Harry Harry Potter Land

I was in Edinburgh, Scotland this past weekend with the API group.  A place I wouldn't have thought to have gone on my own, Edinburgh had the nicest people of any city I've been to.  People went out of their way to be friendly and anyone going to Europe should definitely make Edinburgh one of your stops!

We left from UCD at around 4:15 AM to the airport and took a short flight up to Scotland. After landing, we took a bus into the city and checked into our hotel, followed by a walk to Edinburgh Castle.

As we rounded the corner onto Spittle street, right in front of us was the gigantic castle.  We hiked up the hill and into the castle where we were able to go on a self guided tour.
The highlight for me was seeing the actual crown jewels of Scotland.  Absolutely amazing (pictures weren't allowed).  From outside the castle, you could also see lots of Edinburgh which was beautiful. 

Turn the corner and there it is!

A small group of us then decided to wander around a little and find some food. We ate at this place that served a traditional Scottish breakfast and it was delicious!

Later that day, all the API students went on a walking tour of the Royal Mile. Our tour guide was excellent and we learned about the history of Edinburgh. Our guide took us down a lot of small alley ways that lead to some big attractions which I never would have thought to do on my own.

For dinner, we stopped at a pub and tried some local "festive beverages" as well as chomping down on food.  It had been a very long day so we headed back to the hotel and went to sleep around 9.

The Royal Mile

The next morning after a filling breakfast, we went to a tour called The Real Mary King's Close.  It was an underground tour of a close that was partially destroyed and fully buried.  It is said to be haunted and I could definitely see why.  The creepiest part was the room filled with piles of dolls that people bring for the ghost of a little girl.

We had the rest of the day as free time so a small group of us went to the National Gallery of Scotland and looked at some artwork.  We then decided to take the hike up the Scott Monument, a very impressive Gothic style tower.  The spiral staircase was very tight but we made it and got to take in the awesome 360 degree view of Edinburgh.

Scott Monument

Later that night, some of us went on a walking tour that highlights locations J.K. Rowling got inspiration from for the Harry Potter books.  For anyone who somehow does not know, I am a huge Harry Potter fan so this was quite exciting!  Highlights included the graves of McGonagall and Thomas Riddle, the inspiration for Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, and various locations J.K. Rowling wrote parts of the books. 

Very talented hands

For dinner, I got traditional haggis.  I was expecting to not like it but it ended up being delicious!  I was very full after eating but still wanted more.

Haggis

Our final day in Edinburgh started with a bus ride to the Ocean Terminal where we got to tour the Royal Britannia, the former royal yacht of Queen Elizabeth II.  The ship was rather large but surprisingly not as lavish I was expecting for the royal family.

Royal Britannia

I was ready to go back to Dublin after the ship but knew he had one more stop.  We had been going pretty much nonstop for over  2 days and I wanted to sleep.  However, I'm very glad we took the time to go to our final destination in Scotland: South Queensferry.  Home to the view of two enormous bridges, this seaside town was a great wrap up to the weekend.  I got some fish and chips and my first ever battered Mars bars (heaven in deep fried form) and was able to soak in the amazing views.

South Queensferry

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This week looks like it might be the busiest since starting school (which isn't saying much):-Have a short accounting test on Tuesday (Off campus...kind of odd)
-Large group presentation on Wednesday for history
-Seeing UCD perform Phantom of the Opera on Thursday
-Friday is another API cultural event.  We're learning about the Irish form of bag pipes known as Uilleann Pipes followed by tea at the historic Bewley’s on Grafton St.