I was greeted at the airport by a large vending machine exclusively selling Irn Bru. Orange is an offensively bright color when you spent your night and early morning sleeping in an airport. There’s a guy in a kilt just wandering the airport, no luggage or anything- I could’ve sworn this was a fever dream but nope, it was just my weird welcome to Scotland.
Castle Rock, the hostel I booked in Edinburgh, was situated right next to Edinburgh Castle. You couldn’t ask for a better view (or a bigger hill to drag yourself and backpack up). The famous Victoria Street was very close and made me feel like I just stepped onto Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. If you’re a big fan of Harry Potter, you have to see Edinburgh. The inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s books is all over town. The Royal Mile was right near the hostel too, with bagpipers playing and lots of shops to check out.
I went on three free tours- an Edinburgh one, a Harry Potter one, and a spooky tour. I’d recommend the Potter one run by The Potter Trail. It was very interesting to learn about the places J.K. Rowling incorporated into her writing and the guide was charismatic and knowledgeable. I had lunch at the Elephant House, where Rowling penned some of the series (but not the first book, despite what they say in all the signage). From the window, you can see the Edinburgh Castle which, along with a nearby school, contributed to how Hogwarts would be described in the books and portrayed in the movies.
Whilst in Edinburgh, I also climbed up to Calton Hill to get a panoramic view of the city and (almost) climbed up to Arthur’s Seat. It was raining pretty heavily and between the slippery terrain and my fear of heights, I decided against trekking all the way to the top of the ancient volcano. The views from where I surrendered were enough for me. This will probably serve as a pattern for the rest of the trip. I didn’t pay extra for the adventurous travel insurance. Plus, I had a band to see in Glasgow!
Glasgow was a tough place to find hostels that seemed decent, but I booked Euro Hostel off of a recommendation and it was fine. My favorite part was that they had a bar attached so I could eat, drink, and charge up devices whenever I needed to. The food was very inexpensive as well which was a big help for my budget.
I went to see the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. You could spend an hour or so here. I mostly liked the Floating Heads art installation that was suspended from the ceiling. I also spent some time at the Botanic Gardens, which were very nice to see during springtime. I walked Glasgow Green but other than the beautiful archway and being adjacent to the River Clyde, it wasn’t anything too interesting.
I found a self-guided tour online of Glasgow’s street art called the Mural Trail. Hunting for all these pieces was a highlight of my trip. Along the trail, I stumbled upon the Glasgow Cathedral and Glasgow Necropolis, which I had planned on visiting anyway. The Necropolis, an enormous graveyard, was eerie but strangely beautiful. The immense size and detail that was put into each gravestone was unlike anything I’d ever seen.
My main reason for being in Glasgow was to see one of my favorite bands, Paws, play in their hometown at the Centre for Contemporary Arts. The venue reminded me of the smaller rooms in New York where I love to see concerts so I was psyched. The show was an awesome way to end my time in Scotland!
Bri Right Back 