Harry Potter and the Abundance of Stairs

Several weeks after the Cardiff adventure, it was time to branch further out into the U.K., and Amanda, Lorraine and I hopped a bus from London to Edinburgh, Scotland. That was a long, uncomfortable overnight ride, let me tell you. But pinching pennies was a must when traveling as broke college students, and visiting Edinburgh was a definite must. JK Rowling? Harry Potter? Yes. So the bus won.

We went to Edinburgh with pretty much zero agenda. We did a lot of wandering and popping into places that caught our attention (see also: whisky distillery experience, tartan-weaving exhibit). There was also a nighttime Harry Potter tour and a meal at the Elephant House. And you can't go to Edinburgh without exploring Edinburgh Castle, right?

But what caught me off guard was the sheer amount of climbing we did. We climbed the Scott Monument. We climbed Arthur's Seat. We climbed Calton Hill up to the Nelson Monument. Okay, so writing it out it doesn't sound like a lot of climbing, but in less than three days we climbed a dormant volcano, plus 287 stairs, and threw another hill in for good measure. (And seriously, that hike up Arthur's Seat is NO JOKE.) It felt like we were constantly up in the air, looking down at the city... which, honestly, ain't a bad thing!

You know what's the best way to cap off a trip? Another nine-hour overnight bus ride! Hooray for sleep deprivation! Or something.

Also, please note that we did indeed try haggis. We also tried neeps and tatties. And Irn Bru. (Just in case you needed a chuckle.)