Wanderlust | Och aye! I be oot and aboot in Scotlahnd!

Hello from Scotland!



Lots of pictures for you today! If you haven't noticed, I did a bit of widening to my blog, so that I can make my pictures EXTRA big and pretty for every to take a looksies. Wow, what marvelous views Edinburgh has. I am enchanted. I am also happy to say that by day two I may be able to pass off an acceptable Scottish accent. Brilliant! This place is absolutely amazing, and overwhelmingly beautiful. After a frantic and busy week (somehow time just COMPLETELY got away from me...I also spent my one free night finishing my catch-up on Game of Thrones...I cried. Moving on), I met up with my Aunt Dawn yesterday and hopped on a train to Edinburgh! Translation: we walked around like little lost birds for an hour, cut the train way too close, and had to sit apart because we didn't reserve seats..lessons were learned, I promise you!

However, we DID end up in Edinburgh about four hours later, and after walking up long hills we found our hotel. We ate at a pub (I had Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties, which was certainly an experience...) and I watched British TV the rest of the night! While that was relaxing, today was filled with adventures!

Edinburgh- Day 2: Edinburgh Castle, Writer's Museum, Camera Obscura, Ghost Tour

Edinburgh Castle

Wow. Like many castles, I am absolutely blown away by the beauty , but there is something different--something a bit more grand at Edinburgh than other places. We had to ascend many stairs and hills to get to the very top, but every level created more and more stunning views. The castle offered gift shops and restaurants abound, so we stopped in and had afternoon tea, and of course the Whisky Shop. We visited the Royal Palace, St. Margaret's Chapel, National War Museum, etc., which were all very nice, but I think I just have to show you guys the pictures for you to understand...

The beautiful Edinburgh Castle

I mean, LOOK at this.

National War Memorial

Made in 1615...how cool is that?!

Palace with the Crown Jewels

Oh yes

Couldn't resist a pic with that view!

The Writer's Museum

After that, we aimlessly tooled around looking for The Writer's Museum, which focuses on the lives and works of Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Sir Walter Scott. While I did enjoy reading about them, I thought there'd be a bit more to the overall museum. However, it was a lovely break in the day as it was not very crowded.

Camera Obscura

Next we went to the museum of optical illusions and weird, funky unexplainables. The museum held light shows, holograms, illusions, and the oldest camera obscura in the world (which allows you to look at the world below....so beware, Edinburgh, someone's watching you). I rather enjoyed the museum; it was very lighthearted and fun for a laugh. I'll probably upload more pictures when my aunt emails her pics to me.

Another scenic view!

The Royal Mile

Apparently the castle that inspired J.K. Rowling

Having fun with optical illusions! Haha

Once we were finished with the museum, we walked around to try and find The Elephant House, which was the "birthplace" of Harry Potter. And eventually, we found it! I had a lovely affogato and bacon, brie, and mango sandwich, and both were incredibly yummy!

The Elephant House!

Yayyy Harry Potter-ness

Ghost Tour
 After our early dinner, we headed back to the hotel for a little down time before signing up for a night ghost tour. While I love the thrill, I find myself succumbing to fear from the stories, and my tour guide quite enjoyed yelling random words just to make us jump...and I did. We were led through Greyfriar's Cemetery, which is notoriously one of the most haunted graveyards in the world, as well as the South Bridge Vaults, home to many historical torture events and such and such. Nasty, horrible things that make people think they see ghosts when they visit. The vaults were the worst though, since there was absolutely no air flow so I felt stifled the whole time. I was quite happy to be back out in the fresh air when the tour was over. However, I did have a fun time and I find it fascinating how many hidden alleys and underground tunnels have been lost in the passage of time. My tour guide was fun and sweet, too.


That's Edinburgh for now!! I'll probably blog again when I get back to London. I realize I never talked about my trip to Stonehenge and Bath, so hopefully I'll get around to that soon. You never know! However it's bedtime for me so I'll catch you all later!


Cheers xo


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