We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.” Apparently Ray Bradbury, who famously wrote that quote, shares my same travel philosophy. Getting intentionally lost down little streets and marveling at beautiful architecture is the romance of travel, mixed with a dash of adventure and a dab of spontaneity. And don’t underestimate a little bit of craziness.
Case in point: One week after returning home from my trip to London and Edinburgh, I booked a flight back to Scotland. Partly because I really did love Edinburgh, but also because I couldn’t stop wondering about the man I met there.
Scotland was the answer to the yearly conundrum of where to spend my birthday combined with the curiosity about the man I spent a day with in Edinburgh. We’d met by chance and went to lunch the next day. Lunch evolved into exploring the city which morphed into beers that turned into dinner that lead to drinks. He called me when I got home to Chicago and one conversation turned into two and, well, we’ve been appreciating the convenience of video chat ever since.
So I returned to Scotland with one caveat: he had to plan everything. Even though I’m an over-planner and he’s not, I thought he’d know the best things to do in Scotland. And the result was a spectacular week of whisky and wanderlust in Scotland.
A Week of Whisky & Wanderlust in Scotland
In case you’re wondering, yes, there was a point when I realized how crazy it was to be flying 3,707 miles to the other side of the world to spend a week with someone I’d spent only 13 hours with. I reminded myself that life is short and adventures provide great stories, and hoped for the best.
Edinburgh, Scotland
We spent my first day lovingly reliving the drearily wonderful streets of Edinburgh, wandering some of the same spots that have been pulling at my heartstrings since my first visit. When the gray clouds hung heavy threatening rain, we ducked in the Museum of Scotland, a free museum full of seemingly random artifacts and exhibits that were somehow entertaining.
As luck would have it, the rain waited until we left the museum to pour down on the city, right as we were strolling through Greyfriars Kirkyard. The 16th Century cemetery is supposedly one of the most haunted places in the world (!!!), complete with a rumored poltergeist that attacks the living. (Fun!)
It’s best known for the Greyfriars Bobby, a dog who guarded his master’s grave for 13 years that’s memorialized with a statue surrounded by a constant swarm of tourists, plus some headstones that provided J.K. Rowling with names for her Harry Potter books. (For example, Thomas Riddell Esquire is buried there.)
Since rain and ramen (or any weather for that matter) are sort of my thing, we stopped at Tank’s for a bowl of my favorite Japanese noodles. The Japanese beer was the standout of the meal, but more on ramen in Scotland later.
Pencaitland and The Shore
Glenkinchie Distillery
The next day we ventured to Pencaitland, in Scotland’s East Lothian region, to the closest whisky distillery to Edinburgh: Glenkinchie Distillery. I discovered Glenkinchie scotch on my last trip and really like its slightly sweet, cereal taste, nutty nose, and overall lightness.
Most scotch distilleries are hours from Edinburgh, but Glenkinchie is only 15 miles away. Running late on time, we hopped in a cab for the 35 minute drive and ended up having a great time with the driver on the way. (There’s a shuttle that runs to/from Edinburgh’s Old Town; here are more details.)
I was surprised how different scotch distilleries are from American whiskey distilleries, even though the resulting whisk(e)y tastes so different (probably should have been a given!). The tour of Glenkinchie Distillery takes you next to the fermentation tanks and right up to the pot stills, giving all your senses a glimpse of whisky-making! At the end, we tasted several Glenkinchie expressions and a few of the blends Glenkinchie goes into.
The Shore
That evening, back in Edinburgh, we went to the far end of the city near the water. Known as The Shore, it’s much quieter than the touristy-heavy center, full of tiny pubs and cute restaurants. We picked The King’s Wark, the street-level restaurant in an inn built in 1432(!!!) for traditional Scottish food and ales.
We ended the night not far away at Teuchter’s, where we sipped on Scottish gin. Gin is usually associated more with England than Scotland, but Scottish gin actually accounts for 70% of all UK gin production. A lot of scotch distilleries actually produce gin because it doesn’t have to age as long (like Bruichladdich, who makes the delicious Botanist gin).
Stirling, Scotland
On my birthday (oh hello 32!), we hopped on the Scotrail train to Stirling to see the Stirling Castle. Stirling is a small city about an hour away known for the medieval castle sitting on a cliff. It happened to be a gorgeously sun day (a rarity in Scotland) and the scenery was breathtaking.
Stirling Castle is one of the most important castles in Scottish history, along with being one of the biggest. It played a big part in the Wars of Scottish Independence and Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned there. Most of the structures were built in the 15th and 16th Centuries, but a few survive from the 1380s. The perimeter of the castle still has evidence of the military fortress that defeated numerous sieges, with cannons still pointing outward on guard.
Almost no tourists were there that day, so we wandered the castle grounds almost by ourselves. There’s a surprising amount of exhibits and things to see there, but somehow we completely missed the palace!
Whisky and Chocolate Cake
For my birthday finale, we returned to Whiski Rooms, the restaurant where we met. It didn’t seem right to be in Scotland and not have haggis, so we started with haggis spring rolls. The traditional mix of sheep lung, heart, liver, onions and oatmeal is spiced up and served in deep-fried spring rolls with a spiced plum sauce. It might even be better than regular haggis! The braised lamb shoulder was delicious but it had nothing on the sticky toffee pudding, a dense chocolate cake drizzled with warm toffee sauce. It was pure perfection, especially served with a flight of whisky.
North Berwick, Scotland
On my last day in Scotland we hopped on a train once again, this time to North Berwick, a seaside town about 30 minutes away. It was a typical gray Scottish day and near the water the icy winds were especially chilly. We walked along the empty beach to a hill overlooking the town and sea, where we sipped on Prosecco and munched on macaroons while the sun set.
North Berwick is full of cute shops, like handcrafted boutiques, cheese shops, and coffee shops. The town is surrounded by world-class golf courses and is home to the adorable birds known as puffins. We didn’t see any puffins, but we did have some Glenkinchie whisky before hopping on the train back to Edinburgh.
For Romance, For Travel
My week of whisky and wanderlust in Scotland was magical beyond anything I could imagine. At the end, I boarded my flight, sad to be leaving such a beautiful country and amazing person. But I’m not worried. It’s far from the last time I’ll be there. In fact, I already have my next flight booked back. (Cue more craziness!)
It’s true that I travel for romance, I travel for architecture, and I travel to be lost. But apparently, I also travel to be found. :)
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Related :: tour of Glenkinchie Distillery, quick day trips from Edinburgh, and returning to Scotland for a third time.
