Scotland's Urban Gems: Glasgow and Edinburgh Travel Guide

It’s official — I love the UK. Our very first trip to Europe was London in 2018 and we’ve been trying to find an excuse to make a return trip to the UK ever since.

Mark was scheduled for a weeklong work trip to England in February, so we decided to tack on a little vacation to the end of his trip to Scotland. For this trip, we spent all of our time in the cities, but now we are dead set on making a return to explore the Highlands and Isle of Skye.

Stats

location
Glasgow and Edinburgh
Scotland, UK

where we stayed
Moxy Merchant City Glasgow & Edinburgh Holyrood Hotel

when & how many days
Six nights in February

What we did

Day One

Technically we spent six nights in Scotland, but we both arrived from Stuttgart and London fairly late in the evening, so we just went to bed and were ready to explore Glasgow the next morning. Our hotel was a quick walk to George’s Square which is the main area of Glasgow. Something you’ll notice immediately in George’s Square is that there are a ton of statues, and one of them is wearing an orange traffic cone like a hat. Allegedly, some university students put the cone on the Duke of Wellington’s statue in the early 80s. Because of how tall the statue is, the city had to use special equipment to remove it; however, each time they did, the cone would magically reappear. Now, it’s a symbol of the city and appears on all kinds of posters, shirts and postcards.

After a coffee stop, since I can never seem to get properly caffeinated on vacation, we started walking toward Kelvingrove Park. Along the way, we passed Chulo’s (see more in the what we ate section) and I insisted that we take a cookie break.

Kelvingrove Park would be a lovely place to spend the afternoon in good weather, or if you’re the type that likes to keep active on vacation, a fabulous place for a 5K. We had fun walking around and taking pics of the friendly, fat squirrels. After making a loop, we entered the Kelvingrove Art Museum, which is absolutely FREE. There was a special exhibit you could pay to go through, but the main part was open to the public. It reminded us a little bit of the Museum of Natural History in DC.

Combating a sugar rush from Chulo’s, Mark chose to grab some lunch at Ramen Dayo. I only snacked on some gyoza since I had my sights set on afternoon tea. We continued walking the city and then ended up at The Butterfly and the Pig for a proper afternoon tea.

Since it was getting close to golden hour, we headed back to the hotel so we could grab the big camera and take pictures of the Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis. Glasgow Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in Scotland, erected between 1136 and 1484. Necropolis is the gigantic Victorian cemetery directly next to the cathedral. From the top of the hill, you can see all of Glasgow. Walking among the elaborate monuments and tombstones felt like entering a different era.

We rounded out our Glasgow day with dinner at a Big Lebowski themed restaurant.

Day Two

We hopped on a morning train from Glasgow and arrived in Edinburgh in the early afternoon. We didn’t really have big plans for our second day in Scotland other than to attend Sunday Roast at 5 p.m. Our room wasn’t quite ready yet, so I convinced Mark that we should walk to a nearby yarn store.

Since the UK is one of the top knitting countries in the world, I had scoured Reddit before our trip to see if they had any recommendations for little yarn shops (LYS). Multiple threads had recommended Ginger Twist Studio and Be Inspired Fibres. While we’re frequently traveling around Europe, something I’ve really gotten into is trying to buy yarn from a LYS in that country. It lets me explore a bunch of different brands that I would likely not find in the states, supports a local small business, and gives me endless joy whenever I get to spend hours knitting and then wearing my finished object. Ginger Twist happened to be located near(ish) our hotel and Be Inspired was near(ish) our dinner plans.

Mark decided to pop over to a local pub while I shopped. I loved not being rushed and picked up three sweater quantities worth of yarn from Ginger Twist, all from the UK and two were even hand-dyed in Edinburgh! We took my haul back to the hotel, changed for dinner and started our walk to Be Inspired. I picked up another sweater quantity worth from Be Inspired, though I think it was from England instead of Scotland.

If the whole day was dedicated to my hobbies, then the evening was all Mark’s show. He thoroughly enjoyed Sunday Roast at Kyloe, and I’m pretty sure he was happy that I’m mostly vegetarian and he got the rib roast meant for sharing all to himself. I made up for the lack of entrée by absolutely decimating all of the sides and the sticky toffee bread pudding that came as dessert.

Day Three

After a couple of non-training days and a lot of excess carbs, we both went for a run through Holyrood Park around Arthur’s Seat. The weather was absolutely beautiful and it was wonderful to see the whole city drenched in morning spring light. After a quick shower, we were ready to tackle the day and made our way to Clarinda’s for afternoon tea. Fully fueled, we hit the Royal Mile.

Mark and I are usually not big shoppers on vacation and often don’t buy many, if any, souvenirs. Usually we pick up a magnet for the fridge and a cute postcard if I can find one drawn by a local artist and that’s about it. Not in Scotland. We went absolutely nuts on the Royal Mile. Prior to the trip, I had been seeing a bunch of ads for Harris Tweed purses—probably because Instagram has picked up on how much plaid I wear. Numerous times I had added the purses to a cart and then abandoned, so I was delighted that they were literally everywhere along the Royal Mile. When I told Mark the only thing that had stopped me from purchasing online was that I was torn between two colors, he told me to just get both in Edinburgh and even suggested I get a third to replace my crossbody travel purse.

I wasn’t the only one to find treasures on the Royal Mile. Mark picked up a Aran sweater with Harris Tweed patches and a Harris Tweed jacket and vest. We also picked up tweed scarves for all of us “kids” so we can match my brother and sister-in-law the next time we see them.

After a successful shopping excursion, we rounded out the day with dinner reservations at Six by Nico and drinks at Ensign Ewart, where we were able to listen to traditional Scottish music while we sipped.

Day Four

One of my main goals while we were in Scotland was to see the wooly coos. Usually you need to go to the Highlands to see the cows, but while I was researching things to do in Edinburgh, I saw that there were cows free-grazing at Swanston Farm, a 4-star hotel just south of Edinburgh. There were numerous hiking trails in the area that boasted multiple reviews (with photographic proof) of seeing said cows.

We took the bus out to Swanston and stopped for a proper lunch of fish and chips at The Steading before embarking on the Allermuir Trail. Now is a great time to highlight my toxic trait while selecting hikes—I never look at the trail on terrain view or pay any attention to elevation gain. Also, my conversion from meters to feet is shaky at best. All this to say, Allermuir Trail was lovely but it had a steep uphill from The Steading. Had we reversed the route, it would have been much easier and quicker to see the cows with a gentle climb.

Once we got to the summit, or mostly there, the wind started picking up. I was properly dressed in one of my hand-knit wool sweaters with a rainproof coat, but Mark didn’t have on nearly as many layers. He suggested we start our descent back to the bus instead of continuing along the ridge since our dinner reservation was quickly approaching. Having not seen the cows yet, I tried to get my mind right and not let this ruin what had already been a lovely afternoon.

No sooner than when we had started our descent, we start seeing “evidence” of cows. Like an amateur Bear Grylls, I proclaimed that it looked fresh and they should be nearby. Sure enough, we went over a small hill and saw them all grazing. As luck would have it, we were nearing golden hour so the light was perfect.

Mission accomplished, we headed back to our hotel, showered, and checked in for dinner and whiskey sampling at Whiski Rooms. After impressing Mark once again with my ability to inhale sticky toffee bread pudding solo, we grabbed our camera gear and hiked up to Arthur’s Seat in the dark. Friends, this was a lot of incline for one day and my lil quads were feeling it. Seeing the city from so high up at night was definitely worth it, and there were a bunch of people running up there with headlamps, so we definitely weren’t alone.

We ended the day at BrewDog, which is always a fun little brewery, and it actually originated in Scotland!

Day Five

After an activity heavy day, we kept it a little more chill for our last day and decided to get off the beaten path a little bit. We started the day with a quick jog (marathon training does not take a vacation, people) and then caught the bus to the Circus Lane area. While walking the neighborhood, we happened upon Artisan Roast and stopped for a coffee and scone, both of which were amazing.

Fully caffeinated, we took the long way back towards the city center through the Royal Botanical Garden. I’m sure this is lovely during the spring and summer, but during February there wasn’t a lot to see. A nice part about the gardens is that it was free to stroll through.

Since we were so focused on shopping on day three, we headed back to the Royal Mile to take pictures, climbing up to the other viewpoint of the city, Calton Hill. Out of the two viewpoints, I will say that I liked Calton Hill better because there was a lot less climbing and the buildings were closer, making for better pictures in my opinion.

Because we were hiking during afternoon tea the previous day, we made a stop at Tigerlily for our last tea during the trip. As it was nearing golden hour, we made our way toward Edinburgh Castle. Other than the wooly coos, these are some of my favorite pictures of the trip, so I’m glad the weather cooperated with us. We popped into Cold Town Brewery for a quick a pint, but mainly so we could use the restroom and pack up our camera gear.

Something we really wanted to get on this trip was a nice blazer for Mark, so running out of time until the stores started to close, we headed back to the Royal Mile and found Mark the perfect Harris Tweed jacket and vest. Mission accomplished, we went to dinner at Howies before calling it an earlier night.

What we ate

I think the UK gets a bad rep for having terrible food. Sure, some of the traditional meals are questionable at best, but we honestly didn’t have a bad meal the entire time we were in Scotland. That said, Glasgow was the clear winner for best eats around the clock.

Where we ate in Glasgow

• Chulo’s Stuffed Cookies: We stumbled upon this little shop on our way to Kelvingrove and I’m so glad we did because it was one of the best cookies I’ve ever had. They were ginormous and almost cookie dough-like. I ordered the S’mores and Mark got the Boujee Biscoff and both were delightful.

• Ramen Dayo: After the massive sugar rush from Chulo’s, Mark needed something to settle his stomach, so we popped into Dayo. We are forever on the hunt for the best ramen in every city, and we found the top shop in Glasgow. Mark ordered the Tantanmen and thought the broth had a great flavor, but still preferred Kodawari in Paris and Umami in Stuttgart. The vibe and ambience was on point, so it’s definitely worth a visit for your ramen fix.

• The Butterfly and the Pig: This was our afternoon tea spot and it was hands down our favorite tea shop of the entire trip. We were super lucky to get in without reservations, so if you’re trying to go during high tourist season I would definitely book a table. What made this our best tea experience is, you guessed it, the spread. The sandwiches were the heartiest I’ve ever seen at an afternoon tea and the scones with clotted cream and jam were heavenly. To top it all off, it was reasonably priced at £40 ($48) for both of us and included unlimited tea and a glass of Prosecco. If you’re looking for something lighter, they also offered a Cream Tea which comes with tea and scones with clotted cream and jam on the side.

• Lebowskis: At this point, we absolutely did not need dinner, but we couldn’t pass up a Big Lebowski themed restaurant. Boasting a cocktail menu with more than 30 different varieties of White Ukrainians (I’m guessing this is a recent renaming of the popular drink from the movie), Lebowskis served up some serious eats too. Mark enjoyed his Motherclucker (Korean-style chicken sandwich) and I was delighted by their veggie burger, Cartel Club.

Where we ate in Edinburgh

• Kyloe: If you’ve never done Sunday Roast, make your reservation here. Not only have they been crowned best roast in Scotland two years in a row, the roast is set up for sharing and includes unlimited sides plus dessert with your choice of rump roast or rib roast for £65 or £50 for two people respectively. No matter the season, this one must absolutely be booked in advance as they don’t take walk-ins on Sunday. Since this was the most important part of the trip for Mark, we made our reservation a week before we left (and there were not a lot of time slots available at that point).

• Clarinda’s Tearoom: This was near our hotel and turned out to be the perfect little tea spot with a cozy, eclectic vibe. They don’t have an official afternoon tea menu, so you can mix and match sandwiches and desserts for your own little DIY tea service. I stuck with my usual Earl Grey and Mark tried the Brodie’s Famous Edinburgh and Scottish Breakfast blends. Since we have absolutely zero self-control at tea time, we ordered the carrot, gingerbread, and coffee cake with the last being our favorite.

• Six by Nico: By far one of the coolest concepts I’ve seen for a fine dining restaurant! Nico offers a six course themed menu that changes every six weeks. When we visited, the theme was Neverland from Peter Pan. I was thrilled that they allowed me to mix and match between the standard and vegetarian menu so I was able to enjoy the fish dishes. We also liked that while it was finer dining, jeans and a nice top were totally acceptable attire and it wasn’t overly expensive at £37 per person. Just like Kyloe, you’ll definitely need to make a reservation a week or so in advance if you want to eat here.

• Whiski Rooms: Mark’s British coworker recommended this place to us as a great way to try a bunch of different scotches. If you haven’t yet had your fill of Scottish food, this is the place to try it! We split a Scotch Egg which was amazing, as well as indulged in a whisky flight (Mark) and sticky toffee pudding (Sarah). We made a reservation here only because it was Valentine’s Day and we thought the restaurants may be busier than usual. If you do make a reservation, make sure you go to the right spot since they have two locations close each other: one is Whiski Bar & Restaurant and the other is Whiski Rooms. I’m not really sure how they’re different from each other.

• Tigerlily: This was the most Instagrammable place we had afternoon tea. Mark appreciated that in addition to the typical champagne tea, Tigerlily offered a cocktail tea.

• Howies: After finally finding the perfect tweed jacket for Mark, we finished out our trip at Howies on Victoria Street aka the street that’s allegedly the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books. What we loved about Howies was that their menu was a perfect blend of seasonal and traditional, offering some unique twists on Scottish classics.

• Ensign Ewart: This cozy little pub has some serious history, dating all the way back to its founding in 1680. If you haven’t tried cask ale yet, they offer local, rotating taps, plus you can listen to traditional Scottish music while you sip.

• Cold Town House: If you’re looking for a local pint, Cold Town is it. It’s also conveniently located right by the castle so you can stop in after touring. I’m sure their terrace would be lovely in the summer months since it has a direct view of the castle, but we stayed out of the cold February air.

• Artisan Roast: After spending a lot of time on the Royal Mile, Mark wanted to explore the Circus Lane area. We popped in here for a little pick me up and some “Sarah fuel” aka a scone with jam. This was by far the best coffee we had on the trip, so I’m glad we stumbled in. If you aren’t in that area, they have multiple locations throughout Edinburgh.

• The Steading: We grabbed fish and chips here before embarking on our search for the wooly coos. The portions were ginormous, so I’m glad we had an activity planned afterwards. Definitely not a place to make a special stop for, but it is basically the only restaurant near the hike, other than Swanston Farms which was by reservation only.

Travel tips

• Consider visiting in the winter
  I may be biased since the only times we’ve visited the UK has been during the winter, but I highly recommend it. Yes, the weather is a bit cold, but both times we visited for a whole week and it didn’t rain at all and was actually pretty sunny. It’s also way easier to get into all of the attractions and restaurants. Plus, if you’re on a budget, January and February are the cheapest times to travel to the UK.

• Spend more time in Edinburgh
  Despite being the smaller of the two cities, I loved the charm and architecture of Edinburgh a little more than Glasgow. It also felt like there was a little bit more to do.

• Do Glasgow first or make it a day trip
  We only did one full day in Glasgow and that felt like plenty to me. If you didn’t want to split time between two hotels like we did, Glasgow is an easy day trip on the train. The train ride is 51 minutes, leaves every 30 minutes and only costs £10.40 ($12.50) one way.

• Reservations are key
  If you have your sights set on a certain restaurant or tea house, reservations are key, even in the off season.

• Do Sunday Roast and afternoon tea
  These are quintessential UK experiences. Many restaurants will offer a Sunday Roast from about noon to 5 p.m. If you are staying over a Sunday, make a reservation about a week in advance (more in the summer). Tea usually runs about the same time but differs from place to place. We lucked out on this trip without making reservations for many of the spots (score for traveling in the off season), but we weren’t able to do tea at the Holyrood Palace because they were fully booked.

• Buy the Aran pullover, tweed jacket or tartan scarf if you want it
  If you’re like me, you assume everything on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh is overpriced crap. It is not. Mark got a Harris Tweed jacket for £300, which I assumed was marked up, but after looking everywhere online, I saw that it was actually on par if not cheaper. After getting several social media targeted ads for Harris Tweed purses, I bought three while we were in Edinburgh for £60 (or €68) each. The online stores not only didn’t have the color I wanted (pink), the purses were also way more expensive at €110 without shipping. So if you’re like us and love that plaid/tweed/wool life, buy it there and make sure you have plenty of suitcase space. I left Germany with 16 kilograms of luggage and returned with 21.5 kilograms. One last note, make sure you shop early since a lot of the stores start to close around 6 p.m.

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