Edinburgh

Edinburgh is by far my favourite city. It has this charm that is unbeatable! Maybe it's just my fascination with the medieval times, but the city just has this personality that stays agrees with me. It's not a big city, but there's so much history here that there's a ton to visit. Walking in Edinburgh feels like you've stepped back into town and landed in a medieval city. The Edinburgh Castle is on a hill in the middle of the city that overlooks it. It's easy to imagine being a peasant walking in the city with the royalty always above, looking down on the poor, watching their city.

From the Castle, there's a long road called "The Royal Mile." It's just over a mile long and connects the castle to the palace. It's the oldest part of the city and it shows. The old buildings, the closes (the tiny alleys between buildings which used to be the dirtiest parts of the city), the old street names, the cobblestones, etc.

As with any old city, there are old legends and stories. Edinburgh happens to have quite a dark past, and I happen to have a morbid curiosity for the twisted and strange stories. One thing I did, was the Edinburgh Dungeon. It's a sort of themed tour inside the building. We are guided in by people in costumes, recreating scenes from the past, going through different decorated rooms, each one scarier than the last, each story gorier than the last. About halfway through, there's a scary boat ride and at the end, there's even one of those falling rides like at the fair! All inside the building! It was hilarious and terrifying all at the same time.

I also went on a "dark side of Edinburgh" walking tour, which was really a lot of fun. It lasted about two hours, and we walked around the city, through some cemeteries as our guide told us about some of the most twisted stories of Edinburgh, mostly old but some recent as well. From grave-robbing, to royal murders, a man who tried to become a vampire, witch burnings, etc.

Deacon Brodie... The inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

One of the highlights of Edinburgh for me was the The Elephant House café, where J.K. Rowling used to go to write Harry Potter. They call themselves the "birthplace of Harry Potter." It's a cute little café with tons of elephant trinkets, figurines and even chairs shaped like an elephant's head. The ambiance was really nice, so I can imagine why she would spend hours in there writing. The food is wonderful and the bathrooms are breathtaking. I know it sounds silly, but Harry Potter fans have taken bathroom graffiti to a whole new level. (Speaking of Harry Potter... There's a Tom Riddle grave in a cemetery in Edinburgh)

One story still comes to mind when I think of Edinburgh, and it's the story of Greyfriars Bobby. The dearest little dog! He was rescued by a man named Grey and absolutely adored his master, though he died an untimely death barely two years later. Bobby, who was stricken with grief slept on his master's grave for fourteen years! The cemetery guards tried to kick him out of the graveyard, but he always came back, so eventually they built him a small shelter and fed him until he died. He was buried near his master's grave and there's a bronze statue of him near Greyfriars. (Even Disney made a movie about him!)

It's just a charming city and honestly? I can't wait to go back and visit some more!