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Scotch Whisky Experience

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9 Things To Do During Your Edinburgh Visit

What I really enjoyed about visiting Edinburgh, Scotland was how charming the city was in just about everywhere we went. We would walk down any street or around every corner and we would find something interesting, whether it was the architecture, Scottish shops, small restaurants/cafes, whisky bars, or a unique attraction. With so many things to do and see, it’s easy to get lost and fall in love with the city.

Unfortunately for us, we were only able to spend two days in Edinburgh and probably left with many things unseen. But even for such a short time, we still had an amazing visit and felt like we saw a lot and got to do a lot. So, we’ve listed out 9 things that you should definitely do during your visit to Edinburgh:

1. Climb to Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park

At 251 meters, Arthur’s Seat is the highest point in Edinburgh. It’s about a 30-45 minute hike to the top depending on your speed but is totally worth it for the amazing breathtaking views of the city. You can also explore the rest of the park, including St. Anthony’s Chapel and Salisbury Crags, massive cliffs that oversee the city. Click here to see more of the views.

2. Edinburgh Castle

The Edinburgh Castle is an obvious choice, as it is the nationally recognized symbol of Scotland and one of the top attractions in the country. The castle sits atop Castle Rock and offers vast views of the city. See more of the castle here.

3. Scotch Whisky Experience

Scotch whisky is the pride and soul of the country so if you want to understand what goes into this craft or simply love whisky, then you have to do the Scotch Whisky Experience. There is an interactive ride, you’ll get to do some tasting, and see the largest scotch whisky collection in the world. For more of this tour, you can read here.

Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland

 

4. The National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland is actually the most visited attraction in the whole country and the best part is that it’s completely free to visit. Not only can you admire the architecture but the museum houses a number of really cool exhibits from biology, technology, fashion, Scottish history, astrology and much more. To see more of the other exhibits, you can find more photos here.

5. Stroll down George Street for some shopping

George Street is well-known for being the best place in the city to do some serious shopping. We weren’t planning to do much shopping when we started walking but there were some many interesting shops that we ended up buying quite a bit of stuff. If you are able to resist the temptation to shop, the street does offer some beautiful sites and architecture that you can enjoy.

Statue of William Pitt, George Street, Edinburgh

6. Eat at ANY restaurant/cafe

Many times when we go out to eat, we tend to use an app like Yelp or Tripadvisor to find the best spots. In Edinburgh, you really don’t have to worry about that (unless you’re looking for something specifically). Just about any restaurant or cafe you pass by is probably a great place to eat. We just walked around and picked places near our hotel and each of those places just had amazing food, such as the Magnum Restaurant & Bar, which is where I had the best burger that I’ve ever had (or at least it was really darn good). We also loved The Square, where they had delicious breakfast items and sandwiches.

Maybe the best burger I’ve ever had at the Magnum Restaurant and Bar

7. See the Colorful Buildings on Victoria Street

Located in Old Town, Edinburgh and close to the Edinburgh Castle is Victoria Street, where you can find some very colorful buildings mixed with the old architecture. Within this street are many small stores, cafes, bars and restaurants, a perfect little place for your shopping, eating, and drinking needs.

8. For Harry Potter Fans, Visit the Elephant House

From the outside, the Elephant House looks like an ordinary coffee house. But if you look at the signs carefully, you’ll see it says “The Birthplace of Harry Potter.” This coffee house is where JK Rowling would be writing “Harry Potter” on their napkins in the back room with views of the Edinburgh Castle. Just don’t expect anything wizarding decor or magical themes; it still looks and operates as an ordinary coffee house serving ordinary (but good) coffee and food. There’s also a Harry Potter “grave” nearby, where you can visit the graves of all of the deceased characters.

9. Celebrate the Holidays in Edinburgh

Obviously, this depends on when you decide to visit Edinburgh, but if you happen to be visiting around November or December, you can delve into the festivities the city has to offer. There are many holiday-themed events and shows throughout Edinburgh, as well as various Christmas markets where you can spend plenty of time shopping, eating, and enjoying a family outing.

Here are also a few things didn’t do but you can add to your list:

  1. Holyrood Palace

  2. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

  3. Calton Hill
  4. Climb to the top of Scott Monument

What other activities would you recommend in Edinburgh? Let us know in the comments and if you like this post, give us a pin below!

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Oh, For the Love of Whisky! Taste the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh

Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland

One of the first things I learned upon arriving in Scotland is the people love their whisky. Well, even that might be an understatement. I mean, they really, really looooove their whisky! Think I’m overstating it? Then head over to the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh for a comprehensive introduction of Scottish Whisky. You’ll find that crafting the finest whisky is an art form, a proud tradition, and a big part of the country’s identity. (Also, in Scotland, they spell it “whisky” and it’s a big deal to distinguish this from the “whiskey” spelling used elsewhere.)

Whisky not your thing? Be sure to check out where you can catch the best views of Edinburgh instead!

Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Scotch Whisky Experience is located towards the end of the “Royal Mile” in Old Town, Edinburgh, just before reaching the Edinburgh Castle. There are several tour packages available, starting from the basic Silver Tour and upwards to Gold, Platinum tours and the Taste of Scotland experience for Scottish Cuisine. My brother and I opted for the Silver Tour at £15.00 per adult, which included an interactive ride about how whisky is made, a presentation of different whisky, a taste test for a single whisky, and a visit to the world’s largest Scottish whisky collection.

The tour starts with starts with the 10-15 minute barrel ride (yes, you are riding in a barrel casket) that shows and explains the basic process of whisky production. At the end of it, you are whisked (not really that quickly, but just wanted to use the word) into a room with other tourists for a presentation of the different elements and types of whisky in the country. At the end of the presentation, you get to taste a whisky of your choosing, while the other tour packages will offer at least 4 single malt Scotch whiskies.


Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland

When the taste test concludes, you are then taken to view the most impressive part of the tour, The World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky, and it is glorious! I’m not a whisky enthusiast but even I could appreciate the splendor of this beautiful display.

This collection was actually started by Claive Vidiz, a whisky connoisseur from Brazil, in the 1970s and took him 35 years to amass his collection before landing in its new home in Edinburgh in 2009. The bottles are now housed and perfectly lined up in a display room with another part of the collection in the bar area. In all, there are 3,384 bottles of whisky. Though I haven’t seen many whisky collections, I will venture to guess that it is the greatest display of whisky in the world. Some bottles are even over 100 years old! I’m sure many grown men and women have shed a tear and basked in its glory.

Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, ScotlandScotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland

The tour ends once you finish going through the collection but you can hang around the bar area to sample more whisky, which is exactly what we decided to do. Behind the bar is a pretty impressive selection of whiskies to try from and we asked the bartender to create us a sampler of his choosing. He was really knowledgeable in explaining each of the brands he poured us what I’d expect to taste and aromas I should detect, which is far more than I learned than any other time drinking whisky.

After enjoying our sampler, we finished up our visit by checking out the store. You’ll find a large selection of just about any whisky to purchase and just ask any of the sales associates for help on the brand recommendations to curb towards your tastes. If anything, you can at least see what incredibly expensive whisky looks like! On display (and for purchase) are several bottles of whisky with VERY high price tags, including a 1966 Dalmore for £18,500 and a 50-year Balvenie being sold for an astounding £27,500!!

WHAAAAT??? 27,500 POUNDS???

Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland So if you want to taste a bit of the heart of Scotland, try out a whisky tour at the Scotch Whisky Experience. You can find more information on their website: https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk/

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Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh, Scotland

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