In partnership with Caledonian Sleeper
If you’re visiting London for more than a few days then you’re likely thinking about other places in the UK you could explore beyond the capital. If you’ve got two days then I always recommend heading north to Edinburgh, Scotland, which I have personally been happy to repeat visit, even in the dead of winter.
Edinburgh is a manageable but buzzy city, with a great mix of history and ancient architecture along with modern cafes, restaurants and bars. Plus, the distillery scene is unique and fun. And if that hasn’t sold you yet, just imagine being surrounded by Scottish accents and that should get you booking your train tickets, no?
Speaking of train tickets…
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(WA = Wheelchair Accessible)
Image courtesy of Caledonian Sleeper
How to get to Edinburgh from London
There are a few options for transport up to Scotland and back when you’re on a London trip, but the one I’ve done most, and my favourite, is the iconic Caledonian Sleeper.
If you’ve never taken a sleeper train, it has a LOT of benefits, like the fact that you fall asleep in your own private room and wake up in a new city, ready to start the day. You also don’t waste your precious exploration time sitting on a cramped train or plane, and no need to worry about long security queues, luggage allowance or transfer times, and you save yourself the cost of a night in a hotel. Plus, it’s a more sustainable way to travel, producing 7x less carbon than other modes of travel, so you’re doing your bit for the planet too.
Sleeper trains are also just fun, and the Caledonian Sleeper really turns on the Scottish charm, all the way down to the Tartan-covered coffee cups.
Image courtesy of Caledonian Sleeper
Ticket options on the Caledonian Sleeper
If you’re on a budget, you can book a comfy chair in the Seated Coach. Or, if you want more comfort and fun, opt for your own private Club En-Suite room, or families can choose classic rooms that interconnect. There are accessible options too.
On this recent trip I had the Double En-Suite with a full double bed, and it was dreamy. Book an ensuite club or double room and also get access to the guest lounge and onboard Club Car, which serves Scotland-inspired food and drink, and they’ll deliver breakfast to you when you wake up or you can enjoy breakfast in the Club Car. You’ll also get access to the Guest Lounge at London Euston Station to hang out in before you hop on board.
You can book the Caledonian Sleeper directly on their website and up to 12 months in advance, so go have a look at your travel dates and get your tickets before they sell out (the rooms do go quickly!)
Ok, once you get to Edinburgh, there’s LOTS you could do there in 48 hours.
Image courtesy of The Resident Edinburgh
Top hotels to stay at in Edinburgh
For your overnight stay in Edinburgh, a hotel that I’ve stayed in and recommend is Adagio Aparthotel Edinburgh Royal Mile. It has SUCH a good location, good sized rooms and a kitchenette. I stayed two nights and was super comfy and I was happy with the value.
Also have a look at these hotel options in Edinburgh:
The Balmoral Hotel – highly-rated luxury hotel right next to Waverley station, with an in-house spa and pool.
The Resident Edinburgh – a modern, spacious hotel, where your room comes with a functional kitchenette. If you need rooms for three people, this is a great option.
The George (WA)* – located in New Town but just a few minutes from Waverley station, despite this being a beautiful, highly-rated hotel with a gym, rates are quite affordable.
*Contact property after booking to request any specific accessibility needs
Top things to do in Edinburgh with 48 hours
Visit Edinburgh Castle
Visible from many parts of the city, it’s hard to miss this impressive and imposing piece of architecture. The absolutely ancient Edinburgh Castle (WA) is one of the oldest fortitied places in Europe and has an incredible history as a royal residence, a military garrison, a prison and a fortress.
You can explore the castle on its own with standard admission tickets, or book this affordable guided tour that includes your tickets. I always think sights like this have so many stories that you can miss without a tour guide.
Image courtesy of Invisible Cities via Facebook
Take a walking tour that does good with Invisible Cities
Invisible Cities is a social enterprise that trains the homeless and ex-homeless to be tour guides in their city. I did their Leith tour (in a lesser-known part of the city) and it was not only affordable, but super interesting. Our guide was so great, he was so knowledgeable but also didn’t hesitate to tell us about the state of social housing in the area and his story of homelessness.
Image courtesy of Holyrood Distillery via Facebook
Visit a distillery (or two)
With Scotland being the birthplace of Scottish Whiskey (obviously) Edinburgh has a plethora of distilleries to visit where you can learn and see how the whiskey is made, and then do a guided tasting. Gin’s pretty big in Edinburgh too so if you prefer gin to whiskey that might be a better option for you. It’s all pretty affordable and is a fun, unique thing to do before you head for dinner at one of the options coming up.
Which distillery tour should you book? Honestly there are lots of great, high-quality options. I really enjoyed the whiskey and gin tour at the Holyrood Distillery (WA), and for gin-only, try the guided tasting at 56 North Distillery.
Climb to the top of Arthur’s Seat
I love a viewpoint, especially a free one, and while this one really made me work for it (it’s a climb that’s not for the faint of heart IMO, or at least, the way I did it wasn’t) it was worth it in the end for the 360-degree views. And I mean, how many times can you say you climbed an extinct volcano in the heart of a city?
This isn’t one to do in the winter as there can sometimes be ice on the paths, but if you’re up for it, here’s some info on how to best tackle Arthur’s Seat.
Stroll along Leith Walk
The Water of Leith Walkway (WA)* is a footpath along a beautiful stream that runs almost 30 miles or 20 km throughout Edinburgh. It was opened in 2002 and is used by locals for walks, cycling and even horseback riding.
I managed to walk the part closest to Leith, but a local told me to next time start in Stockbridge, which is even more picturesque than where I was. But it was a great way to get to Leith for the tour I mentioned earlier, taking me only about 30 minutes to walk.
*Leith Walkway is fully accessible for wheelchairs from Gorgie Road to the Water of Leith Centre at 24 Lanark Road, Edinburgh
Image courtesy of Edinburgh: Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour via Get Your Guide
Experience Harry Potter in Edinburgh
Because J.K Rowling wrote much of the Harry Potter series in Edinburgh there are a few spots to visit and things to do if you’re an HP fan.
This includes stopping by The Elephant House Cafe (WA) where she hid from the cold to do much of her writing (it’s closed for now because of a fire but you can go have a look), seeing Victoria Street, which is (one of the many places) believed to be the inspo for Diagon Alley, and just a beautiful street on its own, and even making your own potion cocktails at The Cauldron Co.
Personally I think your best option is to hop onto a Harry Potter Guided Walking Tour to hit all of the top spots in one go with a fun, expert guide.
Great cafes to visit in Edinburgh
Image courtesy of Edinburgh Larder
Edinburgh Larder
Located just off the Royal Mile is this cafe that serves seasonal local food with ingredients sourced from Scottish producers. They are really known for their Scottish breakfasts, also with veggie and vegan options. I tried out their vegan one and it was de-li-cious and very filling! The vibe at Edinburgh Larder is super chill, the staff were friendly and prices are London-level but you’ll have a pretty great meal and good coffee too.
Edinburgh Larder | ££ | Holyrood
Image courtesy of Fortitude via Instagram
Fortitude
To start the day I went for coffee at Fortitude, a local favourite. This tiny cafe is great for coffee snobs who know their roasts. I personally don’t really know them but I do know that the coffee was delicious. They also have a small selection of breakfast options for which they source ingredients as locally as possible. Fortitude is a nice, relaxed spot to have some breakfast (I had a nice little granola bowl) and start your day. There are three locations in Edinburgh: Newington, Stockbridge, and Abbey Mount.
Fortitude | £ | Newington, Stockbridge & Abbey Mount
Image courtesy of Stòr Coffee
Stòr Coffee
This is actually a flower shop AND a sustainable lifestyle shop with a cute cafe inside. I randomly stopped in here on my most recent trip and had a lovely conversation with the woman running it. My chai latte and cinnamon bun were tasty, all made better by the friendliness and the incredibly aesthetically pleasing surroundings.
Stòr Coffee | £ | Edinburgh New Town
Restaurants to eat at in Edinburgh
Image courtesy of Blonde Restaurant
Blonde Restaurant
This relaxed, candlelit restaurant serves modern Scottish cuisine and feels a bit like you’re in someone’s dining room (albeit, a pretty big one). I found the service to be quite friendly and attentive and despite Scottish cuisine not being particularly vegetarian-friendly, my soup of the day and goat’s cheese dish were delicious. Their site says they can accommodate most dietary restrictions in advance so this is a good spot if you need that. Super affordable too!
Blonde Restaurant | ££ | Marchmont
Image courtesy of David Bann via Facebook
David Bann
David Bann is a fully vegetarian restaurant with loads of vegan options. The dishes are inventive and beautifully presented, and I tried their quinoa courgette wrap with roast potatoes that was delicious. I’d advise that you go for dinner for the best vibes. Prices are mid-range for Edinburgh.
David Bann | ££ | WA | Edinburgh Old Town
Image courtesy of Aizle via Facebook
Aizle
Aizle is located in the Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel in their Garden Room, which gives the restaurant a relaxed and yet incredible high-end feel to your experience. It’s almost exclusively tasting menus here and when I went they handed me a sealed envelope with your menu in it, in case you want to keep your courses as a surprise, which I indeed did.
The service was incredible as well as the presentation of the dishes, so this is really a high-end special experience. The tasting menu starts at £75 per person for a 5-course Saturday lunch and goes up to £110 for 7 courses on Friday and Saturday night. Wine pairings start at £40 per person.
Aizle | ££££ | Edinburgh Old Town
Independent shops to visit in Edinburgh
Image of courtesy of Tills
Tills
I love shops that sell secondhand stuff, so when an Instagram follower of mine recommended Tills, I had to pop in. Tills bookshop has a mix of titles and genres so give yourself some time to browse the very reasonably priced secondhand selection. Inside the shop there are a couple of reading corners and that, paired with the old-timey jazz music playing in the background, makes the shop vibe feel a bit like you are stepping back in time.
Tills | £ | Marchmont
Image courtesy of Treen via Facebook
Treen
Treen is a boutique shop located in the Stockbridge area that sells eco-friendly, vegan and sustainable products. They have beautiful clothes, accessories and homeware, all from brands that keep the planet and people in mind. Notably, they have an incredible jacket collection and I picked up some Girlfriend’s collective leggings when I visited.
The staff are super nice and if you visit, please tell them I sent you! Because the pieces are sustainably made, expect higher prices than you might find in other stores, but this is the place you go to to get that one piece that you wear for years that always reminds you of your visit to Edinburgh.
Treen | £££ | Stockbridge
Fruitmarket shop
Originally built in the 1930’s as a fruitmarket, in the 1970’s Fruitmarket was transformed into the go-to place for contemporary art in the the city. Expect exhibitions both from big-name artists and up-and-coming ones. Personally I love the gift shop, which has an interesting mix of creative books and cute, unique and beautiful gifts – nothing kitchy! If you’re after a beautiful photography book of Edinburgh as a souvenir, this is a great spot to get one.
Fruitmarket shop | £ | Edinburgh Old Town | WA
Enjoy your visit to Edinburgh from London, and thanks to Calendonian Sleeper for making this guide possible. Visit their site to see ticket availability for your travel dates.
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