Edinburgh Travel Guide

Edinburgh, Scotland quickly jumped up the list of our favorite spots in the United Kingdom. We loved how walkable the town was and the history lessons on every corner. I have included some of the places we enjoyed most during our trip as an Edinburgh Travel Guide, but there is so much more will have to go back to see!

Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian: Easily one of my favorite hotels we have stayed at. The concierge was extremely helpful prior, during, and even after our stay. Our room had an incredible view of Edinburgh Castle, was well maintained, spacious, and very clean. We loved every detail of this hotel and cannot recommend it enough!

Waldorf Astoria Whiskey (Scotch) Tasting: Prior to our arrival in Edinburgh, I worked with the concierge at the Waldorf Astoria to arrange a whiskey tasting for Alex. The concierge knew Ken, our whiskey master, and set up a private two-hour lesson whiskey, or what we call Scotch, history lesson and tasting. The concierge offered many ideas to make our stay in Scotland memorable, including a round of golf with the whiskey tasting. Hopefully, the weather cooperates on our next trip for a round of golf!

Waldorf Astoria Spa: Alex surprised me with a facial at the Waldorf Astoria Spa during our stay. The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable, and helped provide a relaxing environment. The spa and gym area was well maintained and extremely clean. They offered a wide variety of services and I left with my skin feeling so much better after being dried from travel.

St Giles’ Cathedral: It is free to tour St. Giles’ Cathedral and I would highly recommend it! The Cathedral was built in 1124 and was a Roman Catholic Cathedral until 1572 when the Scottish Reformation adopted Protestantism. There is so much Scottish history to uncover during the tour, not to mention many important ceremonies for the royal family have been and are still held in St. Giles’.

Palace of Holyroodhouse: The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the royal family’s official Scotland residence. The palace and attached Holyrood Abbey date back to the twelfth century and are full of wild stories. We planned our tour in advance but could have easily walked up and bought tickets the same day during the week. There is an exhibit celebrating the life of Prince Philip for a limited time that I very much enjoyed.

Royal Yacht Britannia: I have been on many royal family-related tours, but the Royal Yacht Britannia was probably my favorite. They have left the yacht exactly as it was when the royal family retired it in 1997. The Queen’s bedroom, study, formal dining, and game room are all on display. The history this yacht covered from 1953 to 1997 made for a very informative tour. After our tour ended we enjoyed high tea on the top deck. I recommend buying tickets in advance the planning to have tea during an off time, this tour was particularly popular.

Beehive Inn: When we first arrived in Edinburgh we started with a walk through “Old Town” to find a place for lunch. The concierge at our hotel recommended Beehive Inn and it was the perfect pub for lunch. We enjoyed fish and chips and a traditional meat pie. Beehive Inn has a great front patio and was perfectly placed halfway through our walking tour of “Old Town”.

Angels with Bagpipes: The best traditional Scottish food we found in Edinburgh! The goat cheese starter, venison, and 12-hour braised beef were all delicious. The atmosphere was simple but nice and the wait staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I recommend making reservations in advance.

Contini: We wanted to mix up our meals a little so I found a family-owned Italian restaurant. The local family who owns Contini also owns a few other restaurants in the Edinburgh area but we were missing a little Italian flair. The buffalo mozzarella, orecchiette, and torta cioccolato were all fantastic. I had a hard time finding a decent martini in the UK but Contini nailed the espresso martini.

Ondine: I had Ondine on a list of potential dinner spots, but while eating lunch an older local couple overheard we were visiting and specifically recommended Ondine. They were right, it was some of the best seafood we have ever had! Everything on the menu was local and seasonally fresh, the oysters were some of the largest and richest we had ever tried. I recommend making reservations in advance, they filled up quickly for dinner.

The Scotch Malt Whiskey Society: Ken, our Scotch tasting guide, recommended we stop by the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society to try some more unique whiskeys. Alex enjoyed learning more about the flavor profiles and tasting different types of Scotch. You can join the American chapter and there are bars that offer their special Scotch across the states but none near Dallas.

Below are a few photos from our recent trip to Edinburgh! xoxo