Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh is an amazing city, not only does it have modern significance, as the capital of Scotland and the birthplace of Harry Potter, it also has an amazing history everywhere you turn. It was very different from Glasgow.

We got a hop-on hop-off bus pass to limit the amount of walking we were doing. The first place we wanted to go to towers over the city. It’s Edinburgh Castle. The castle has stood since at least the 12th century and is one of the most attacked places in the world. The castle stands tall on Castle Rock and is one end of the Royal Mile.

Walking the Royal Mile means rubbing elbows with many other tourists there to see the sights. Along the mile, there are many shops and restaurants that share space with historic sites like St. Giles Cathedral and Canongate Kirk.

No matter where you go within Edinburgh there is something to see and somewhere to stop for a snack. This includes the elephant house, where author J.K. Rowling would sit for hours a day working on the Harry Potter books. Another famous story from the area is Greyfriars Bobby. A Skye Terrier that supposedly spent 14 years at the grave of this owner until he died in 1872.

We found a pub that had some unique advertising as a Husband Day Care Center. We didn’t leave dad there but temptation had presented itself.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan (like I am) and not creeped out by graveyards, then you may want to visit Greyfriars Kirkyard. The Kirkyard is home to many detailed monuments. You can find some names that inspired characters in the Harry Potter books including Thomas Riddell Esq.

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city head to Holyrood Park. It’s a nice big green space with lots of trails to follow. Nearby is Dynamic Earth, a cool science museum. When I was there they had a dinosaur exhibit.