Making My Heart Happy In Edinburgh
If you’re following me on Instagram, then you’ll know that I spent my birthday week in Edinburgh. I had the most amazing time, it made my heart happy, and my mental health was the best it’s been for a long while (who knew taking proper time to relax was good for you…?).
So, I wanted to write a blog post about everything I got up to while in Edinburgh – from the food, to the places I visited, and everything in between. I love travelling, so definitely want to do more of it!
Whether you’ve got an Edinburgh trip planned or you’re just curious as to what I got up to on my trip, I hope you enjoy reading!
I went with my boyfriend, so I will be using ‘we’ throughout.
Day 1: Tuesday 12th October.
On the day of my birthday we finished packing the last few bits and made the 4-hour journey from Liverpool to Edinburgh. Even though the majority of the journey was on the motorway, there was so much gorgeous scenery to look at (which definitely helps my motion sickness).
When we arrived at the hotel, we got ready to go out for my birthday meal at The Salisbury Arms.
To start we had Baked Camembert with British apple & rosemary chutney and artisan breads for dunking to share. Camembert is one of my favourite things to eat (I just love cheese), so we both loved this.
For main, I had Rotisserie Pork Belly & Scallops on cider & horseradish mustard mash, with a black pudding bon bon, green beans, tenderstem broccoli and a rich bordelaise jus. I don’t love seafood but am always happy to try things again. The scallops had definitely been cooked in the pork belly juices, so they tasted like bacon and the whole dish was just incredible!!
Matt had King Prawn, Crab & Chorizo Linguine in a white wine, tomato, garlic & chilli sauce. I asked Matt for his thoughts on his main and he said - “it was delicious. Just enough heat to tingle my mouth.”
We also shared one of our favourite things – halloumi fries – which were 10/10!
For dessert we shared Crème Brulée which was hands down the BEST crème brulée we’ve both ever eaten! I’ve been thinking about it non-stop since coming home! Along with our dessert I also had the most delicious Espresso Martini and it’s now all I want to drink.
One thing to note is the waitress told us that the menu often changes as they use whatever produce they can find locally.
Day 2: Wednesday 13th October.
This was our city day. In the morning we decided to explore Edinburgh Castle (as a Welsh person, the castle was a must!). As expected, the castle was amazing! It was filled with so much heritage & information and it made you feel fully immersed into the experience. It happened to have been raining on and off over the few days previous and the prison cell area was damp – likely what prisoners would have experienced at the time.
Matt and I took so many photos on this day – so make sure you follow my Instagram for more.
After this we popped to a little café that we found as we wandered around. I went for the Soup Of The Day (which I think was roasted red pepper) and Matt had a bacon and brie panini. We both had a mocha each also (as we’ve been obsessed with these recently).
We then spent the rest of the day wandering around Edinburgh and taking in the sites.
And obviously we made a quick stop to see Thomas Riddell’s grave (the inspiration for Voldemort in Harry Potter).
Day 3: Thursday 14th October.
Today was the day we went to see all of the animals at Edinburgh Zoo. Although my favourite animal (otters) wasn’t out & about when we went, I still had the best time! I love learning about animals and seeing their adorable faces. I’m in the process of making a reel about all of the animals we saw that day – so keep and eye on my Instagram for that.
That night we decided to have a bath using this Lush bathroom and have a chill night as we’d done SO much walking over the last few days.
Day 4: Friday 15th October.
On this day we’d planned to explore a bit more of the countryside. We started our day with a big fry up (and another mocha) and then we were on our way.
Our first stop was Jupiter Artland. Jupiter Artland is an “award-winning contemporary sculpture garden located just outside Edinburgh. Founded in 2009 by philanthropist art collectors Robert and Nicky Wilson, Jupiter Artland has grown into one of Scotland’s most significant arts organisations, with an international reputation for innovation and creativity” (source).
I have no words to describe how much I enjoyed this place. It made me feel so at peace and I loved the wide range of art & sculptures throughout. We were told that it usually takes about 2 hours to explore all of Jupiter Artland – but 4 hours later we were still there… I would definitely want to include a trip here on any future Edinburgh adventures.
Jupiter Artland is now closed for the winter but will open again in May 2022.
In the evening, we decided to walk up Arthur’s Seat to watch the sunset. And although it was absolutely freezing, it was so peaceful to just sit and enjoy the view.
We finished our day by going to Pomo Pizzeria where we had the most amazing pizza and cheesecake for dessert!
I’m also creating a reel all about the food that we ate on our trip, so keep an eye out for that. I will likely share it on my TikTok too.
Final Day: Saturday 16th October.
I can’t explain how sad I felt when I woke up this morning. I’d had such a good week where I genuinely relaxed and spent proper quality time with my boyfriend, and I just wanted to treasure the experience forever.
We decided to go out for breakfast one last time, so popped to Mums Great Comfort Food and it was adorable! It’s sort of American Diner vibes but serves classic home-cooked food. Although we went for breakfast, we both agreed that we definitely want to go back for more food (they do classic sausage & mash, but you could choose your flavour of sausage, mash & gravy and we loved the sound of that).
After breakfast we popped into the Museum for a little bit before starting our journey home.
Bonus:
I can’t remember which day we had these or why we decided to pop in – but I couldn’t write this post without mentioning the incredible Haggis Pie, Quiche Lorraine and Macarons that we had from a little French Bakery. I’m still dreaming of them!
Also, we did try a deep-fried Mars Bar. I loved it, Matt really didn’t!
And there it is – my week in Edinburgh, which made my heart so incredibly happy!
We obviously didn’t explore everything that Edinburgh has to offer, so we can’t wait to go back! If you have any recommendations for my next trip, please let me know in the comments below!
I hope you’re all doing well and happy November!
Cerys x
Pin It!
More Like This
If you were following me on Instagram before I took maternity leave, you’ll know that I used the phrase “self-care isn’t selfish” quite a lot - because it’s true! Taking proper care of yourself is vital (whether you’re a Mother or not). If you aren’t okay, then it’s impossible to show up as your best self in whatever capacity you need to.