Edinburgh Part 1

We took the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh early in the morning.  It was a short 1 hour ride and we got off at the main station in Edinburgh.  The train offered free WiFi which was nice since we didn't add an international plan to our cell phones before we left so the hour went by quickly.  Once we got off the train and made our way to the street I was incredibly happy that our suitcases had wheels.  We had a bit of a walk to our hotel but it wasn't incredibly long.  Our hotel was located on the New Town side of the city and we were once again able to drop off our suitcases since it was too early to check in.

Right around the corner from our hotel was The Georgian House and it is operated by the National Trust for Scotland.  I didn't get any photos inside and I'm not sure why as according to the website you can take photos.  I was certain I had but after reviewing my phone and Canon files I cannot find any.  I do recommend you visit here, especially if you love seeing how the upper crust lived.  It's so different from how people were living in the Old Town side of Edinburgh at that time and I think it's a great reminder on how class struggles have always been a part of history.  It is a self guided site with helpful staff around to answer any questions you may have so you can spend as little or as much time as you'd like exploring this restored town house.

After we left there we strolled through Princes Street Gardens as we headed towards Old Town.  The views of the castle were gorgeous from here and even if you're not staying in New Town, you should check it out. 

After we crossed into Old Town and walked up a lot of hills we came across the Elephant House Cafe and I just had to take a photo.  Harry Potter fans will know this as the cafe where J.K. Rowling spent some time writing the beloved stories.  We were in a hurry so we didn't pop in but I wanted to.  Maybe next time we're in Edinburgh.  

We continued our walk to the National Museum of Scotland where admission is free but even if they charged admission I would highly recommend you schedule several hours and visit this museum.  It's huge!  Make sure you pick up a map of the building on your way in because you'll need it to navigate through.  We decided to focus mostly on the Scottish History and Archaeology Galleries as we knew our time was limited.  One of the coolest things about the museum is that you can climb up to the roof and get some stunning views of the city, especially on a clear day.  It was worth all the stairs it took to get there.  

We rushed back across town to visit the Scottish National Portrait Gallery  (which also has free admission) and made it with about an hour to spend inside.  This museum has a wonderful collection of portraits of some of Scotland's most influential citizens from it's past.  We spent a bit of time looking at a portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie and one of the staff members started talking to us about it and noted some other Jacobite paintings in the same room.  She was knowledgeable on the subjects in the paintings and she shared some juicy stories about them.  We talked a bit about Outlander, too!  One of my most favorite parts of the museum was the ceiling in the hall.  This is a great reminder to always look up, even if you are in a hurry.  

Not too bad for our first day in Edinburgh.  I wish I had more photos to share but I did link all the sites we visited so you can check them out if you want to learn more about them.