Edinburgh has been at the top of my places to visit in the UK list for a while now. When I heard my cousin would be studying abroad in Glasgow, I knew I needed to make the trip and spend 1 day in Edinburgh.

Getting to Edinburgh from Glasgow

I joined a bunch of my cousins and some friends for a weekend in January. In total, there were nine of us and we decided to take a day trip down to Edinburgh from Glasgow on Monday. The trains seem to run every 15 minutes or so, so we booked at the station. We got a group ticket which came out to about £8 per person round trip – steal. And a true secret! If you’re traveling with a group, definitely check this option before buying individual tickets.

How to spend 1 day in Edinburgh

Here’s what we did and some other recommendations on how to spend 1 day in Edinburgh. 

• Brunch at New Town Fox
• Explore the Castle and streets in the Old Town
• Visit the Chihuahua cafe
• The Scotch Whisky Experience
• Dinner and the pubs

Brunch at New Town Fox 

If you are a large group, definitely make a brunch reservation on a weekend in Edinburgh. Yes, I know this should go without saying, but we did not. And we spent most of the morning wandering around looking for a cozy spot to fuel our day.

Though most of us were still stuffed from our Sunday roast at Chateau X, Glasgow – quite possibly the best Sunday roast I’ve had to date, there was still some hangry energy in the air.

We ended up splitting our group of nine in two, half of us went to New Town Fox.

New Town Fox had the best bacon I’ve had in ages. I ordered the Veggie Stack. It was two potato scones, halloumi and vegan sausage topped with a fried egg. Super delicious and not too heavy. One of my cousins ordered the pancakes. Modestly sweet and served with crisp, salty thick cut bacon. Delectable.

We also decided to try something called ‘Breakfast rolls’. A breakfast roll is just a bread roll stuffed with whatever you pick. In our case, bacon. Not a must, but curiosity got the best of us.

And the cutest touch of all. The lattes and cappuccinos are served with a fox dusted on top.

Explore the Castle & Harry Potter-esque streets

We spent most of the day wandering the streets. Of course, this is always my favorite activity in a new city. The streets are the best museum. We started with the Royal Mile, made our way to Victoria Street and eventually over to the Princess Street Gardens and finally, the Castle. I loved the streets of Edinburgh, especially the Royal Mile. That was my favorite part. We took lots of pictures, enjoyed the little shops and took our time taking in the city.

Visit the Edinburgh Chihuahua Cafe (or don’t)

After the streets, we went inside to the chihuahua cafe. This was certainly an experience I will never forget. For the full deets, see my article What it’s really like to visit Edinburgh’s chihuahua cafe. 

Get tipsy at the Scotch Whisky Experience

After the chihuahua cafe, I was feeling the need to do something a bit more Scottish. Reluctantly, we signed up for the Scotch Whisky Experience Edinburgh. Why, you might ask, might a group of predominantly non-whisky drinkers, spend time experiencing whisky? Well, because we’re in Scotland of course. Now, I’ve had a thing against whisky since 2009, that story for another day… but let’s just say, whisky is not for me. 

But when in Scotland, right? Right. I must say, this experience was definitely worth every cent. We had a wonderful tour guide, wish I could remember his name, and while the group was about 30 people, it felt intimate.

We chose the cheapest option, and were still able to try two different whiskys. The tour starts with an immersive video experience, leads to a traditional tasting room, then to view the biggest whisky collection of the world (really) and last to another more casual tasting room with a view and some of the more rare bottles from the collection. They had things like the smallest bottles known in the world and some in the shape of chess pieces or golf clubs. 

It probably goes without saying, I still don’t enjoy whisky, but I did get to take home a whisky sniffer for those visiting my home who do. Free souvenirs are the best souvenirs.

Have drinks and dinner in Edinburgh Old Town

We chose to have dinner at Cold Town House because they had the best rated pizza in Scotland. While I have no pizza to compare this too, it was pretty good. A thin crisp crust and a decent selection of toppings. Cold Town House is not a place I would rush back to. The restuarant itself had a slightly strange vibe and the service was average. It’s basic pub food.

The Cold Town beers were tasty however. In addition to having the best rated pizza, they also have their own microbrewery. I had a sour I really enjoyed.

If I were to visit again, I’d stop at Cold TownHouse’ roof terrace for a drink before sunset and skip the meal. There are heat lamps up there for the colder season, but definitely more of a summer spot. The view from the terrace is iconic. You can see the castle lit up at night and I must say I was impressed.

The other restaurants and bars on the Grassmarket Square were more my style. The Last Drop and The Beehive Inn were two we enjoyed before our frantic mad dash to catch our train back to Glasgow.

There was one last thing we didn’t have time to do. Visit the medieval underground city, or what the call the Real Mary King’s Close. Myths, legends, the plague and a real city from over 400 years ago, all under the Edinburgh we see today.

Exploring the closes off of the main street felt like stepping into the wonderful world of J.K. Rowling. I can only imaginr what the medieval town beneath might be look like. Definitely adding this experience to my list for the future.

Looking for more tips for Scotland? Start here.