Harvest, est. 1975 

Cambridge, MA USA. 

Although J.K. Rowling did not move to Edinburgh or see Edinburgh Castle until after she had envisioned Hogwarts, she admits to a certain similarity "Bizarrely, I've come to live in the shadow of what could be a lot like Hogwarts, excerpt Hogwarts has a lake. (From a 2002 60 Minutes interview)."  

Esplanade in front of Edinburgh Castle

But of course, from 1460-1820 Edinburgh Castle was set on a large lake called Nor' Loch, in which alleged witches and warlocks were routinely drowned. Indeed the loch was so smelly from all the trash, sewage and bodies that Edinburgh once had the nickname of "Auld Reekie" for its clouds of coal-fueled smoke and stench. This we had learned from our Orange Edinburgh Tour our first night here. 

Click to read about our visit to Edinburgh Castle, and the Edinburgh Ghost Tour. 

There are many "day trips" out of Edinburgh run by tour operators, including small van trips to see sights such as Loch Ness to the north, or all the way down to Hadrian's Wall in England. But these 10-14 hour trips typically involve only 70-90 minutes at each of the two main attractions and perhaps one or two short stops to stretch and take pictures. Moreover, the cost paid often does not include entry fees, so you are observing buildings from the outside.

Queen's Inner Hall at Stirling Castle

After reading about the Historic Environment Scotland Explorer Pass and browsing the huge variety of sites that could be visited, we quickly decided to rent a car and plan our own two day itinerary. We rented from Arnold Clark via the Celtic Legend website, recommended by several people on TripAdvisor (see tips below). As our hotel did not have parking, we found a Park & Ride lot on the outskirts of Edinburgh that allowed free, overnight parking and took the bus back in the evening.

From top of Cairnpapple Hill

It's amazing how much you can see exploring the compact World Heritage area of Edinburgh! We were charmed by Dean Village, ventured up and down eerie closes, hunted for the best shortbread from Edinburgh Castle down the Golden Mile, shopped cashmere and wool, followed the footsteps (and hand prints) of JK Rowling, climbed to the highest point and swooned over the concept of a chocolate cafe. 

We were blessed with sunny weather for our main day on foot in Edinburgh. We walked 11.9 miles, up and down the equivalent of 68 flights of stairs visiting Edinburgh Castle and many sights in Old Town. We finished the afternoon with a hike to Arthur's Seat for a grand overview of the city we had just explored while the surrounding green countryside beyond the Firth of Forth beckoned.

Street performer on High Street

In Search of Breakfast.  

We wandered the pedestrian paths of Rose Street and Rose Street Lanes, part of the original phase of New Town designed in 1766, seeking an early morning shop where we could buy sandwiches. We had an ambitious driving itinerary planned for the next day and needed a quick lunch plan. 

We stumbled upon a gem called Social Bite at 131 Rose Street, one block east of Castle St. Painted wall text proudly proclaims their mission to end homelessness, through a combination of job opportunities and donations, including 100% of their profits. The French-Scottish meals are designed by Martin Wishart, a Michelin-starred chef, who personally cooks in the restaurant once a quarter. I had a breakfast potato roll enveloping two divine Scottish sausages (which kept trying to escape), a fried egg and some brown sauce. They also had baked goods, but scones were not their strongest suit. Most importantly for us, they had a fabulous selection of pre-made sandwiches and boxed salads available early in the morning.

Edinburgh Castle - the Crown Jewels

Like many other people, we resolved to arrive at Edinburgh Castle before the doors opened. Once inside the Edinburgh Castle complex, we decided to head straight to the Crown Jewels. We actually saw them twice. The first time, we asked where they were and went in a door that led directly to the Crown Jewels, missing the longer exhibit leading up to that room. Known formally as the Honours of Scotland, the crown jewels had been stuffed forgotten in a chest after the Scottish and English parliaments merged in 1707. There they languished for 111 years before being rediscovered and placed on exhibit. 

Entrance to Edinburgh Castle