Sparkles and Shoes

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Next Up? Edinburgh, Scotland

| bucket list, Europe, The Met, Travel, Travel Plans

Travel is one thing I am extremely passionate about. I have had the opportunity to visit four continents and I would love to see the other three before I am 30.  I have a travel bucket list that you love, espeically when I do my past adventure series. I update it periodically but recently I have added a new destination to the list:  Edinburgh, Scotland.

It is a new destination on my list for three reasons:  the first is that in my favorite book, A Prisonor of Birth by Jeffery Archer, a main character  Sir Nicholas Moncrieff, is from Scotland, which I recently listened to for the third time on Audible.  Second, when I made my brother the photo book of his study abroad in Europe last fall for Christmas I realized that Edinburgh has some beautiful sites.  Finally, I noticed on my Pinterest board Places I Want to Go many of the images I have pinned are from Edinburgh.  Enough reasons for you?  It was for me!

This capital city is gorgeous and while I am not quite ready to book a flight across the pond I have been   looking at places to stay and the idea of staying in a authentic Scottish guest house makes the trip even exciting  – I am in love with some of the options on Venere.  I did not take any of these pictures, as I have not been to Ediburgh yet but hopefully one day I will have similar shots.

These are the five best things to do in Edinburgh as compiled from a list of primary and secondary sources. When I vist the city I am unsure of how many days I will have so I would have but I would try and fit as many of these in as possible! Here are the top things I would want to do:

(1)  Edinburgh Castle.  

I would willingly pay the high admission price to go inside its’ blackened stone walls to see the the Honours, or crown jewels of Scotland. I have been to the Tower of London (here) on two occasions and love looking at the priceless gems.  I hear that you should visit on weekdays and be suer to be there at 1 p.m. to see the gun firing. Noted.

(2) Museum of Scotland

The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) is my favorite museum in New York City because of the vast quantity  quality, and diversity of pieces on display I would absolutely want to go see the 2,000 years of history on display.  Plus, it is free!

(3) Holyroodhouse Palace
I did not think the castles in Disney farytales could possibly be as regal as they seem in cartoon form until I visited the Palace Versailles outside of Paris.  Wow.  The amount of opulence, weath, and class house in one building is astonishing.  Since this fateful visit, I have loved touring castles and palaces and as this is where The Royal Family stays while visiting Edinburgh I would absolutely want to visit!

(4) Arthur’s Seat

Do not be mistaken, I DO NOT hike but this summit — which actually sits atop an extinct volcano – I would classify as one of those “when in Rome…” things.  I automatically asumed, as apparently many do, that the name is in reference to King Arthur but, unfortunatelym it does not.  However, this would not deter me from a visit.  Apparently the 360-degree views at the top are worth and the crumbling remains of St. Anthony’s Chapel are beautiful.

(5) The Royal Mile 

Sweeping from the high-on-a-hill Edinburgh Castle to the Holyroodhouse Palace, the Royal Mile is one of the most famous streets in the world and, I am told, must see for all visitors to Edinburgh. Since this is in the Old Town, the historic heart of the city, and the center of everything my ideal trip would involve a hotel on this strip.

Oh, and in case you needed any more reasons US News & World Report ranked
Edinburgh  #13 in World’s Best Places to Visit, here. 
Have you visited Edinburgh?  Which of these sites would top your list? 

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  6. erica says

    I have never been, but would love to go… plus it helps I have family there. I just need to get over my fear of planes haha. xx

  12. Sam says

    Hi Kelly, we share a passion for traveling. I didn’t have Edinburgh on my list before but after seeing these exquisite and scenic images, I just have to add it on. One day I hope 🙂

  21. Heidi says

    Scotland was actually the next on our list along with Ireland, but that changed when we decided on an adventure for our honeymoon of sorts. My fiance is half Irish and a quarter Scottish so he’s wanted to visit for a very long time. However, we are headed to Australia for three weeks in September instead. We decided to travel instead of have a big wedding so Australia seemed like the place to go considering it is so expensive and a once in a lifetime excursion. I lived there while in college, but my fiance has never been. Hopefully once we get back from that trip we can be back on track to start making plans for a trip to Scotland because I still really want to go! It looks absolutely beautiful!

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