What To Do Off the Royal Mile

The last few times I was in Edinburgh I played pretty close to the Royal Mile, as in, pretty much everything I did, see, eat, and drink was on the Royal Mile. There is totally enough to do and see along this famous stretch of cobbled stones; from museums to pubs, you hardly need to leave if you haven't even been here before.

This time around, however, I was glad to have done with the major tourist attractions on this length of road and now was free to explore some of the many other things Edinburgh has to offer. And there are plenty.

So here's my very short list of things you should do in Edinburgh that isn't found right on the Royal Mile, which should start you off.

Dean Village
This idyllic little residential village not far from Edinburgh Castle is the prettiest, quaintest place in all the city. These 19th century homes line the winding Water of Leith which snakes through much of Edinburgh.

You might think this quiet little place without any restaurants, pubs or even public loos wouldn't be of consequence to check out, but really it's well worth it. 

Get out your camera (or camera phone as the case may be)!

Hutton Roof
I first discovered Hutton Roof on my maps.me app. There it was, listed on George IV Bridge, right near the National Museums Scotland. But when Googled, no Hutton Roof comes up. I was perplexed. I wanted to see the city of Edinburgh, and the Royal Mile for that matter, from a different perspective. I asked all my Scottish residing friends and acquaintances and no one had heard of it either. Almost defeated, my friend and I decided to see if it was somewhere in the museum itself and stopped by the Tower Restaurant for a spot of tea and cake. There were nice views here, but I wanted more. I wanted a roof! 

Wandering around the museum for a bit we finally found a sign reading, 'Stairs to Rooftop' and ascended. We found it! Although nowhere is it marked with it's proper name until you are actually on the roof itself, but Hutton Roof is there with a garden and the wonderful views I had been hoping for. 

Stockbridge Market

I recently wrote about this lovely foodie market on the Water of Leith. I wouldn't call it a little known market as this place was packed when we visited, but maybe it's unknown to the tourist stuck on the Mile. 

Within a half hour walk of the Mile itself, it's a great place to pick up some produce or better yet, a haggis sausage roll.

Harvey Nichols Rooftop

This trip was very much about the rooftop views, as it often is for me when I travel. The other rooftop I enjoyed that isn't too far off the Mile and has stunning city views in it's own right is the Harvey Nichols Fourth Floor Restaurant. It's Harvey Nichols, so don't expect a cheap meal, but definitely a G&T is doable. 

On a sunny, warm day everyone wants to be on the narrow balcony; if you bide your time and order a second G&T, you too, can enjoy a spot of sunshine while watching the small people below from this small strip of paradise. 

Go ahead! Pretend you're fancy AF.

St. Anthony's Chapel Ruins at Sunset

At some point, you should certainly trek up to Arthur's Seat. The views of Edinburgh are something else. The wind was breathtaking as well.

There are several trails that can be taken throughout Holyrood Park each are lovely but I suggest not ignoring St. Anthony's chapel ruins. From here you can see the Firth of Forth along with the castle and much the same views as up on Arthur's Seat, however with a lot less wind. My personal recommendation is to choose a particularly pretty evening and head there for sunset. The light is stunning and your selfie game will be on point. 

Eteaket

A pub crawl is a must when visiting pretty much any European city and Edinburgh definitely has a great many pubs to choose from. However, if you aren't into the pub scene or fancy a pot of tea mid-afternoon, Eteaket located on Frederick St. is the perfect little tea room. They serve meals and cakes and of course afternoon teas. 

Dishoom

Through my London Instagram friends, I'd been seeing and reading all about Dishoom, Bombay Cafe with several locations around London. The #foodporn photos looked amazing and I desperately wanted to check it out. Then a new Scottish friend mentioned a restaurant which had just opened up with a great breakfast called 'Dishoom'. I gasped and began salivating. We immediately made plans to breakfast there the next morning. 

I've been daydreaming about this meal and more specifically the bottomless chai tea ever since. Pictured below is the Kejriwal, fried eggs on chili cheese toast. Hungry yet?

What would you add to my list of things to do in Edinburgh? 

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What to Expect When Visiting Edinburgh

Sometimes visiting a new place can be a bit overwhelming, you might experience some major culture shock, language barriers, and even homesickness. But fear not! Go ahead and plan that trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, I got you covered boo!

Expect Wind
It will whip and whirl around you, not a hair will stay in place. Accept it and style it out.

Expect to spend a lot of time on the Royal Mile
You got the castle at one end and Holyroodhouse on the other and so many wonderful things in between from museums to pubs. And if it's not on the mile, it's not too far off it.

Expect to find good food
We found a great Thai place one night when wandering, we had an excellent lunch in a museum cafe, and many perfect pints in interesting pubs. The food is good.

Expect to want to try haggis and deep fried mars bar and 
Spoiler alert, they're good.

Expect  to like it
Yeah. Like seriously. Don't be scared.

Expect  there to be Scotch drinks
You don't have to like it yourself, but respect the heritage this golden spirit has in this county.

Expect  tourists 
They will be everywhere, doing all the things you are doing. Accept it and deal. You are in an awesome city that's big enough and cool enough to share.

Most importantly expect to have an amazing time in Edinburgh. It's a glorious city with much to see and do.

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Hiking Up the Mile: Edinburgh Castle

I've finally made it up to Scotland, on the blog that is. I was excited to be spending time in this glorious city with my very best 'doing things' friend. When I arrived she had a whole itinerary lined up of all the things I wanted to do in Edinburgh. (I'm already mentally planning my next trip there with a whole new list of activities). 

Surprisingly, on earlier visits although I've done the deep fried Mars bar, picnic on Calton Hill, and a tour of the highlands, I had yet to visit the famous Scottish fortress. 

We made the long (at least it felt long) trek up the winding path along the side of the castle rock and were greeted with the greatest gusts of wind that whipped and whirled around us.

The castle actually sits on the plug of an extinct volcano and there has been a royal castle on the site since the 12th century.

Located on the grounds is Edinburgh's oldest building; St. Margaret's Chapel from the 12th century, having avoided destruction during the Lang siege in the 16th century. This was my favourite bit of the castle. It was tiny and dark, but oozed presence and history.

In true Scottish fashion, the blue sky clouded over and grew heavy. We decided that was our queue to leave and find cake and tea.

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