tickets can be bought.

The vault we booked these tickets in advance again from get your guide. Wasn’t really a fan of this tour felt it was overpriced for what you got and felt we did a lot of walking around in the dark. It wasn’t too bad but I wouldn’t recommend it to others but that might just be because it wasn’t our thing.

We booked a free ghost walking tour although this tour is free but you must book it in advance to guarantee a place on the tour and we booked it through the city explorers website.

We also booked the potter trail free Harry Potter walk. Well anyone who knows me knows I love all things Harry Potter so you know I had to do this walk.

We also decided to visit the castle so we booked this advance and I’m glad we did as it was sold out on the day.  I advise booking them in advance for the Castles through the website or from the get your guide website to avoid disappointment.

Day one

The Journey

We set off for Edinburgh this morning a travelling companion down as our friend was sick and it turned out to be a bout of covid. Happy to report he made a full recovery. The drama didn’t end there. My niece who is watching my dog calls me from the airport (she is in France and flying home today) to tell me she was at the airport but her passport isn’t.  Her other aunt who she was holidaying with has it.  Problem is shes not flying home that day. So they panicked trying to get her passport to her but can’t get a taxi or bus to the airport. The end result she misses the flight. The next problem is we are already heading to Edinburgh and dogs at home alone. Luckily my other sister stepped in and agreed to look after my dog. That will teach me not to joke about such things as what if you miss your flight. As it literally did happen.

Anyway, that’s it over with crisis averted on to Edinburgh we go. We arrive by mega bus from Glasgow around 11.30 am about 10 minutes before we got off the bus JB said to me and I quote at least it’s not raining and the sun out. Yes, you guessed it when we come out of the bus station it’s pouring with rain and im thinking you tempted fate.

The HOHO bus and Edinburgh tour

To us the rain is no big deal we live in Scotland we are used to it and little bit of rain is not going to spoil our day. So we make our way to St Andrews square right outside the bus station and also where the trams terminate. We collect our pre booked tickets from the guide in the red jacket and we were off on our first bus tour. The rain went off after about 20 minutes maybe a bit less we do the complete circuit which takes around an hour.

We got off and went onto the next bus for the Edinburgh tour.  All I can say is utterly fantastic the guide was brilliant very funny and informative. After this the sun is shinning and its hot stripped down to t-shirts hot.  We not had lunch yet so we decide to head to get food we had decided to just buy sandwiches and head to the princess street gardens. We sat on the grass and had a picnic.

Only in scotland could it be raining 3 hours ago and now the grass be dry enough to sit on. After lunch we headed to our Hotel. We normally stay at a different hotel but we decided to try this one instead we had a rough idea of where we were going but weren’t 100 percent certain so we used the google maps app to find it. I was sure google was taking us the long route and I was right but no big deal we found it.

The Hotel

The travel lodge Edinburgh central (see the review here) was where we would be staying. Its just off the royal mile on St Mary’s street. We checked in upacked then watched some tv then got changed and headed down to the hotel cafe and bar for dinner (see review here).

Playhouse Edinburgh _

After dinner we headed to the Edinburgh playhouse (see review) to watch the lion King show. Was a fantastic show and if you can go see it no matter where you are in the UK if its on try and get tickets its utterly fantastic.

After this we just went back to the hotel and went to bed. I know we really know how to rock and roll don’t we.

Day Two

This morning we got up and walked down to the Booking office pub down next to the Waverly station for breakfast.

Now baring in mind we are in Scotland but I do understand that in the current global crisis we are running short of many things due to both Brexit and Global availability and cost of living and so on. However we found this so funny that it merits a mention. JB went to order breakfast.  He orders two a Full English one and a Scottish one. To be told oh im sorry we haven’t got any Scottish breakfasts today as we dont have all the items available. We are in Scotland but can’t get a Scottish breakfast the irony of it was not lost on me.

Its fine the Scottish one was for JB anyway so it wasn’t really a problem for me. I just found it really funny at the time probably more fun than it was to be honest it was the look on his little face when he told me that did it I think. (Pub review here).

After breakfast we walked back up onto the Royal mile.  Part of it was fenced off due to an event at St Giles Cathedral.  This week in Edinburgh was the Keepers of the Key ceremony and the Queens garden party. The event in St Giles was being attended by invited guests and members or the royal family I believe although im not 100 percent certain that Her Majesty the Queen was in attendance.  I know she was definitely in Edinburgh as she took part in the ceremony the day before we where heading to our meeting point for our vault tour.

We where of course on the wrong side of St Giles cathedral luckily it wasn’t to busy yet and we were able to get through to the opposite side our tour guide was not so lucky. While we was waiting we were lucky enough to be standing in the right spot for the Marching military bands coming from the Castle to St Giles I liked it JB was like whatever.

The Vaults

First walking tour of the day THE VAULTS we booked this through get my guide and can recommend them to help you with your trip planning ideas.

We met up with the guide who was a few minutes late as apparently the Royal family are more important than us the cheek of them (kidding). Anyway the guide was stuck on the other side of the large crowd gathered at st giles and was late. However we received a text message regarding this and we were kept fully informed of this so all was good and with all the best planning in the world things do happen beyond peoples control.

Anyway the tour got underway the tour guide was very knowledgable about old Edinburgh and did a talk about old Edinburgh and pointed things out to us like the bridges and arches and told us about them before going to the Vault. Now I have to admit this tour was not for me I didnt like it. We were at one point left in a huge dark room just standing in the dark really not for me as I have poor sight which means my eyes dont really adjust well to the dark and I hate walking in about completely in the dark and JB knowing this walked off and left me I was not impressed in the slightest he found it funny. There was  lots of interesting stories about people who lived in the Vaults and more recently information on people who had stayed in them. I think lots of people would love this tour it just wasnt for me which was entirely my fault I clearly didnt research it as well as I thought as it wasn’t what I was expecting but that said it wasn’t a bad tour just not my cup of tea.

After the tour we took the Majestic bus tour out to Leith this tour takes you to where the Royal boat Britania is permantely berthed we didnt do it this trip as A we didn’t really have time as we didnt want to rush it and B I have been before and wasn’t that fussed about doing so again. JB was indifferent so we skipped it this time but its well worth a visit. This was my least favourite of the three bus tours and I actually found it a bit boring its worth taking though if you want to go out to Leith which is a beautiful place on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

After the Majestic tour we grabbed lunch back in the booking office pub (see review). After a leisurely lunch we headed up to the cemetary at Greyfriars (not a joke). We went to Greyfriars kirk and grave yard to see Greyfriars Bobby grave and statues. If you dont know Bobby story he was a little sky terrior who after his master John Greys death he loyally came and stayed at his side every night until he died himself. Bobby has two statues dedicated to him on on the corner of candlemakers road and the other in his little garden within the cemetary. There is tradition that has started in last few years where people are rubbing the original statues nose for luck. No idea if this brings luck or not but what I do know is by doing so the statue is being damaged and the local council are not happy about it.

The Potter Trail walk and Grey Friars Bobby

This was a completely new experience for us but as really big fans of the Harry Potter franchise (me the books, JB the films) we had to go on this free walking tour. You can book it on the potter trail website.

This tour in my opinion is utterly fantastic.  We got to see the school in which its believed JK Rowling based Hogwarts on, the graveyard where the real Tom Riddle the boy who grew up to be Lord Voldermort (in the books and movies not in real life) is buried.

We found out the inspiration for the name of another Hogwarts character and find out why a cafes claim to be the birth place of Harry Potter is NOT completely true (if you want to know why then do the tour).

Top it off with a visit to the real Diagon Alley. This tour was brilliant and well worth our time the tour is free but donations are most welcome at the end but it can be as little or as much as you feel the tour was worth or simply can afford.  Just dont forget your wand you need it.  To find out why you need a wand take the tour.

Coincidently the tour started at the statue of my favourite past Edinburgh Resident Greyfriars Bobby.  This is the statue on Candlemakers Row in the first set of pictures with JB and not the new statue inside the Kirk yard.  Bobby was a little Skye Terrier dog who after his masters death went every night as slept at his grave until his own death several years later.

There is a new statue inside the kirk in Bobby beautiful little garden.

We then headed back to the hotel for a well earned rest my feet where tired. After a short rest we where off again for our final tour of the day.

Ghost Walk

We went on another free walk this time with city explorers for a Ghost walk. That started off on the royal mile and we ended up back in the greyfriars kirkyard. We had an excellent guide who was helped along the way by her dog. This tour was again really good and informative and I would highly recommend.

After the ghost walk we walked back on to the royal mile and bought dinner out of a fish and chip shop although none of us actually had fish. We kind of slummed it as we say here and got it to take away and ate it walking along the royal mile and back to the hotel. When we got back to the hotel I collapsed in a heap on the bed knackered after a full day of walking and touring around Edinburgh. I have to remember I’m not 18 any more. However it was totally worth it we had so much fun.

Day three

we had breakfast at the hotel this morning before going a wander down in the direction of the Scottish parliament (it represents and upturned ship you know) and the Palace of holyrood house. Its was still closed as members of the royal family were still in residence but we knew this before we even came to Edinburgh we also looked up at Arthurs Seat and its a wonderful sight to be seen towering over the city but not a climb I intend to do anytime soon.We then walked up the Royal mile heading to castle rock. Its an uphill walk but its not to steep. I wasn’t saying that at the time apparently. We were headingt to the castle as we had tickets which we purchased from the website.

Edinburgh Castle

I have been to Edinburgh castle before as a young child but ive not been inside in about 30 odd years.  This was JB first visit inside the castle. We spent around 2 and half hours here.  However you could easily stay much longer all day even. We watched as the one oclock gun was fired, saw the dog cemetary and where treated to absolutely stunning views across the city and firth of forth.  On a clear day you can even see the 4^th road bridge. It really is worth the price tag. See my full review here.

After the castle visit we went to Bella Italia on the Royal mile for food (see review). Then sadly it was time to go collect our bags and head for the bus station and home.

Check out my Edinburgh Ultimate guide for more information on this fantastic city or my things to do in Edinburgh guide.

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