Booking a trip away with your best friends on finishing A-levels: what better way to put an end to a stressful exam period? With Edinburgh being fairly affordable and not too close to home but also not too far from home, it felt like the perfect destination for our little trip. After an incredible four days away with my besties, it would only be right for me to share the highlights of the city with you!
Our accommodation was a warm and homely Airbnb in Bruntsfield which turned out to be the perfect location. For the majority of our trip, locations were within in walking distance and so luckily we only had to spend money on transport occasionally. Obviously, the first day was just a case of exploring the city and seeing what it had to offer. Princes Street was our main port of call when it came to shopping which was pretty much our only choice of activity on the first day which was quite gloomy and rainy! Luckily, the weather took a turn and for the rest of the trip it was even warmer than expected!
We all agreed that Camera Obscura was a highlight of the trip. Tickets are valid all day so we made sure to explore all the different floors and left having seen every single illusion. My favourite was definitely the mirror maze as that is something I've always wanted to do! Unfortunately, the vortex tunnel (basically a spinning tunnel) was not for me as my motion sickness kicked in just by looking at it, but I know some of my friends loved it! The photo on the right is from the Ames room which 'can make you shrink and grow instantly' aka the only time that I will ever feel tall!
Speaking of Camera Obscura, we got the best view of the city of Edinburgh from its rooftop! You can see all the major landmarks and even the coast. We went during the day but I honestly regret not going again in the evening to get some photos of the city lit up in the dark! One of the activities we had planned for the trip was to go for a hike up either Calton Hill or Arthur's Seat which are also said to have incredible views from the top but we were honestly just shattered by the last day and decided uno in the park was a better idea.
Admittedly, there were only 2 of us Harry Potter fanatics on the trip but we managed to persuade the others to go on a little hunt for all the famous sights. You can't come all the way to Edinburgh and not pay Harry Potter a little respect!! A few of the sights we saw include Tom Riddle's grave, The Elephant House (where JK Rowling wrote the books) and George Heriot's school (supposedly inspiration for Hogwarts).
Victoria Street is said to have been inspiration for Diagon Alley and now that I've visited it for myself, I can definitely see why! The narrow, curved street has a cobblestone path and is full of colourful buildings including a joke shop and a couple of Harry Potter merchandise stores. Victoria Street isn't just for the Harry Potter fans though. It's also the perfect place to take lots of cute photos for your Instagram feed!
Our accommodation was a warm and homely Airbnb in Bruntsfield which turned out to be the perfect location. For the majority of our trip, locations were within in walking distance and so luckily we only had to spend money on transport occasionally. Obviously, the first day was just a case of exploring the city and seeing what it had to offer. Princes Street was our main port of call when it came to shopping which was pretty much our only choice of activity on the first day which was quite gloomy and rainy! Luckily, the weather took a turn and for the rest of the trip it was even warmer than expected!
We all agreed that Camera Obscura was a highlight of the trip. Tickets are valid all day so we made sure to explore all the different floors and left having seen every single illusion. My favourite was definitely the mirror maze as that is something I've always wanted to do! Unfortunately, the vortex tunnel (basically a spinning tunnel) was not for me as my motion sickness kicked in just by looking at it, but I know some of my friends loved it! The photo on the right is from the Ames room which 'can make you shrink and grow instantly' aka the only time that I will ever feel tall!
If you find something you like on their website, then you can use our discount code 'HALEBLOG20' for 20% off!*
Speaking of Camera Obscura, we got the best view of the city of Edinburgh from its rooftop! You can see all the major landmarks and even the coast. We went during the day but I honestly regret not going again in the evening to get some photos of the city lit up in the dark! One of the activities we had planned for the trip was to go for a hike up either Calton Hill or Arthur's Seat which are also said to have incredible views from the top but we were honestly just shattered by the last day and decided uno in the park was a better idea.
Admittedly, there were only 2 of us Harry Potter fanatics on the trip but we managed to persuade the others to go on a little hunt for all the famous sights. You can't come all the way to Edinburgh and not pay Harry Potter a little respect!! A few of the sights we saw include Tom Riddle's grave, The Elephant House (where JK Rowling wrote the books) and George Heriot's school (supposedly inspiration for Hogwarts).
Victoria Street is said to have been inspiration for Diagon Alley and now that I've visited it for myself, I can definitely see why! The narrow, curved street has a cobblestone path and is full of colourful buildings including a joke shop and a couple of Harry Potter merchandise stores. Victoria Street isn't just for the Harry Potter fans though. It's also the perfect place to take lots of cute photos for your Instagram feed!
Have you ever been to Edinburgh?
