24 hours in Edinburgh

View from Princes Street Garden

My bf and I took a trip to Edinburgh for the night. Being that it was a weeknight and in January it was fairly cheap and quiet, however we still had an amazing time! If you are looking to take a break after the busy festive season or are suffering from the January blues and are in need of a pick me up, I would absolutely recommend Edinburgh!

Where we stayed

We stayed at the Grosvenor hotel, in the west end, which is a nice area. The hotel was in a good central location and was round the corner from Haymarket station. The staff were lovely and our room was spacious and clean. Totally recommend!

What we did

Princes street gardens: nice to walk through and amazing views of castle.

Scottish National Gallery: located on the mound near princes street and is free admission. The gallery hosts an amazing collection of fine art with a range of famous artists both international and Scottish. The paintings were honestly breathtaking, cannot think how much time it must've took to paint considering the sheer size and detail of some of them.

Scottish portrait gallery: located at Queen Street near St Andrews Square and is free admission. I loved the concept of this gallery: exploring Scotland through its people with portraits, photos and sculptures, with a range of art both modern and old. The building itself is also stunning!

What we ate

@pizza: A fairly cheap pizzeria with options to customize your pizza (subway style) and free refills on soft drinks. Modern interior and the staff were all super friendly.

Brunch at Root

Roots deli and sandwich bar: This is a cute cafe on William Street which is a really cool area with lots of independent shops. The cafe offered a range of brunch food with lots of vegan options. I highly recommend visiting here as the company has such amazing core values! "In everything we do, and in every decision we make, we are motivated and defined by our core values, of Sustainability, Well-being and Community in a happy environment."

Burger and beer grill-house: Located in old town, has a trendy, industrial interior and a relaxed atmosphere.The burgers are good and are made from 100% Aberdeen Angus beef (vegan options available). Its not too expensive but not the cheapest either.

Where we drank

Rose street in New Town, is a quaint looking street which has a range of great pubs to visit including:

Dirty Dicks - a quirky and cosy interior with a relaxed atmosphere.

The Black cat - had a great atmosphere with a live Scottish folk band playing and lots of whiskeys.

Photos from Dirty Dicks

We then headed to old town to visit the banshees Labyrinth. This pub is super fun with a haunted theme as it is locate in the underground vaults. There are a number of rooms to wander around including a pool table room and cinema- no ticket required just walk in. We grabbed a drink from the bar and watched some of Scarface lol! The venue has a number of events running throughout the month from Gigs to Movie Clubs.

The devils advocate - across the road from St Giles Cathedral (a must see building btw). This was super chic restaurant/pub. This was a little out our price range but was still really nice and the staff were super accommodating. Also has a massive range of whiskeys to choose from.

 St Giles Cathedral and view from Devils Advocate

Although we got to experience some of the city there is still so much to experience! We are hoping to visit again in the summer time for a longer trip, and I will be sure to post a full travel guide when we do!

My Edinburgh vlog!