A City Hauntingly Interesting: Edinburgh, Scotland

A city "plagued" with History and Hogwarts.

Grayfriars Kirk

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

William Scott Memorial

We arrived in Edinburgh at 9 AM after an overnight bus ride and a quick nap in the airport.  We caught the bus to city and center and we were immediately met with a vibrant, bustling city.  Arriving in Scotland, the bagpipes were playing and the sun was somewhat shining.  We stopped for a moment before heading to our Airbnb.  After dropping our bags, we began our adventure.

We immediately were turned around.  The city is built on hills and cliffs.  DC understood it quicker, but I found myself lost along the way.  We paused, trying to identify where we were and where we were going, when we happened up on first site:  Grayfriars Kirk.

We entered the Kirk and we were immediately drawn into the history.  Old tombstones line the yard in a variety of patterns.  The history states the kirk was a prison at one point, where many died due to religious differences.  We quickly looked up an online guide to the Kirk, which directs you to the tombstones allegedly used by J.K Rowling to determine characters in the Harry Potter series.  We were not disappointed.  Both avid readers, we found our way to many beloved names, pausing along the way to catch bits of information from wandering tour guides.  We also found Bobby, the famous pup who stood guard for years in the kirk after his master passed.

Feeling we were finally on the right track, we grabbed lunch before heading over to Edinburgh castle.  We wove our way through the streets to the Royal Mile.  The cobblestone road lead us to the castle entrance.  Buy tickets to the castle ahead of time.  We had learned this tip and it had paid off, as the sign posted stated they were already sold out for the day.

,Edinburgh has a long history of transferring power between the Scots and the English, with bloody battles between the two.  The information guides inside provide interesting insight on the belief of who was on the right side of history.  We noticed this quite a bit throughout our trip across Scotland.  As we strolled we continued with the feeling of being haunted by the past, as those that fought for either side tried to explain their story.

We made our way back out to city center after, getting pictures of the Sir Walter Scott memorial and the city at the end of the day.  After a quick break back at the Airbnb, we headed out for the evening.  The city was full of festivals, with performers lining the streets as we walked.  There were many restaurants in which the word witch was found, giving light as to why Hogwarts had such an easy connection here.

However, it wasn't until we happened upon The Real Mary King's Close that we learned the deep, darker history of Edinburgh.  A "Close" is akin to an alley, which Edinburgh had plenty of.  However, over the years of development, many had been filled in to level the streets.  The Real Mary King's Close attraction takes you into the excavation below Edinburgh.  Here you learn how they lived in close proximity with poor resources for things like hygiene and medicine.  The plague was rampart in Edinburgh, killing many throughout the city.  

To escape was also difficult, as there was the "Flodden Wall" surrounding the citizens.  To exit the city, there was fee to exit at World's End Close.  The poorest could not afford to pay, entrapping them within the city and unable to escape the plague.  We found both the remnants of the wall and Word's End Close as we explored.  The feeling of entrapment still haunts the area when you know the history.

We ended the evening with a festival that we'll post about later.  Edinburgh has something for everyone, yet it feels as though August wasn't the right time to really experience the history of this medieval town.  It feels as though if you went in October, when the colors are changing and the world looks a little closer at ghosts of the past, Edinburgh would have so much to share.

Only, of course, if the ghosts of the past want you to know....

Edinburgh is a place for writers.  When traveling, please do not forget to write your own journey.  There is so much to gain from documenting your experiences.  We promise, you won't remember everything from a trip after, but a journal helps you to remember as much as you can in the moments.  See the link below for journals.

We bought a lot of various tickets on this day of the trip, and we needed our passports to cross from Scotland.  We recommend having a passport holder to keep track of documents when traveling.  It's very easy to misplace important information which can make a trip difficult.  
Find our recommendations for passport holders below.

Passports and Journals