The final day of our Scotland trip was spent in Edinburgh, which is about 40 minutes south of St. Andrews. We stayed in the city during our last Scotland golf trip and you can read about our experience here. This time around we visited a few locations we didn’t have time for two years ago.
We departed St. Andrews that morning and headed to the Airport DoubleTree where we would stay the last night or our trip. After dropping off the rental car, the shuttle driver was kind enough to take us to the Tram Station, where we caught a ride to the city.
Edinburgh Tram to City
One of the best and easiest ways to get from the airport to the city is the Edinburgh Tram. We dropped our rental car and the shuttle took us to the station just south of the airport (Ingliston Park & Ride). With a train running every seven minutes, we didn’t wait too long for our ride to the city. We took it all the way to City Centre and got off at Prince Street, which is right in the middle of what would be considered the “tourist area” and about a 30 minute ride from the airport. We purchased a round trip ticket at the station but tickets can also be purchased on their website.
Edinburgh Tram pulling into the West End Station.
Lunch at German Doner Kebab
We got off the Tram around lunchtime and were looking to get a quick bite before heading to the Castle. In and underground shopping and dining area next to the train station, we came across German Doner Kebab, a restaurant that neither of us were familiar with. They offer Mediterranean type meat (kebabs) in wraps, pitas, bowls, boxes, etc. Andrew got the Doner box with fries and Chris went with the OG Kebab, both of which were really good. Unfortunately there aren’t any locations in the Orlando area but GDK has expanded to the New York/New Jersey area and Dallas, Texas. If they were located in our area, we would be frequent customers.
Edinburgh Castle
The last time Andrew and his brother were in Scotland, they hadn’t purchased tickets ahead of time and the castle tickets were sold out. This time, they purchased their tickets a few weeks ahead of their trip to get the time they wanted. The walk from the station to the Castle isn’t that far but it is mostly uphill, including an incredibly long staircase leading up to the Royal Mile which is the road that starts at the Edinburgh Castle and ends at the bottom of the hill at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Though parts of it remain in military use, the castle is now a world-famous visitor attraction. It’s also an iconic part of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site. Some of the highlights include:
The Argyle Tower tells the story of the medieval Scottish Wars of Independence.
The Half Moon Battery includes the Seven Sisters and Today’s 18-Pound Cannons made in 1810 used during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Grand Hall was completed in 1510 hosting grand banquets which today displays historic weapons, shields, and armour.
The Crown Room displays the Scottish Crown Jewels, the oldest in Britain.
The Scottish National War Memorial is dedicated to Scots who died in both World Wars and all other conflicts since 1945.
The National War Museum houses letters, swords, chemical warfare suits, and other artifacts used by Scottish forces thoughout the centuries.
View of Edinburgh from the Castle
We visited just about every exhibit in the castle, some of which we went through a little quicker than others. Overall, it took us about 2 hours to go through everything. Guests who stop and read every plaque and exhibit could take a majority of the day to experience. We enjoyed our visit to the Edinburgh Castle but if you only have one day in Edinburgh, I would skip this and cover as much of the city, especially the Royal Mile and surrounding area, instead.
Haunted Vaults Tour
The castle tour was short enough that it left us with additional time. We had seen multiple advertisements for haunted tours but most were at night and we had to be up early the next morning for our flights. We came across Auld Reekie Tours which not only provide haunted tours at night but host daytime tours of the Vaults.
Per their website, “Our guide will enlighten you on the dark history of Old Town Edinburgh’s most extensive haunted underground vaults that date back to the 1700s. Former slum dwellings and home to the wretched and destitute, as well as a despicable criminal underworld.”
Our tour started a few blocks from the castle and from there we walked down the Royal Mile and made a few stops along the way to hear stories of past figures, including the site of a notorious jail and gallows. After about a 10-15 minute walk, we arrived at the entrance to the Vaults.
Heading to the Vaults
Entrance to the Vaults
The first room inside the vault was a small medieval torture exhibit showing visitors replica instruments used in Edinburgh’s history including how and why they were used. There was also a cutaway map showing the different levels of the vaults.
After spending a few minutes in this room, we worked our way into the heart of the Vaults which consists of a long, main hallway with the various rooms shooting off on each side. Our tour stopped at a handful of Vault entrances and we were given a history of that particular area. The standout room had to be one that, at one time, was used by a witches coven, which they have recreated. Our final stop was to make our way into one of the Vaults, block the entrance with a curtain, and turn off all lights, just to get a sense of how dark it was in there.
We really enjoyed this tour and would recommend it to anyone who wants to find a haunted tour but doesn’t have a ton of time. If time allows, we would recommend a longer tour that includes the Vaults and other stops. The next time we find ourselves in Edinburgh, we would really like to experience a true, nighttime haunted ghost tour.
Stairs leading to the Vaults
One of the Vaults
Main Hallway with the Vaults on each side
Recreation of the Witches Coven
Dinner at OX 184
After the underground tour, we slowly made our way back towards the tram station to catch a ride to the airport hotel. On the way, we were on the hunt for dinner and came across OX 184. Per their website “under the shadow of Edinburgh’s South Bridge, a bar restaurant and late night venue; renowned for its grill, craft beer and whisky.” We were there for an early dinner so it was quiet, the service was friendly and quick, and the food was really good. Definitely worth the stop if you are in the area.
Final Thoughts
This was Andrew’s second time in Edinburgh and is quickly climbing the ranks of his favorite cities anywhere. The lack of tall, glass, boring buildings creating a claustrophobic feeling is always very welcome. Edinburgh has done an incredible job of preserving its history and the exterior appearance of the buildings while modernizing the interiors. There is no shortage of history to be learned and experienced here and he can’t wait to come back, hopefully next time with Julie.