Yes, we know. We’re a pet travel blog. And no, Tilly did not come to Scotland with us. Before you file a complaint, hear us out. International travel and ballin’ on a budget travel just don’t mix when you’re also trying to bring a dog along. We looked into it. It’s not happening right now. But the good news is that Edinburgh is aggressively dog friendly. They were everywhere, on the Royal Mile, in pubs, curled up under café tables, and every single one of them made us miss Tilly a little more. So consider this the itinerary we’ll be bringing her back for.
Here’s the full week, day by day, so you can steal whatever parts of it work for your own trip.
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Not much to report here except the obligatory travel day nothingness. Get on the plane, sit on the plane, land eventually.
We landed mid morning and took the tram straight from the airport into the city, which could not have been easier. First stop was wandering the Royal Mile, which is exactly as charming and touristy as you’d expect. Edinburgh Castle was sold out for the day (lesson learned, book ahead), so we crossed over to Palace of Holyroodhouse instead. The palace itself is worth a tour, and the ruined abbey is genuinely gorgeous, missing roof and all.
We stayed at the Ibis Edinburgh Centre Royal Mile, which was fine in the way European hotels are often fine. Small double room, two twin beds pushed together, windows that don’t actually open. No AC, just a box above the door blowing around slightly-less-hot air. We asked for a fan and wedged it near a small crack in the window. This helped, but only after the sun went down. Moral of the story: pack for warm nights even if you’re expecting Scottish weather.
Food-wise, day one was a wash. Lunch at a noodle and rice spot was fine, nothing more. Dinner was a baked potato place where we showed up right at closing and they’d already run out of half the menu. Staff were lovely about it, food was forgettable, and both meals were supposedly spicy and were actually just sweet. We’d learn to stop trusting the word “spicy” on Scottish menus pretty quickly.
Breakfast at Mör, right by our hotel, was a mixed bag. We both got BAPs (soft breakfast sandwiches) and found them dry and kind of flavorless, but we split a donut and the mocha was great, so it balanced out.
Then we caught the train down to the Scottish Borders for a full day of abbeys and highland coos. We hired a driver for the day instead of relying on the bus, and it was hands down the best call we made all trip. No rushing, no schedules, just go where you want.
First up was Melrose Abbey, home to the (supposedly) buried heart of Robert the Bruce and a very famous bagpiping pig gargoyle. Walking the graveyard felt a little bit like walking on dead people, because, well, we were. Next was Jedburgh Abbey, where we’d been warned it was “slippy” (accurate) and found tiny hidden lego scenes tucked throughout the ruins, which nobody warned us about and which delighted us way more than it should have.
From there we hit Jacksons at Jedburgh, a proper highland coo farm with a petting zoo of pigs, goats, sheep, and horses. The family that owns the farm was so welcoming and had us laughing through the entire tour.
We made it back to Edinburgh just in time for the Islander Workshop Experience, where you make your own tweed bag. It’s kept small on purpose, so you end up bonding with other tourists and locals over your own clumsy fingers. Genuinely one of the best souvenirs of the whole trip.
A 45 minute train ride got us to Glasgow, which has an easy to navigate subway and bus system once you’re there. We did the mural walk first, which is packed with huge, striking murals celebrating the city’s culture and community.
From there we took the subway to Kelvinbridge and walked the river path to the museum, which was full of dogs, commuters, and locals getting their steps in. We happened to be there during the Commonwealth Games, so the park was full of watch parties and food trucks.
The hidden lane was a stop for some art browsing, cute studio finds, not quite what we expected but not in a bad way, just different. Then, on the walk to the art museum, we stumbled onto a lawn bowling green completely by accident and ended up watching, then playing, for a solid chunk of the afternoon. Free, unplanned, and one of the most fun surprises of the whole trip.
Kelvingrove Art Museum itself is free, well done, and worth the stop, especially the grand hallway lined with hanging faces. We could have people watched there all day. Dinner was at a steakhouse before catching the train back to Edinburgh.
Fair warning if you’re planning your own trip: every single day in Edinburgh is leg day. The city is built on seven hills and covered in cobblestones. If mobility is a concern at all, bring walking poles or plan around taxis.
After days of go go go, a rainy morning gave us the excuse for a proper lazy start. Breakfast at the Castle’s Kitchen came with excellent pancakes and even better staff.
The afternoon was spent wandering the Royal Mile and Old Town, including a stop at Victoria Street, rumored (like half of Edinburgh) to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley. Not a huge Harry Potter person, but appreciated it anyway. Later in the day we caught the street performers, our favorite being a genuinely excellent Loud Mime.
Dinner at a pub was followed by a visit to Greyfriars Kirkyard to boop the snoot of Bobby, the loyal dog who famously guarded his owner’s grave for 14 years. The graveyard is supposedly haunted, which we were, of course, thrilled about. Sarcasm aside, it’s a genuinely cool spot to wander at dusk.
We are not group tour people as a rule, but without a car, the Hairy Coo Tours highlands day turned out to be the most practical way to see a lot in one day. Blackness Castle was the clear highlight; a self guided wander through the ruins with gorgeous views. And yes, we touched every rock just in case we got our own Jamie Fraser moment.
The highland coo stop was a little underwhelming after Jacksons at Jedburgh (only three coos, right next to a parking lot), but still cute and easy to feed. Loch Katrine, unfortunately, was almost entirely socked in by rain, so most of the view was lost to clouds. Which, honestly, felt familiar. Plenty of us leave Washington without ever seeing Mount Rainier either.
Our tour guide made the whole day, full of stories, facts, and dad jokes, sometimes all three at once. Dinner plans fell through when Makars Mash Bar, supposedly the best meal in Edinburgh, turned out to be fully booked, so we landed at a Mexican restaurant on Victoria Street instead. Overall, Scotland’s food didn’t wow us, and we’ll leave it at that instead of naming names. The evening ended with ice cream (finally, some flavor) and a walk home in the rain.
Our last full day started slow again, mostly spent deciding whether we needed to ship a box of souvenirs home. After a lazy brunch and more street performer watching, we had an early dinner at Brewhemia, which turned out to be, unexpectedly, the best meal of the entire trip. German food, stealing the show in Scotland. Nobody saw that coming.
From there we trained to Stirling and cabbed to Doune Castle, filming location for Outlander, Game of Thrones, and, most importantly to us, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We wandered the grounds loudly quoting our favorite lines, assuming we were alone. We soon discovered we were absolutely not, and met a group of fellow Holy Grail fans who’d brought their own coconuts to reenact scenes with.
Next was Stirling Castle and the graveyard of the Church of Holy Rude, plus a not so fun run-in with a rat that had us convinced we were about to get locked in after dark. Last stop was the National Wallace Monument, which we reached just after close, meaning another round of leg day up the hill. The views from the top were worth every burning lung and sore leg. We closed out the trip with a cab back to the station and a long game of gin rummy on the train home.
Scotland was a solid 10 out of 10, and we’d go back in a heartbeat. Next time, though, we’re figuring out how to bring Tilly. Watch this space.
Want the deep dive on any of these days? We’re breaking the Borders, Glasgow, the Highlands, and more into their own posts, so stay tuned.
