Scotch Whiskey, Royals, and Ghosts: Day 8 – Scotland 2017
This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here.
13 April 2017
To me, there’s no better way to explore a new city than to get lost in it. That’s exactly what we did after a delicious breakfast at our B&B, The Gil Dun Guest House. We walked into Edinburgh, and in our search for the Scotch Whiskey Experience, we couldn’t help but turn down winding, twisting streets that beckoned to us. In our wanderings, we stumbled upon Victoria Street.
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll want to add this to your list. It was the inspiration for the beloved Diagon Alley and sports its very own wizarding shop, Museum Context. The road turns sharply and rises steeply, lined with colorful shops of all types and topped with a terrace and more shops. It’s such a splendid street and you can easily spend an hour exploring it.
If you’re not a Harry Potter fan, go anyway. You’ll still love this wonderful piece of Edinburgh’s architecture and the shopping along the way. We also saw a handful of restaurants as well. One other shop we really enjoyed was Walker Slater which offers the most smashing tweed outfits for both men and women. Billy and I could have EASILY spent every penny in this shop! If you’d like to learn a little more about Victoria Street, click here!
The Scotch Whiskey Experience
We finally made our way to the Royal Mile after a morning of wandering the streets of Edinburgh and found the Scotch Whiskey Experience, our first attraction of the day. If I remember correctly, we bought the Silver Tour. It included a whiskey barrel ride that takes you through the production of whiskey, a whiskey tasting (or soda/juice for the kids), a small whiskey glass to take home, an intro to aromas of whiskey, and a tour of the largest Scotch whiskey collection in the world. Perhaps parts of it were a little hoaky, but we had a blast! It was a fun way to learn about the whiskey process and try whiskey based on which aromas you liked best.
We didn’t book online but bought tickets upon arrival. During the busy season of the year, I think it would be advisable to book in advance since it is a popular attraction. It is located on the Royal Mile, which is the busiest tourist area in the old city.
If you’re really of fan of whiskey and want more tasting options, go for broke with the Gold Tour or Platinum Tour. You get everything that the Silver Tour offers plus a few extra perks. These are also 18+ over tours, so keep that in mind. The Scotch Whiskey Experience also has an attached restaurant, which you can visit individually or buy the Taste of Scotland Tour for an added experience to your whiskey tour.
More Sight Seeing
After our delightful whiskey afternoon, we popped over to buy tickets to see Mary King’s Close the next day. We also bought ghost tour tickets for the vaults. This was 100% my desire. It’s hard to talk Billy into doing anything ghost-related, but I pointed out that we were seeing over 20 castles during our tour of Scotland, so he could afford a few hours of enduring a ghost tour for me. In the end, we bought the tickets, and I was one happy lady!
Sometime after purchasing all of our tickets, we realized that Billy didn’t have his hat with him. We both came to the same conclusion that he must have dropped it in Museum Context (the Harry Potter shop) earlier that morning. He had bought that hat in Ireland and was really upset about losing it. We made our way back to the shop with little hope of finding it, but lo and behold, the staff had found it and set it behind the counter. How incredibly lucky! With hat and good spirits restored, we carried on with the day.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Located at the opposite end of the Royal Mile sits the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It has a long history and is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland. Just like The Scotch Whiskey Experience, we bought tickets upon arrival and made our way in. Opt-in for the audioguide. It’s included in the ticket price and is absolutely worth it.
History
Holyroodhouse (also called Holyrood Palace) has connections with a few well-known Scottish historical figures, including Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Mary Queen of Scots lived in Holyroodhouse between 1561-1567. You can visit her chambers by climbing the narrow staircase into the oldest part of the castle. You can visit her bed-chamber, her supper room (where she witnessed the murder of David Rizzio, her private secretary), and the outer chamber where Mary received visitors. Now, back to that murdery bit for just a second. Mary’s husband and a group of other powerful Scottish Lords murdered David Rizzio right in front of Mary. They stabbed him 56 times. The reasoning behind it was complicated, but in the simplest of terms, it was over the desire for power and a woman. For a more in-depth read, check out this page. It is said that his blood still stains the floor of the Outer Chamber.
Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived at Holyroodhouse nearly 200 years later. He walked into the palace of his ancestors with the goal of claiming the British throne for his father. He set up court for six weeks, using the Great Gallery as an audience chamber during the day. At night, the space was used for receptions and the grand sort of ball that we only see in films these days (or in Bridgerton, perhaps!).
The palace holds hundreds of years of history and intrigue. The audio guide will walk you through all of the highlights that you need to know. You cannot take photos inside the building, so try to remember every detail when you visit!
Our Visit
We took our time going through the palace. There is so much to see and read about. Great information boards are placed throughout the palace. Combined with the audio tour, the amount that you learn is incredible. We popped out back to look at the gardens and Holyrood Abbey after finishing up inside the palace. Both are quite impressive. We went to the gift shop before leaving, and if you’re like me and enjoy a good gift shop, you’ll love this one! It is huge and offers all kinds of goodies.
Filling Time
We had a few hours before our ghost tour of the vaults started, so we decided to do more exploring in the city. On our walk to Calton Hill, we stumbled upon an amazing cemetery. I wish I knew the name of it, but I don’t remember seeing one. We walked around there for a short while and then took in Calton Hill.
Calton Hill is a large hill smack in the middle of the city center. Monuments cover the hill and there are stunning views of the city from the top. It was a pleasant walk and would be a perfect picnic spot.
After taking in what the walk had to offer, we made our way back to the Royal Mile. We spent the afternoon and early evening window shopping and having tea. Somewhere in the mix, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. The only pictures I have from that are these:
We chose this restaurant because it looked kind of neat and didn’t have a huge line. It turned out to be American cuisine. Womp womp! No Scotch whiskey or Scottish food here.
Ghost Tour Of Edinburgh’s Underground Vaults
The sun was setting and it was finally time for our ghost tour to begin! We made our way back to the meeting point, and the tour got underway. We hit a few locations above ground before heading to the place I wanted to see the most, the underground vaults.
For those unfamiliar with what I’m talking about, here’s a quick history lesson. You wouldn’t know it by looking at it today, but the city of Edinburgh spans seven hills. Only two are still visible to the untrained eye: Castle Hill and Calton Hill. The rest have been swallowed up. Five bridges link these hills together, spanning the gaps in between. But the bridges are just as hard to spot as the hills. These bridges (Southgate being the most well-known) were made with huge archways as supports, and businessmen flocked to them to take advantage of passing traffic. Businesses were built on top of the bridge, and to accommodate these, houses were built along either side of the bridge within the arches. Slowly, more tenement houses were built lower and lower within the blocked in arches. Many of these spaces started as extra space for the shops above.
Over time, the bridge began to leak, and these spaces became less desirable for businesses. The poor and needy saw these empty spaces and took advantage. Conditions worsened, and 30 years after the bridge was completed, the vaults were filled in and closed up. Fast forward to 1985. During excavation, a winding network of empty vaults was uncovered and the past came rushing out. Tours are now available through was is said to be one of Edinburgh’s most haunted locations.
Going Underground
It’s funny, the things your brain forgets. I don’t remember going down into the vaults. I remember a door on a dark street. Stairs. And then we were there. The vaults are musty with stale air, and the only light comes from candles and a few lightbulbs that have been strung throughout. Darkness creeps in every corner, threatening to come closer if you turn your back. It’s definitely creepy down there! Our guide told us stories throughout the chambers of people and murders and ghosts. It took everything in me to keep Billy from throwing pebbles into the dark to spook people! It’s easy to get creeped out down there. I constantly put my back to a wall because I had the intense feeling that someone was going to come up behind me. It was a great tour and I wanted it to keep going!
At the end of the tour, we were offered a drink of choice (whiskey being an option) before being let out into the streets of old Edinburgh. Billy had the whiskey and I opted for a soda (the Scotch Whiskey Experience was enough whiskey for me in one day). It was the best kind of evening I could have hoped for. Perfectly dreadful in the best way possible.
A Late Walk Home
It was around 9 PM or so when we got out and we were feeling hungry again. As we strolled through the city towards home, we stumbled upon an Italian restaurant that looked good. That stop was one of the best decisions we made! I wish I could remember the name of the place, but I only remember the food.
We made our way home with full bellies. After a full day back in Edinburgh drinking whiskey, learning about royals, and searching for ghosts, we slept like the dead.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy
