Edinburgh Castle looms over the city

It’s love at first sight! If Edinburgh were a shoe, it would be a Manolo Blahnik jeweled pump. This beautiful city, built on seven hills, looks like a movie set, with its cobblestone streets and its charming stone buildings, each vying for attention with flowering plants cascading from their window boxes.

There’s a certain feeling of comfort that English is the spoken language here, even though that Scottish brogue sometimes makes you need to pay a wee bit more attention. We’re told that it’s a short walk from the train station to the hotel and we take in all the sights and sounds, remembering to look right, left, up and down as we cross each street. It’s still unsettling to us that cars are driving on the opposite side of the road; each taxi encounter is more like a rollercoaster ride.

Stepping into our hotel, Tigerlily, takes our breath away. I’m here for only two minutes and I already know that we will add it to our list of all-time favorites. The small lobby gives way to two bar/sitting areas that have “Alice in Wonderland” written all over them.

The stylishly, large guest rooms, attention to detail (glitter balls hanging in the stairwells?!) and all-around trendiness is intoxicating; now I understand what the true definition of bling really is.

Day One
We hear bagpipes playing in the distance, so how can we not have a cocktail at a place called Angels with Bagpipes? We sit outside the 17^th century building located on the Royal Mile, a main thorofare, and people watch (note: kilts on men are very sexy). Big A* and I compare research and settle on dinner at L’ Escargot Blanc. A winner of many awards, but unpretentious, it advertises itself as “the best of Scotland with a French twist.” Known for its casserole entrees, brightly colored casserole dishes of all shapes and sizes playfully adorn shelves as pieces of art. I am so impressed with the crockery canister of cornichons and wood tongs served with my terrine appetizer that I eat way too many, but save room for the luscious lamb entree. There’s no way we can bypass our jazzy hotel bars and not stop in one for a nightcap; a scenario that will play out each night of our stay.

Day Two
We’re not surprised that the Tigerlily breakfast is so exceptional. As I sip the best tea that I’ve ever tasted, I take note of how I can make sure to try as many of the offerings as possible. Fortified, we head to Edinburgh Castle for our tour (tickets purchased ahead online). A historic military fortress, royal residence and prison, it looms over the city. Our tour guide passes out his business card and introduces himself as “Australian David” (the better to identify him on TripAdvisor with). Dressed in a kilt, his acting background comes in handy as he regales us with countless tales of intrigue, warfare and romance.

We enjoy a quick lunch at Oink. A small space with a few seats, we line up to choose our size of pulled pork sandwich, type of bread, stuffing and sauce. Our next stop is Leith, a historic port town, and I will not let the rain dampen my excitement to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia. It is said that the day it was decommissioned, Queen Elizabeth II (not known for her emotions) actually shed a tear. As it turns out, it’s not all that difficult to be a Royal; all you need is a yacht and the handshake, which I practice on every level of the ship.

Our rain hoods affect our peripheral vision, but not enough that we don’t see into the bar at The Kitchin and decide that cocktails are in order. Contemporary and sleek, we dry off to the sound of Ella Fitzgerald. Then, it’s back to Edinburgh and on to Michael Neave Kitchen for dinner. The décor is a contemporary mix of metal and wood and, Neave, one of Scotland’s top young chefs, introduces us to cod with chorizo risotto and venison and lamb, both with a slightly gamey flavor, alluding to the fact that it’s been sourced from local farms.

Day Three
The rain is relentless, so JC* and I decide to explore the art at the National Gallery of Scotland (free!), rather than accompany Mr. Wiz* and Big A* on their day trip to St. Andrews, known as “the home of golf.” Bypassing the bar where Prince William and Duchess Kate met (they both attended St. Andrew’s University), they head straight for St. Andrew’s Links. They find out that it is a public golf course and on non event days, anyone can stroll around it. As luck would have it, they spend the afternoon watching Rory Mcllroy and his dad play golf together. They are told that tomorrow will start a championship open, so entry will be restricted and ticket prices will be high.

JC, Google Maps and I make it to our meeting place, The Royal Oak. As we’re all sharing our day’s adventures, we notice three people from very different walks of life enter, pull out their instruments and just start playing. The bar is so small that our knees are almost touching the band members’ knees, so we try to not make any sudden movements and realize we can’t leave until their set is finished. We then head down a narrow alley way and multiple stone steps to The Devil’s Advocate for dinner. It’s housed in an old Victorian pump house and is lit by candlelight. We’re very adventurous and find that even animal innards (haggis and black pudding) and lamb neck filets pair well with pinot noir.

I’m sorry to say goodbye to Edinburgh and my dream of living at Tigerlilly, but there’s still one more nightcap and one more breakfast to look forward to before heading on to Dublin.

*Who’s who? See “Cast of Characters” on the “About” page.

Author’s Note:
I would greatly appreciate your input; if you enjoyed this post, please scroll down and like it!